For anyone who did not listen to the radio interview, here is the link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01c6kk8/5_live_Sport_Spoony_meets_Sir_Alex_Ferguson/ The gaffer talked about a range of topics including him wanting to stick around when he leaves the managerial role in a few years, Joe Hart, David Moyes, etc. On him quitting as manager: I will remain active. I think there will be a role for me at United after I finish." He also said "I think you always want to go out on a winning note. Hopefully we can do that. I don't know how long I can last now but if my health stays up I don't think another two or three years would harm me." On Joe Hart: "I could have bought Joe Hart for £100,000 so we all make mistakes." He also added: "If you look at the goalkeeping situation in England for the last 20 years, then I think he's easily the best they've had." On David Moyes: "David Moyes has been unbelievable. I put him in the top six because what he's done at Everton has been quite miraculous." On Paul Gascoigne: "I would love to have signed Paul Gascoigne," Ferguson said. "I think I could have done something with him, he's the one real world star England have produced.
On his first two points,It was always on the cards he would'nt cut all ties with the club after retirement and that he'd want to go out on a high. On Joe Hart,VDS did a great job for Utd and would Hart have been happy as understudy? On Moyes,i agree with Fergie hes done a great job at Everton on a shoestring budget and hes brought some good kids through the ranks. On Gazza,i dont think even Fergie could have tamed him,he was a loose cannon and thats part of why he was such a good player and drinker combined.
On Rio, he is an important figure in the team, spends a lot of time nurturing the youth players, he currently working with the young boy Pogba.
He was happy to be understudy to Given for about 18 months up until August 2010. I reckon he'd have been the same at Utd, cos we'd probably have sent him out on loan as well (which is what we did with Foster at that stage of his career) until VDS retired or Hart was ready to challenge him. Cantona was a loose cannon as well, and SAF managed to use him without having to try and tame him. He also managed to handle Robson's drinking issues. Tho' of course Gazza was quite a way beyond Cantona and Robson in terms of his off pitch activities...
Fergie on FiveLive and said nothing about alan green? Understandable.Why give him the oxygen of publicity or indeed oxygen at all.
I think his staying around will make life very difficult for the new manager. This is what happened when Busby retired. Their team forgot what they had before. There was chaos and each time there was problem it was referred to Busby. The day Ferguson retires, will be the first day of the Mancs' downhill slide out of the top four.
I remember a couple of years back, Fergie said that when he would retire, he would leave the club entirely so he would not get in the way of the new manager so he probably has had a change of heart. I disagree that it could make "life very difficult for the new manager" as am sure Fergie will offer guidance to the manager when needed but will respect the new manager is managing the club and must not undermine his authority. He said he would like to remain at the club in a position such as an ambassadorial role like Sir Bobby Charlton.
Its a good point and a worry of mine.It would be foolish of United to ignore the past.As hard as it would be to cut SAF out of the picture, I think it would be in everyones best interest if he moved on when the time comes. Just look at Dalgleash haunting the stands when Hodgekinson was at Liverpool, the results were not going well and the crowd sang for the former favourite, which undermines the manager, as SAF has often said, no one at the Football club should be more important than the manager, I hope he takes his own advice and gives his successor a fair crack at the job without his looming shadow overcast.
I don't think his shadow will be looming that much - he's already said he'll only retire when he's completely through will football management. So it won't be like Busby, who didn't really retire he just became "general manager" or Shankly who retired too soon and just hung around the club with nothing to do. Also, when SAF retires he'll be around 73 so much less interested in staying actively involved compared to Busby and Shankly who were only around 60.
