Sir Alex Ferguson

I was watching last nights game and they kept on bringing up the fact that SAF had been in the MU hotseat for 25 years. And I dont think anyone can deny that it is an incredible feat - managing a team that has dominated domestically for so long.

However (I am sure you all knew that was coming) - is managing one team good for your legacy? Does it show a lack of ambition?

What I mean by that is take another couple of examples:

Mourinho - won the champions league with AC and Porto. Won the UeFA with Proto. Won the league with Chelsea. Managing Real Madrid now.
Dalglish - won the title with Liverpool. Won the title with Blackburn. Went to Newcastle for a challenge when he could of stayed at both Blackburn and Liverpool.

So what are everyones thoughts on this - do you think that SAF has shown a lack of ambition by staying at one club for the last 25 years?

as much as i'm going to say this, fergie does not need to buy anyone in the t/w this month, all he needs is for his players to gel themselves back when they were in august

simples

btw this is coming from a liverpool fan

Lets not forget he won the euro cup with Aberdeen.

He has been a great manager, although as a person his is thoroughly unlikeable.

Certainly enjoyed watching the highlights after last nights match.

Nope. Ferguson's ambition was to become the most successful club in England, and he has done that domestically. He has reinvented the United team time and time again and that takes some effort and motivation.

As for Mourinho, he seems to have turned into (either intentionally or otherwise) 'a hired-gun' type manager. Come in, win things, leave ageing, expensive team behind.

And Dalglish, he probably would have stayed at Liverpool much longer than he did if it wasn't for Hillsborough.

liverbnz wrote:Nope. Ferguson's ambition was to become the most successful club in England, and he has done that domestically. He has reinvented the United team time and time again and that takes some effort and motivation.

As for Mourinho, he seems to have turned into (either intentionally or otherwise) 'a hired-gun' type manager. Come in, win things, leave ageing, expensive team behind.

And Dalglish, he probably would have stayed at Liverpool much longer than he did if it wasn't for Hillsborough.

I don't see the fuss with Dalglish. Ruined Newcastle, spent massively with Liverpool on some pretty average players.

He is also a complete mong.

johnson2 wrote:

liverbnz wrote:Nope. Ferguson's ambition was to become the most successful club in England, and he has done that domestically. He has reinvented the United team time and time again and that takes some effort and motivation.

As for Mourinho, he seems to have turned into (either intentionally or otherwise) 'a hired-gun' type manager. Come in, win things, leave ageing, expensive team behind.

And Dalglish, he probably would have stayed at Liverpool much longer than he did if it wasn't for Hillsborough.

I don't see the fuss with Dalglish. Ruined Newcastle, spent massively with Liverpool on some pretty average players.

He is also a complete mong.

+1

I don't think you can say it's a lack of ambition. I think it depends on what that individuals ambition is.

He has built up a legacy at United that no one will ever match. 25 years in charge of a side that he has made top class. Sure there have been moments of unsteadiness (Such as the Beckham incident) but he has adapted his team and carried on.

We've seen it time and time again. It was assumed the team would struggle without Cantona, without Beckham, without Ronaldo. It didn't. He just created a new team.

There are players now in place to continue that tradition. They may not be coping quite as well as previous teams but players such as Smalling, Wellbeck, Jones etc look the part...they just need consistency behind them to really kick on.

Football is really the only industry that we would ask this question in. Would you look at a company elsewhere and think....the CEO has been with them for 25 years....why didn't he leave and go somewhere else to prove himself?

johnson2 wrote:He has been a great manager, although as a person his is thoroughly unlikeable.

Have to debate that he seems to have a good sense of humor just not a guy you cross

In terms of his legacy has any other manager stayed that long at one club before and reinvented it like he does and is still doing

4 European trophies in 3 seperate decades, knocked the Old Firm and Liverpool of their perches and brought through some of the best players the world has seen

Many say its his ambition that keeps him going the drive to do more and win more and to be better

Adam D wrote:Do you think that SAF has shown a lack of ambition by staying at one club for the last 25 years?

Your kidding right? You have got to be joking.

Sir Alex Ferguson has dominated the English game. He broke the Old Firm grip in the Scottish game. He beats Real Madrid to win the Cup Winners Cup with Aberdeen! Your questioning his ambition? Does he NOT want to win trophies? If thats the case then I would question his ambition. But its not. Its a stupid question.

Sven Goran Erikson must be the most character in football Steve 'Farmer' Clarridge according to your logic.

Does this mean Ryan Giggs has no ambition for being at the same club? If thats the case neither does Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard, Iniesta, Messi, Guardiola and man many others!!

What absolute nonsense.

Completely agree with the first comment response from the Liverpool fan. Man Utd do not need another player IMO. Last night they looked completely pants. They seemed tired, had a poor attitude and just bang on did not perform. The only bright spark last night was Ryan Giggs. He showed glimpses of brilliance and it is a shame his team mates didnt wake up and shake off Christmas festivities.

On another note though, lets not take away the fact that Newcastle themselves had a great performance. My only worry for them is how they will cope without Ba and Tiote in Jan?

I disagree with United not needing another player, they have a very weak center of the midfield and they need to sort it, if rumours are to be believed the Fergie is going back for Snjieder, but Carrick, Gibson and are not good enough.

Adam D wrote:I was watching last nights game and they kept on bringing up the fact that SAF had been in the MU hotseat for 25 years. And I dont think anyone can deny that it is an incredible feat - managing a team that has dominated domestically for so long.

