Sir Alex Ferguson always said he would carry on as Manchester United manager as long as his health permitted him to do so.
So,
when the United boss was informed he would require a hip replacement
this summer – as exclusively revealed by the Mirror last week – it
proved the beginning of the end of his remarkable Old Trafford reign.
The
procedure will leave Ferguson needing up to three months of
recuperation and, with the prospect of missing the start of United’s
title defence at the start of next season, the 71-year-old heeded it as a
message from his body that it was now time to call it a day.
Despite
insisting the operation was planned for after United’s pre-season tour
of Thailand, Australia, Japan and Hong Kong, the lengthy recovery period
meant the Scot being back in the dug-out for the start of the new
season was a fanciful notion.
United’s
willingness to confirm that Ferguson was to undergo hip surgery raised
fresh doubts over whether he could feasibly continue in the role, given
the lengthy recovery period involved, despite the club’s insistence it
would not affect his ability to carry out his duties.
Ferguson
even confided in one loyal journalistic ally at the weekend that the
imminent operation would have no bearing on his future as United
manager, while his departure was being carefully orchestrated and
stage-managed behind the scenes.
The
plan had been for Ferguson to break the news to United fans after
Sunday’s home game against Swansea, when the club will be presented with
the Premier League trophy for the 13th time following their latest
championship success.
But
when news leaked about Ferguson’s potential departure late on Tuesday,
the Scot and United were forced to bring forward the announcement of his
intention to stand down after the game at West Brom on May 19, his
1,500th in charge of the Reds.
Unlike
when Sir Matt Busby stepped down in 1969, leaving an ageing squad
behind that was eventually relegated in 1974, United have no such
concerns following Ferguson’s imminent departure.
In many ways, the robust shape of
United’s current squad, with the right blend of youth and experience,
has made it easier for Ferguson to stand down now, safe in the knowledge
his successor, David Moyes, is inheriting a formidable group of
players.
“The decision to retire is one that I
have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly,”
said Ferguson. “It is the right time.
“It was important to me to leave an organisation in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so.
“The quality of this league winning
squad, and the balance of ages within it, bodes well for continued
success at the highest level whilst the structure of the youth set-up
will ensure that the long-term future of the club remains a bright one.
“Our training facilities are amongst
the finest in global sport and our home Old Trafford is rightfully
regarded as one of the leading venues in the world.”
There were other key factors, aside
from the onset of age and his hip problem, that combined to convince
Ferguson this was the right time to end his 26-and-a-half year tenure at
United and hand over control of United to Moyes.
The imminent departure of United chief
executive David Gill, as well as that of Ferguson’s brother Martin, the
club’s European scout for 16 years, provided Ferguson with the perfect
exit strategy, on top of the uncertainty over his health.
The United boss had considered quitting
at the end of last season, but was persuaded to stay on and win the
Premier League title back from Manchester City after losing it such
galling fashion on goal difference with virtually the last kick of the
campaign.
Ferguson was determined not to end his
time at United on a low note and made the decision to stay on and
reclaim the domestic title, as well as having one last crack at joining
former Liverpool boss Bob Paisley as the only man to win three European
Cups.
That dream was dashed with United’s
last 16 exit to Real Madrid, which left Ferguson too distraught to
attend the post-match press conference at Old Trafford, knowing that his
final shot at another Champions League triumph had gone for the last
time.
But with the objective of re-asserting
United’s domestic dominance achieved, set against the backdrop of his
ailing health and the loss of two key allies in Gill and his brother,
Ferguson knew this was the moment he had to step down and entrust the
future of the club to his successor.
There had been whispers that Ferguson
was considering his future at United in the aftermath of United’s latest
Premier League title win, which they clinched with four games to spare
with a 3-0 win over Aston Villa at Old Trafford on April 22.
On Tuesday, it emerged Ferguson was
ready to call it a day, but it was not until he called his players to a
meeting in the changing-rooms at the club’s Carrington training complex
on Wednesday morning, that his exit was confirmed.
Ferguson held three separate meetings,
one each with his players, coaching staff and general staff, in his
office, the changing-room and the canteen respectively, to break the
news of his intention to retire, with those present claiming the United
boss was close to tears as he delivered his bombshell announcement.
Yet, Ferguson, perhaps typically of a
man driven by a relentless work ethic forged in his early days as an
apprentice toolmaker in Glasgow, remained committed to his job right up
until his seismic announcement, not relenting from his hectic schedule
for a moment.
On Monday afternoon he was in his
native Glasgow to watch a charity game between former Rangers and United
players at Ibrox, before dashing back to Manchester to watch United’s
reserves in their final game of the season against Liverpool.
Business as usual, until Wednesday’s denouement.
Few managers get to choose the timing
of their departure, but in many ways Ferguson has selected the perfect
ending to his United tenure, bowing out in front of 75,000 fans at Old
Trafford, with the Premier League trophy back at its spiritual home.
Source: Mirror
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