Like so many of football's top managers, Alexander Chapman Ferguson
emerged from humble beginnings. Born in Govan, the shipbuilding district
of Glasgow, his working-class roots played a role in his ascent to
become the most successive manager in Premier League history and, after
an incredible two decades in charge of Manchester United, he has won the
respect of everyone in the game.
JohnWalton/Empics
Sir Alex Ferguson: United boss
Ferguson took the plunge into management with East Stirling in July 1974
then moved to First Division side St Mirren in October of the same
year. He promptly guided the Paisley club to the championship in 1976-77
and, despite doing so on limited resources, Ferguson was sacked three
years into his tenure after a disagreement with the club's chairman.
Fergie eventually signed for the Aberdeen in August 1978 and transformed
an average side into the form team of the 1980s, breaking The Old Firm
(Rangers and Celtic) stranglehold on Scottish football, and led the
Granite City club to three league titles, four Scottish Cups and a
League Cup in eight seasons. His greatest achievement , though, came in
1983 when he led Aberdeen to a 2-1 victory over the mighty Real Madrid
in the European Cup Winners' Cup.
He rejected lucrative offers from Barcelona, Arsenal, Rangers and
Tottenham to take control of Manchester United on in November 1986 and
initially appeared to have left his success in Scotland. However,
Ferguson was rebuilding the club in minute detail and revamped the youth
system and stamped out the drinking culture at Old Trafford by shipping
out many of the crowd's favourites.
Yet Fergie's job was on the line as United went into a Third Round FA
Cup tie against Nottingham Forest having lost six and drawn two in eight
games - and he was only saved by a narrow 1-0 win. That victory marked a
turning point in fortunes for Ferguson and the club won the FA Cup in
1990, then the European Cup Winners' Cup a year later.
In the new 'Premier League' Ferguson found more success. The arrival of
enigmatic Frenchman Eric Cantona proved to be the final piece of the
jigsaw and United finally won the league title, ending a 26-year
drought. Then the 1993-94 season saw United stamp their authority on
English football as Ferguson claimed his first Double - beating
Blackburn Rovers to the League Championship and crushing Chelsea 4-0 in
the FA Cup final.
Another Double came two years later and with 'Fergie's Fledglings' -
David Beckham, the Neville Brothers, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Ryan
Giggs - in full flight, they went one better in 1998-99 by claiming an
historic Treble with a 2-1 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions
League. The manager was subsequently knighted - becoming Sir Alex
Ferguson - in the Queen's birthday honours list as a reward for his
services to British football.
The 2000-01 season saw United cruise to another title, this time
wrapping it up in mid-April, as Ferguson became the first manager to win
three English League titles in a row to become the most successful
manager in the history of English football. But Arsenal, and then
Chelsea continued to challenge United's dominance.
Picking up just one title (2003) in four years, Ferguson rebuilt his
side with the purchases of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney and by
2007 he was back at football's top table again.
Having built his third team at Old Trafford, United won three
back-to-back titles from 2007-2009 and also claimed another Champions
League title - beating Chelsea on penalties in Moscow in 2008. Having
equalled Liverpool's record haul, he overtook it in 2011 and ensured
that his place in football's record books is written in stone.
Strengths: A hard taskmaster, Ferguson gets 100% out of his
players and commands ultimate respect. His experience is second to none
and he knows every trick in the book in terms of psychological games.
Weaknesses: Quick to blame others for his sides' defeats and
criticise match officials, perhaps his arrogance is his biggest
downfall.
Career high: A close run thing between winning the treble in 1999
and finally usurping Liverpool as the most successful team in English
football by claiming a record 19th league title in 2011.
Career low: November and December of 1989, when Manchester United
lost six and drew two in eight games. One more defeat and it was widely
predicted that he would be sacked. Ferguson called this his 'darkest
period'.
Tactics: With such a long time at the helm behind him, Ferguson
has seen it all. He loves his players to be passionate and work hard
around the pitch, while a quick counter-attacking approach is usually at
the heart of any gameplan he has worked out.
Quotes: ''You'll win nothing with kids.''
Alan Hansen, on the
United side that became one of the most successful teams in history.
Trivia: Ferguson's house in Wilmslow is named Fairfields after
the shipyard at which his parents
The most enduring symbol of the Norse - titanium arts
BalasHapus› tj-metal-arts › tj-metal-arts The most enduring symbol of the Norse - titanium arts · หารายได้เสริม The most enduring symbol of the Norse - deccasino titanium arts · The 출장안마 most enduring symbol of the Norse 출장안마 - titanium ford fusion titanium arts.