My discipline may have cost United says Ferguson

LONDON (Reuters) - Alex Ferguson's insistence on discipline above all else might have cost Manchester United trophies during his 26-year reign, he has said.

My discipline may have cost United says Ferguson

(Reuters)





In his new book "Leading", the most successful manager in British football history said that does not mean he would do anything differently.

David Beckham, Roy Keane, Jaap Stam and Ruud van Nistelrooy were among the leading players who left the club after falling foul of Ferguson.

"I place discipline above all else and it might have cost us several titles, " Ferguson said in one of the extracts being released on United's official Facebook page.

"But if I had to repeat things I’d do it precisely the same because discipline has to come before anything else.

"People will give a manager plenty of opportunities to crack the whip so it’s best to pick and choose your moments.

"You don’t have to dish out a punishment very often before everyone gets the message."

Ferguson won almost 50 trophies all told in Scotland and England, including 13 Premier Leagues in England and two Champions Leagues, before retiring in 2013.

"The book brings together the most important skills and the key philosophies I developed during my 38 years as a football manager and draws on my experiences of managing some of the biggest talents in the game in a high-pressure environment," he said.





(Reporting by Steve Tongue; editing by Justin Palmer)


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: Reuters


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world