Wally with a Brolly

The first English game I ever watched was the 1996 FA Cup final between Liverpool and Man Utd. The Spice Boys were playing, and so was Eric Cantona, who was the reason my dad had turned on the telly to follow the game.

Of course Eric proceeded to delight my father and scored a superb goal in the dying minutes of a tight affair, despite David 'Calamity' James' best efforts, and Man Utd lifted the trophy. Ferguson was already there, chewing his gum nervously on the sidelines and flashing his wide, unique grin.



1996, Fergie, a late goal and a Man Utd win. Not many things have changed since then. Except now he's gone. Wow.

As the 'surprise' announcement came through yesterday, there was the inevitable and deserved usual respectful reactions from the world of football.

But the issue of one's legacy is always a thorny one, especially in the football world where loyalty often blinds reason, sometimes to atrocious consequences.

And yet there is one thing on which we can all agree, even with the despicable partisanship which is actually omnipresent in football, and even though I write this through a clenched fist and gritted teeth: it is that Alex Ferguson was one of the greatest managers in the History of the game. Of that there is absolutely no doubt.

For we do not celebrate champions for their ability to impress us once. Sure, some are rightly lauded for their one-off accomplishments. But we consider to be the greatest, the sportsmen who consistently compete and win. Those guys truly capture our imagination. That's why Chris Hoy and Bradley Wiggins are such icons here in the UK. Both have won titles over different disciplines over a certain number of years. And both have done it cleanly, which is why Lance Armstrong will forever be denied entry into the pantheon of cycling.

Enjoy that throne Wiggo, you deserved it.

Another good example, and perhaps a better one (no insult to Wiggo or Sir Chris intended), is Michael Jordan. Why is he considered by a majority of fans to be what the Americans call the GOAT (Greatest Of All Times)? Because he won countless MVPs and 'World Titles' (aaah the usual American sports arrogance), was the leader of the Dream Team and helped define a generation of future basketball players and fans. Jordan was basketball.

The original GOAT

Now don't get me wrong; I'm not comparing Ferguson to Jordan. After all, at the end of the day, Fergie wasn't actually the one kicking the ball into the back of the net. Nor has he launched a sports shoe brand (although I'm eagerly awaiting that). But his constant quest for excellence and success at the top of his sport allows him a place not only in the pantheon of football, but maybe even that of sport altogether. If Michael Jordan was the NBA, Ferguson was Man Utd and the Premier League.

You need only look at one stat, one number: 26. 26 years at Man Utd. 26 years of commitment, every day, in making Man Utd the best club not only in the land, but in the football world. 26 years of constant thirst for success, of the pursuit of glory, of sustaining that desire, that energy and eagerness in getting the best not only out of himself but also the people surrounding him. 26 years of re-inventing himself, faced with the evolution of social and sports values and demands. I'm not quite sure people actually understand how difficult and tiring that is.

For, to me, those 26 years are more impressive than the '38' trophies (I count 'only' 24 trophies, because the InterContinental Cup, Supercup, Charity Shields and Club World Cups are just vanity trophies) won over that period of time, although these are undoubtedly memorable and unequalled. Maintaining that desire and thirst for 26 years demands not only great belief in one's self, but a total, exhausting dedication to your work.

For the world has changed so much over the past 26 years. The Berlin Wall fell 24 years ago. Ferguson was already there, although not physically in Berlin. The Internet started in 1992. Fergie was there. September 11 happened. Fergie was there. Hell, even Messi was born after Fergie took over. Damn.

Fergie taking a break from coaching to help bring the Berlin Wall down. He was already there you see.

Ferguson's adaptability is probably one of the most memorable features of his reign. He inherited a team of pub-crawling underachievers, and yet led them to success within a few years. And, despite that success, Fergie saw the rise of the Golden Generation and got rid of the old-timers, recognising the new fast-paced and more technical nature of the young Premier League. And when these players seemingly found the going tough and weren't up to it, Fergie re-invented again, bringing people like van Nistelrooy, Ferdinand and others. That ruthlessness in the search of success characterised Ferguson. His  ability to create new teams from 'scratch' was probably unparalleled.

But Fergie was also a visionary, and not necessarily in the footballing sense. Quickly aware of the growing popularity of the Premier League and Champions League, and with the advent of modern technologies which made broadcasting worldwide, Ferguson, along with Peter Kenyon, realised the need for his club to go global in a football world whose finances were getting out of control.

Fergie and Kenyon: the architects of Man Utd's, and football's, growing corporatism.

People have become fixated with the 'nouveaux riches' of the Premier League, what with the arrival of 'soul-less' teams in the shape of the newly successful Chelsea and Man City. But Man Utd were the first 'nouveaux riches' although, to their credit, it was of their own, conscious doing.

People have now accepted the concept of the Club World Cup, however pointless that competition is. And yet, in 2000, this showcase affair was in its toothing phase. Man Utd smelled an opportunity, and Ferguson was quite bullish in not giving a damn about missing the FA Cup for an opportunity to put the club on the world map. Have you ever complained about teams not caring about the FA Cup anymore? Man Utd started that trend with their 'shameless' desire for intercontinental exposure.

Fergie's legacy: Man Utd as the world's most-supported club.

