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Tag: Sir Alex Ferguson

  • Veteran United coach, Sir Alex Ferguson loses wife

    Veteran United coach, Sir Alex Ferguson loses wife

    Manchester United legendary coach, Sir Alex Ferguson has lost his wife, Lady Cathy Ferguson to death,

    Cathy Ferguson was aged 84.

    Flags at Old Trafford were lowered to half-staff Friday following the announcement.

    The Ferguson family confirmed the sad news in a statement released to the PA news agency on Friday.

    “We are deeply saddened to confirm the passing yesterday of Lady Cathy Ferguson, survived by her husband, three sons, two sisters, 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild,” the statement reads.

    Meanwhile, Man United has sent their condolences to Ferguson over the death of his wife.

    In a statement, Man United said: “Everyone at Manchester United sends our heartfelt condolences to Sir Alex Ferguson and his family. Lady Cathy was a beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother, and a tower of strength for Sir Alex throughout his career.”

  • ICYMI: Fergusson, Wenger inducted into Premier League Hall of Fame

    ICYMI: Fergusson, Wenger inducted into Premier League Hall of Fame

    Former Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, and ex-Arsenal boss, Arsene Wenger, have made it to the Premier League Hall of Fame.

    Ferguson and Wenger are long time magers of Manchester United and Arsenal FC with many titles to show for it.

    Wenger won three league titles during his 22-year spell in charge of the Gunners.

    The Frenchman led Arsenal’s “Invincibles” to an unbeaten league-winning season in 2003-04.

    Ferguson and Wenger are the first two managers to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

    The Hall of Fame launched in 2021 with David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Alan Shearer the inaugural inductees.

    Last year, Sergio Aguero, Didier Drogba, Vincent Kompany, Wayne Rooney, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, Patrick Vieira and Ian Wright were added.

  • EPL: Manchester United re-appoints Alex Ferguson

    EPL: Manchester United re-appoints Alex Ferguson

    Ferguson retired from coaching in 2013 but has been working with the team ever since.

    The Scot alongside four others has been given a free role to have their influence on the team as they prepare for next season’s campaign.

    They will be effective in offering advice to the management and coaching staff of the club.

    The Red Devils’ chief-executive Richard Arnold has put together a think-tank of significant Manchester United figures and has brought Ferguson into the fold.

    According to Daily Mail, the 80-year-old Ferguson will be joined in the club’s think-tank by iconic captain Bryan Robson, former CEO David Gill, and the current football director John Murtough.

    The five-man group held its first meeting on Tuesday at the club’s training ground.

    Ferguson and Gill have held the non-executive director position of the club since 2013 but their new roles are believed to be more influential than that.

    This new think-tank is not thought to have a direct impact or influence on manager Erik ten Hag.

    They will be dealing with issues like the redevelopment of Old Trafford and Carrington and also the club’s relationship with the fanbase.

    Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson CBE is a Scottish former football manager and player, best known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football managers of all time and has won more trophies than any other manager in the history of football

  • Carlo Ancelotti emerges surprised next Manchester United manager

    Carlo Ancelotti emerges surprised next Manchester United manager

    Real Madrid head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, has emerged as a surprise candidate to become the next manager of Manchester United.

    The Real Madrid head coach is not one of the leading candidates for the position but is viewed as a possible back-up if the club fail to land one of their top targets, such as Mauricio Pochettino, Erik ten Hag, or Luis Enrique.

    The Italian, 62, who has a close relationship with the former Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, is coming under pressure in Madrid after his team lost 1-0 to Pochettino’s Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie a fortnight ago.

    It would be recalled that Ancelotti left the Premier League last summer, where he was in charge of Everton, in order to return to Real Madrid for a second stint.

    For Manchester United, It has been a season of turmoil despite high hopes when the club announced the signings of Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho before making a spectacular swoop to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford.

    While they were initially tipped to be part of a title race, they are now overseen by an interim manager following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking and are continuing to struggle for results despite a star-studded side.

    The club are expected to announce a permanent boss in the summer, and while Ancelotti is among the contenders, the top target remains Mauricio Pochettino.

    Erik ten Hag and Luis Enrique are also thought to be ahead of Ancelotti in the pecking order, but should they be unattainable, the Italian may be next in line.

  • Why I chose Real Madrid over Sir Alex – Cicinho

    Why I chose Real Madrid over Sir Alex – Cicinho

    Former Real Madrid defender Cicinho has recalled choosing the Spanish giants ahead of Manchester United 16 years ago.

    Although he was close to moving to United from Sao Paulo, Cicinho ultimately signed with Real Madrid and he has explained why.

    “Today marks 16 years since my arrival at Real Madrid,” he posted on social media on Tuesday.

    “Sorry Sir Alex Ferguson, but in 2005 Roberto Carlos called me and asked me if I wanted to come play with him on the Galacticos team.

    “Almost everything was ready for me to go to Manchester United, but how could I say ‘no’ to the opportunity to join Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos,[Zinedine] Zidane, [Luis} Figo, [David] Beckham, Robinho, Raul, Julio Baptista, [Iker] Casillas, Sergio Ramos and co.?”

  • Xavi reveals he rejected Man Utd manager Sir Alex

    Xavi reveals he rejected Man Utd manager Sir Alex

    Barcelona legend Xavi has revealed why he turned down Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

    Xavi established himself as one of the world’s finest midfielders over the course of a 17-year spell at Camp Nou.

    Despite overtures from other clubs, including United, the World Cup winner said he could never leave his boyhood club.