However (I am sure you all knew that was coming) - is managing one team good for your legacy? Does it show a lack of ambition?

What I mean by that is take another couple of examples:

Mourinho - won the champions league with AC and Porto. Won the UeFA with Proto. Won the league with Chelsea. Managing Real Madrid now.
Dalglish - won the title with Liverpool. Won the title with Blackburn. Went to Newcastle for a challenge when he could of stayed at both Blackburn and Liverpool.

So what are everyones thoughts on this - do you think that SAF has shown a lack of ambition by staying at one club for the last 25 years?

It might be that you have forgotten that he was fairly successful with Aberdeen as well. SAF would have been successful even if he had left Utd

i would say lack of ambition would have been moving away from united. theres not a team around domestically that would have been a step up and probably only real madrid bigger during fergies reign. and with all there politics i dont blame anyone to for not wanting to take over that mess. lack of diversity maybe but certainly not ambition, its his ambition of winning trophies and hungry for success thats kept him going so long. couldnt think of a worser word to describe fergie than lacking ambition. it was laughed off when he said it was his aim to knock liverpool of their perch yet here he is.

also little mistake in the op, mourinho won it with inter not AC

Alex Ferguson worked wonders with St Mirren and took Aberdeen to a level they'd never been before or ever will again, he's managed Scotland in the World Cup too, reaching Man Utd was a new challenge, it took him long enough to get there but has been ar the helm of the club through their most successful period

I'm not sure about the logic in listing Dalglish either to be honest, not many guys won the toip title as manager with two different clubs so quite rightly should be hailed however he didn't exactly leave Liverpool for a new challenge and with Blackburn he left as soon as it looked like things weren't going to plan, he's never displayed the staying power at a club, even at Celtic, many trhought he was going to come in as the manager yet was announced as an advisor to John Barnes

Also, Mourinho has done it all, does that make his achievments better than Ferguson? That's a matter of opinion, with Jose though his desire seems to be to manage in the Premiership, he was sacked from the 2nd top club at the time and I doubt he wanted to manage a team that didn't have a realistic chance of winning the league, so he went to Italy, Inter where in cruise control for a few years due to Juventus and AC Milan both being punished for match fixing, anyway he continued that success and also won the Champions League, he moved to Real and while Madrid do look a good team did he really do better than Pellagrino who only dropped 18 points for the entire season he was eventually sacked?

You've also got to look at how Ferguson has built three new teams while constantly turning those teams into League Champions, he built a side which culminated in winning the league in 1993 and for the next couple of years overall they where the strongest team, after hints that they could be on the way down with the emergence of Blackburn and Newcastle, Ferguson inexplicably sold seasoned pros like Ince, Hughes and Kanchelskis and put faith in the 'Fergie Fledglings' along with Andy Cole and a returning Eric Cantona, that squad along with some quality additions would go on to dominate English Football for the next 6 seasons with the exception of one, probably United's best ever period, by 2001 Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal had all caught up with United and where seen as equals, Arsenal where looking like a new power, then Abramovich took control at Chelsea

It looked like United would struggle, they replaced Beckham with a kid called Ronaldo, all potential but very little substance, a year later they splashed out again on a young player called Rooney, again he was mostly potential at this point, as Arsenal started to fade and Liverpool flattered to decieve United rose to Chelsea's challange and turned the screw and once again became the top team in England and this time made a real impression on the Champions League

So do I think he showed a lack of ambition? Derinitely not, I find it unbelievable how he has continued to be as motivated as he has and the pressure to put United back on top after a four year absence must have been huge but like he does, if he truly believes in his younger players he sticks it out and gives them time, he spends a lot of money but no-one can doubt his abilities as a manager and his unwavering faith in his decision making

Leaving for me would have been easier for him

it will never happen again he's a one-off

Best manager of all time...Mourinho has never shown the ability to stay at a club and nurture talent, build teams on a regular basis etc.

Not really until recently Utd has been where all the money is!!!

Broke the transfer window plenty of times......so why should he move to a lesser club...no he doesn't lack ambition to be fair..

Great at spin though...should've been a politician!!! ...after all Chelsea and now Man City are buying their way to the top!!!

The only good thing about City's money and Utd's fall back into the pack.... is the fact referees are actually spotting Utd infringements and awarding penalties at old trafford!!

now that has to be good for the game...

I'm tired of people saying how great it is that he's been there 20+ years, no it's not great, there should be a limit on how long you can stay manager for. Give someone else a chance old man!

What a ridiculous thread this is. How can you question a mans ambition when he has developed 4 - 5 different teams within one club and consistantly been at the top and seen off every manager. He has won trophies on a regular basis and also worked miracles with Aberdeen. There will never be another manager like him.

I love the reason for editing

It was my article and its worked - it certainly sparked a little bit of debate!

Thought Waingro might have been added to the mod team for a minute there.

He loves the club and the club loves him, there's nothing wrong with being at the club you are happiest at and continuing to win things, unlike Mourinho who is a mercenary.

If Pep Guardiola stays at Barcelona for years and continues to win CL titles then would lack ambition for not going somewhere else too? I don't think so.

Why would he want to go anywhere else????


Bizarre article......

Josiah Maiestas wrote:I'm tired of people saying how great it is that he's been there 20+ years, no it's not great, there should be a limit on how long you can stay manager for. Give someone else a chance old man!

What a throughly idiotic thing to say why should he step aside? Whos he going to give a chance too? You think some unknown will replace him? Itll be someone with experience or a strong knowledge of the club