Similarly, Man Utd were the first club to undertake what has now become a tradition for the big clubs; that is, the pre-season 'exotic' tour of Asia or North America. Once again, this had no football purpose: it was a strictly promotional endeavour. Call him a hero or a visionary, but Ferguson's recognition of the globalised appeal of football also led to the corporatism which has engulfed modern European football.

But there is no denying the impact Ferguson has had not only on Man Utd, where he changed the club completely, to football itself, and the image the sport portrays nowadays.

But leave aside the numbers and profit and loss column, and what of Ferguson's football legacy? We all  know success followed him all the time, but how should we consider him as a football manager in the strictest sense of the term?

There is no doubt that Ferguson was football's greatest man-manager and motivator (sorry to the self-proclaimed 'Arry). You only need to look at this year's title romp to realise the extent of his man-management skills. The 2012-2013 version of Man Utd was probably the worst I'd seen in a seriously long time, and yet Fergie coached them to run riot in the league, even approaching at one point the record number of points. Quite an achievement when Jonny Evans, Patrice Evra, Ryan Giggs, Antonio Valencia and Nani have played important roles. Quite an achievement indeed.

Man Utd's 2012-2013 version: the worst in a long time. A tribute to Ferguson's managerial skill.

However, Fergie wasn't the greatest tactician or talent spotter. Whilst he had serious cojones in promoting that famous Golden Generation, this had as much to do with the incredible level of talent produced by the Academy as it had to do with him particularly spotting those players. And his list of failed transfers is as long as that of successful ones: for every Carrick and Vidic, we also had Veron and  David May. As for his talismans, the only really superb piece of transfer was Ronaldo. Cantona and RVP were what I call 'obvious signings'. I understand the stupidity of calling an obvious signing an 'obvious signing' but these are so obvious I have to put it in the title.

Perhaps the thing that grates me more than anything is the idea that Ferguson assembled teams without any help. Call me ungrateful or harsh, but I vividly remember Man Utd being the first team to break the £50k a week barrier with Roy Keane. I also remember Man Utd being some of the biggest spenders of the late 90s and early 00s. Juan Seba Veron, van Nistelrooy, Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney didn't come for free you know. Of course, that's also down to Ferguson's vision in helping make Man Utd the most visible club around the world, but it also shows that Utd were serious cash-splashers. Even in recent years, despite the Glazer mismanagement, Fergie has been able to dole out over £150k a week to Rooney and RVP. We're not exactly talking about paupers here.

Rio: still the most expensive English defender of all time. Clearly disproving the idea that Fergie created his teams out of nothing. Horrendous 'hair' as well.

Tactically, Fergie was a successful conservative. Long an adept of the 4-4-2, he eventually moved to a 4-3-3 when that became the norm. Fergie was no inventor of total football a la Rinus Michels, nor a creator of a high press line like Arrigo Sacchi. No, Fergie knew his men and had faith in his system. He was stubbornly successful but, from a purely footballing point of view, he was no revolutionary.

What we will remember Ferguson for was his iron will in victory and belief in his team. It's quite clear that success engenders luck, and Fergie had that as well. Fergie Time has been well established, but perhaps more importantly for Man Utd, Ferguson's men seemed to have the right slice of luck when they needed it most. I remember Bayern outrageously dominating the 1999 final and yet succumbing to two set pieces, hardly the stuff of convincing champions. I also remember John Terry slipping and hitting the post and, whilst I particularly enjoy that whenever I think of John Terry, it nevertheless was a sign that the gods smiled on Ferguson and Man Utd. Bitter? Perhaps. But luck is also an acknowledgement of success, and Ferguson drilling a never-say-die into his team had a lot to do with it.



Ferguson was a polarising figure. Man Utd fans understandably love him, and other fans' views of the man range from indifference to personal dislike. Whilst I never hated Ferguson, and whilst jealousy undoubtedly played a part in my feelings for this highly successful manager, I have nevertheless been disappointed by some aspects of his reign. His talk of values was conspicuously absent when he failed to condemn Roy Keane's challenge on Alf Inge Haaland, surely one of the worst acts ever committed on a football pitch. The reverential and submissive attitude the majority of managers held him in, whilst understandable, also created an emptiness in personality in the league which underlined why Mourinho was loved.

For, with his success came a bullying personality. Sure, Fergie was happy to help and act as a father figure. But he was condescending towards others who questioned his reign. His petty ban of the BBC for revealing bungs and preferential treatment handed out to his sons was also not emblematic of a man who liked to view himself as the benevolent father of the Premier League. His sudden public appreciation of Arsene Wenger, for example, only came once Arsenal became irrelevant. I had hoped that with age would came grace, whether in defeat or victory, and the ability to rise over football's innumerable petty matters. But that never came (although his reaction to losing the title last year was impressive), and whilst this can be explained by a determination to always be on top, it nevertheless disappointed me.

Jealousy and these darker aspects of Ferguson's time probably explain why I personally won't miss him now. But have no doubt that, deep down, there is an appreciation and a humble recognition of his achievements. And with that comes a fundamental value which is in short supply in football: respect. And there is no greater compliment than that.

Goodbye Sir Alex