    “Manchester United approached me once through Sir Alex Ferguson’s brother, but my answer was very quick,” Xavi told The Times.

    “I was focused on Barca, my priority was only Barca. I am a fan from the very inside of myself and that’s why was impossible for me to leave.

    “Now I see it differently. Everyone tells me that the Premier League is wonderful, a great league to work in. First of all, for the passion with how they live the game. How they treat and respect you, the atmosphere and the stadiums.

    “So why not? I could see myself [managing] in England, definitely, it’s one of the things I’d like to experience in my career.”

  • How I picked a player to sign for Man Utd – Alex Ferguson

    How I picked a player to sign for Man Utd – Alex Ferguson

    Sir Alex Ferguson has detailed how he worked the transfer market during his time in charge of Manchester United.

    Speaking to the United’s official website ahead of the release of his new documentary – Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In, the Scot outlined his approach to transfers.

    “I believe in instinct. I had a good instinct about players and I had a good instinct about watching players who I maybe wanted to buy.

    “I knew that, looking at certain players, I could see traits that told me they were Manchester United players, or Aberdeen players, or St Mirren players. I could see that in certain players I watched. Instinct was really important.”

    Ferguson says he never became bored in the job.

    “Listen, I could encapsulate it in this way. If I’m going to walk into the training ground at Carrington as the manager of Manchester United, and I look out on that football field and I see this fantastic training ground, why wouldn’t I want to go in there every day? The only way you can do that is being successful.

    “So, being bored? I was never bored in my life, about anything.”

  • I spoke to Ferguson about Man Utd move – Lewandowski

    I spoke to Ferguson about Man Utd move – Lewandowski

    Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski admits moving to England was close previously in his career.

    Lewandowski was voted last week FIFA’s The Best for this year’s Player of the Season.

    He recalled to France Football: “After my second year in Dortmund, I had a conversation with Sir Alex Ferguson.

    “He wanted me to come to Manchester.

    “I was very interested. I can even say I was ready. But Dortmund wouldn’t let me go. It didn’t bother me any more than that because it went well in Borussia.”

  • Ibrahimovic lambasts Ferguson’s Class of 92 for Pogba criticism

    Manchester United’s former players from the famous Class of 92 are critical of midfielder Paul Pogba because he was not loyal to former manager Alex Ferguson, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has said.

    Pogba, who came through Manchester United’s academy, left the club for free in 2012 after Ferguson fell out with the Frenchman’s agent Mino Raiola.

    But he returned following a four-year spell at Juventus for a then world record fee in 2016.

    The 26-year-old was criticised for his poor form earlier this season by former players Gary Neville and Paul Scholes, who work as television pundits.

    Ibrahimovic said it all stemmed from Pogba’s decision to leave Manchester United and Ferguson for Juventus.

    “With Pogba, he was with Manchester United when he was young, then he went out and he came back,” Ibrahimovic, who played with Pogba at Manchester United for one and a half seasons, said.

    “In the circle of Ferguson, they don’t like that because they stayed all their life under Ferguson and they never moved from Ferguson.

    “They didn’t even talk if Ferguson didn’t tell them to open their mouth. So, now if they’re talking, I don’t know whether Ferguson gave them permission or not.”

    Wales manager Ryan Giggs, who made more than 960 appearances for Manchester United and won 13 league titles under Ferguson, said the former players had a right to voice their views.

    “When you play over 2,000 games between us, we are going to have an opinion,” Giggs told reporters ahead of Wales’ friendly against Trinidad and Tobago.

    “Sometimes it’s positive, sometimes negative, but it doesn’t have an effect on results. We are supporters. That’s what football is about, having different opinions.

    “But he (Ibrahimovic) obviously knows more about the club than us,” Giggs sarcastically added.

    In spite of playing a crucial role in winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France last year, Pogba struggled for form at Manchester United earlier this season.

    That was under former manager Jose Mourinho, who benched the midfielder towards the end of his Old Trafford tenure.

    But Pogba then turned his campaign right around with nine goals and seven assists in all competitions after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed caretaker boss in December.

    “I think Pogba has the potential to be the best player in the world in his position,” Ibrahimovic, now with MLS side LA Galaxy, added.

    “He’s a good guy, he trains hard, he listens, he wants to become better, he wants to win, he wants to perform in every game.

    “Things happening outside do not really bother him because when you are at that level, everyone will speak — positive, negative, in between.”

  • Alex Ferguson, Wenger my sweet enemies – Mourinho

    Former Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho has said that legendary Red Devils boss, Alex Ferguson and ex-Arsenal coach, Arsene Wenger were his “sweet enemies”.

    According to Mourinho, it was all about confrontation of forces between himself, Ferguson and Wenger during their time in the Premier League.

    He stated this ahead of Manchester United’s Premier League clash with Liverpool on Sunday.

    “Wenger is a very intelligent person and one of the best managers in the history of football,” Mourinho was quoted by Goal as saying.

    “I arrived in England and I found ‘the Invincibles’ and I found Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson very much hurt by that Arsenal season.

    “And we were like a third force coming. Chelsea had a great desire to be champions for the first time in so many years. So, of course, it was the confrontation of forces and you can imagine that Sir Alex, Wenger and myself we were fighting for the same. We were like, I like to say in football, ‘sweet enemies’.

    “My feeling is where are the next ‘Invincibles’? Where are they? Who did it again? Who made people forget that he was the manager of the invincible team? Lots of philosophies, lots of talk, lots of PR. Football today is a lot about this, but [it is about] results, and who did better than him?”