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Alex Ferguson 22 game theory SEPTEMBER 27-OCTOBER 03, 2015 “Players with Egos have the Alex Ferguson, the former manager of Manchester United, talks about his latest book which Will to Win” delves into the makings of a football manager, a football culture and a great club :: Suman Layak he first thing that comes across in an interview with Alex Ferguson, On enforcing discipline in the team and get- the celebrated former manager of Manchester United, is his thick ting management’s support for taking on Scottish accent. The second thing, that is once you get behind the the stars intonations, is his nonchalance for management jargon. Ferguson, When I took this job, the promoters of Manchester T 73, says he and his co-author of Leading Michael Moritz discussed a United were 100% behind me. I told them I want to lot of “management blah blah” at their first meeting. He also makes it rebuild the club and they wanted a manager like clear at the beginning of his book that he is not a management expert me — someone who could bring in discipline in the and has no intention of doing the rounds peddling the knowledge team. At the board level of the club management that he might have curated out of his experience of running a football they supported my philosophy. Talent has to be team with great success. Instead, the book plunges headlong into the rewarded and it is also true that it is talent that makings of a football manager, a football culture and a great club. brings spectators in for a game. They are all com- There are lessons for sports franchisees though, and there are many ing in to watch the stars. You know, I actually en- of these in India now. Ferguson is very aware that India is buzzing joyed working with players with egos. with all kinds of sports franchises and newly sprung up leagues. There is something about players Then there are the controversial bits. In his latest book (second with egos, and that is their book after his retirement and sixth overall), written in the first will to win, they have to person, Ferguson calls a spade just that. The book attracted retorts win and that comes to soon after its launch on September 22. Rio Ferdinand, the former play every Saturday. England defender, has already questioned Ferguson’s wisdom in naming only four players as world-class in his book. And French defender Paul Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola has said that Ferguson Manager Par liked only those who obeyed him. Ferguson said in the book that he never liked Raiola and blamed him for Pogba’s move to Excellence Juventus in 2012. There’s probably more to come — PREMIER LEAGUE MANAGER OF THE After retiring for Ferguson has described how he SEASON: as a football did not sign on Italian striker Mario 11 times, Balotelli after getting negative feed- starting from coach with a back and how Chelsea’s signing of record of 13 Fernando Torres in 2011 was a blun- 1993-94 till 2012-13 premier league der. As he has minced no words, titles and 49 Ferguson may expect some more UEFA MANAGER OF counter punches as more of his THE YEAR: 1998- trophies, contemporaries go through this Ferguson is 400-page tome. 99 launching a But that is how it works with WORLD SOCCER career as a book launches and some MAGAZINE WORLD motivational controversy at the time of launch is MANAGER OF THE par for the course. His previous YEAR: speaker book titled Alex Ferguson — My Four times Autobiography, was the fastest 1993, 1999, 2007, selling non-fiction book ever and at the top of the bestselling 2008 lists in 2013. Perhaps to coincide with his new book, Ferguson has also instituted an award for Leadership called Sir Alex BBC SPORTS PERSONALITY Ferguson Leadership Award, in a partnership with LinkedIn OF THE YEAR COACH — open only for people from the United Kingdom. After retiring AWARD: as football coach with a sterling record of 13 premier league 1999 titles and 49 trophies in all, he is launching into a career as a motivational speaker, available for speaking assignments across ENGLISH FOOTBALL HALL the world for good money. His company ACF Sports Promotions OF FAME (MANAGER): is raking in the cash — £4 million last year. Even though Ferguson 2002 has little time for management-talk, he is okay with other kinds of talking. He understands there’s enough energy left in him to play PREMIER LEAGUE MERIT extra-time. Edited excerpts from an exclusive interview by AWARD: Suman Layak with the former ManU manager over telephone: 2012-13 game theory 23 SEPTEMBER 27-OCTOBER 03, 2015 EXTRACTS “I’ve Long had a Soft Spot for People from a Working Class Background” Bryan Robson Steve Bruce Roy Keane In these paragraphs from a chapter on discipline, Alex Ferguson has Bryan Robson as captain had the respect of the described how the background players and he had my respect. We (also) had |and upbringing of a footballer Steve Bruce and Roy Keane. We need strong determine his success and work personalities for captains” ethics later in life. ince both my parents worked their fingers to the On the advantage of having long-serving On institution building in sports clubs and bone, I somehow just absorbed the idea that the only players various leagues starting in India Sway I was going to improve my life was to work very The basic issue is trust that develops when a play- I am aware of what is happening in India. Quite a hard. It was baked into my marrow. I was incapable of er has been with a club for a long time. At United few English players are playing in India and some coasting and I have always been irritated by people who it was with players like David Beckham and Paul former English players are even managing clubs in frittered away natural tal- Scholes who had been there for a while. When India. To create a good club it is important to have ents because they were not you have spent a long time, people come to dis- a good foundation. Firstly, having good coaches is prepared to put in the cuss their personal issues with you. During my very important. Fan engagement too is important hours. days as a manager, players would drop by to dis- because without fans there is no game. Then you It was no accident that cuss their personal problems and ask for advice. have to give opportunities to young people in the players like Ronaldo, Beck- That was because of the trust. So when the young team. When you bring in the young people they ham, the Neville brothers, players or even older players can get that from have this ability to surprise you. They have no fear. Cantona, Scholes, Giggs and you, it helps. There were a couple of years when So the stress on youth and building a good bench Rooney would all have to be United was not doing so well but this level of is also key for building a good club. These basics dragged off the training trust helps the manager do his job properly. have worked very well for me. ground. Around the world, foot- On choosing the on-field captain ball attracts boys for whom At United we had Bryan Robson as captain for a further education is unlikely long time and he had the respect of the players and who have no choice but and he had my respect. He was captain for eight to work very hard on acquir- years. I realised after Bryan left that I had to find ing and improving their someone who had the respect of the dressing footballing skills as the path room. We had Steve Bruce taking over immedi- towards a better life. Today ately and later we had other captains like Eric the phrase ‘working class’ Cantona and Roy Keane. You need strong person- does not carry the same con- alities for captains — someone who commands notations that it did decades respect among the players and can take charge. ago, but most of United’s players came from what On his new book nowadays are called ‘lower- Michael Mortiz approached me through a mutual income households’. I don’t friend and we discussed all this about manage- want to sound like an old fo- ment and blah blah. Now three years ago we start- “Today the gey, but the overall rise in ed working on this book, trying to combine our standards of living means experiences and it has worked out very well. phrase ‘working that today’s players grew up class’ does not with hot water, television, On business takeaways from his experi- telephones, computers, ence of managing a club carry the same cars and budget airlines, The same principles can apply when you are deal- connotations and in physical surround- ing with human beings, be it in a business or at a ings that are far more com- club. How all this started was that I was asked to that it did fortable than those in which speak to a group of young business students at decades ago, I grew up. I’ve long had a Harvard Business School and they asked me soft spot for people from a about my experience at Manchester United and but most of working class background, the core principles of leadership. For me, the United’s players because I think it prepares most important thing about management is effec- came from what them for the hardness of life.
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