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Sir Alex Ferguson to stay at least two more years

Sir Alex Ferguson, the seventy year old manager of Manchester United, said in an interview with the BBC that he intends to stay in the Old Trafford hot seat for at least two or three more seasons. He has already been in the position for more than two decades and will be close to  thirty years by the time he decides to call it a day, if he even does at that time.

The Scotsman, formerly of Aberdeen, has, perhaps, the greatest reputation in football. With Aberdeen he won the now defunct but then glorious European Cup Winners Cup against Real Madrid in a hotly contested final. He also, with Aberdeen, broke up the Glasgow duopoly of Celtic and Glasgow Rangers, beating both of them to the Scottish title. What’s more, with Manchester United, he has won thirty four trophies, including two UEFA Champions League titles and a dozen Premiership titles. When he took control of Manchester United the Lancashire club trailed Liverpool in terms of total titles won by 18 to 7. Two decades later Manchester United had 19 and Liverpool still 18. All thanks to Sir Alex Ferguson’s wonderful management of the club.

Now the manager has said that he will stay on for at least two more seasons and even after that he will stay on in some type of ambassadorial role, somewhat similar to the one which Sir Bobby Charlton currently holds. Sir Alex Ferguson will not wish to interfere too much in the decision making of the next manager so as not to repeat the mistake made by the previously most successful manager of Manchester United, Sir Matt Busby, who, supposedly, after retiring as manager, still attempted to influence tactics and team selection. A disturbance not welcomed by the incumbents at the time. Sir Alex Ferguson has previously stated publicly that he will not do the same thing.

Sir Alex Ferguson was close to retiring in the early part of the millennium. He had decided to quit at the end of a season but then, mid way through, he reversed his decision and has since stated that that call, even as a temporary one, was  the wrong call to make and one he has regretted ever since. Manchester United fans will not want Sir Alex Ferguson to quit and some analysts have even joked that the only way Sir Alex Ferguson will leave Old Trafford is in a casket. What is certain is that the manager will have the right to make the decision on his future, not fan pressure or board involvement, such is the legacy and reputation of the man.