The decline of Manchester United was a popular topic in the press back in 2005, with United winning nothing and bombing out of the Champions League at the group stages. You only have to think about how much we were slated after losing two games in a row this season to really remember what it was like for us four years ago.
Rio Ferdinand has reflected on this time but claims he never doubted that the manager would see us through that transitional period.
“Four seasons ago everyone was saying we were finished and that we were a spent force,” said Rio. “But Alex Ferguson calmed us down, told us to take our time and trust him. He assured us it was a transitional period. The results since have proved that. You just have to trust the manager. He has been so successful, so not to have done that would have been crazy. The players stood by everything he has done. I never once thought that it was the end of an era. We have not won the Premier League or the Champions League yet this season, but we are in a great position to do so.”
This is Costas back in the summer of 06: “If we don’t win the Premiership this season(it would have been the 4th straight season without the title),Sir Alex must retire at the end of the season.In hindsight it was idiotic, but as Scott says, there was a media frenzy about our “decline”.All i have to say now,is thenk God Sir Alex never lost faith in himself.
fergie losing faith in himself?? never has and never will!…..
Alex Ferguson is the Godfather he knows very well inside out when he came to United in October 1986 he said I need four years, because the current team he had was not his team he needed four years for youth/young boys from his crop to develop.
what the prediction excatly after four years the first trophy arrived at Old Trafford since than there was no turning back, only some one or two years blip and that was the time he needed to change the team.
Bravo The Godfather!!!
is there a stronger word for LEGEND..? Thats SAF.
@Any_RED_Blooded_J’can: If it’s not blasphemy,i would say that he is the GOD of Manchester United.
Blasphemous as blasphemous gets really.
What can I say, the man is a genious. His term at old trafford is two months longer than my life.
Ok whiteknight03,how about this:He is the Legendary Icon of Manchester United.
He is OUR LEADER
I look at the hysteria surrounding that time as a compliment on what Fergie has achieved. The standards he sets, the players he has signed and nurtured, the way he has combined these to yield such envied productivity; we saw what we perceived to be the possible start of a downfall of that, and varying degrees of discontent ensued.
Proving all of those people wrong like he did only further underlined how he personifies greatness.
Once Fergie retires paper sales in the UK will drop. With no one to blame for anything, the sports press is in for a quiet time. Mediocre journalists will be losing their jobs left right and centre. Life will become so dull on Fleet Street papers won’t be worth buying. The journalist will be harking back to the time when Fergie used to take the piss out them. And we’ll all be waiting for an update of Fergie’s autobiography to learn what he thought of the gutter press.
When the proposed new south stand is ready expect it to be called after Fergie. A fitting tribute to a HERO.
the one and only Sir.Alex Ferguson.In Fergie We Trust. LEGEND
@BrisbaneRed
hey i love that! A stand after SAF.
As someone from out of England, I dont think I would come to love Manchester United if SAF wasnt here. It was when I was a small kid, I read the newspaper showing the league table (we were second, behind Blackburn) and picture of Cantona. I thought “What a magnificient man, and what a cool club name (because it was written as Man United – i thought Man meant man)”
but in the hindsight, if SAF wasnt there, maybe i wouldnt have started to love Manchester United.
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11667_5313896,00.html
This rumor can just not be true, even the though of Vida leaving makes me feel sick. Bar no one else i think that he is the single most important player in our team….£75 mill for Ronaldo….Vida is just priceless
Sir Alex=Legend
Quinton Fortune this has been going on for a while.Vida’s manager has denied it and i hope that’s that.
All our foreign players have been linked with a move away from OT in recent times citing weather as the reason for them wanting to leave. UTTER RUBBISH!!
ABU Media you were WRONG. FACT.