May 28th, 2013, Emilene Parry
On Wednesday 8th May, Manchester United confirmed that manager Alex Ferguson would retire at the end of this football season. Majority of lab respondents were aware of this news.
Initial reaction to the news that manager Alex Ferguson would retire:
“I am very sad because I will miss one of the greatest managers I know but I can't say anything except thanks to Ferguson” Anon
“He is a great coach. His retirement is a huge loss for Manchester” Lissan Eddine, Morocco
“I was very sad for this news” Hasan Alsadik, KSA
“I was surprised and sad” Anon
“I was shocked by this news” Anon
“It is a good opportunity to change the style of this team”’ Anon
“Surprised, but he has to be replaced with new blood” Anon
“It was expected due to his old age and it was spoken about since the beginning of the season” Anon
“It is time for the warrior to rest; he gave football what no one else ever gave” Anon
“It's about time” Anon
Interestingly, most Lab participants do not believe his departure will have a negative effect on Manchester United. Most believe that it is the right time for him to retire although most are sad to see him leave. Comments made by those who believe that Alex Ferguson’s departure as manager will have a negative effect on Manchester United include:
“Because he knows the team real well and has brought it this high. A change in management could have a negative impact” Anon
“Ferguson is the right coach for this great team and came to know a lot about the players and their levels” Anon
“I have read about the way he was leading the team. An article was published with all the history and I read that. I don't think the next manager will think in the same way” Choudhary, UAE
“As a coach he has a good strategy with the team. With this team he won a lot of championships so it is a little bit hard to change the strategy of Sir Alex” Lissan Eddine, Morocco
“Because, there is no other manager who can do this very well” Hasan Alsadik, KSA
Admiration of Alex Ferguson is high with the majority claiming that he is one of the best football managers in the world. Reasons why include:
“The championships he won with the team is good proof of this” Lissan Eddine, Morocco
“A guy who coaches for United for last 26 years, no doubt he is one the best. He bought Ronaldo for 18m and sold 80m, awesome” Samnan, UAE
“He has had a great career with Man United and he has won a lot of Championships” Anon
“Because they kept him and he has led MUFC to several wins and victories” Anon
“He has had many achievements with Manchester United” Anon
Half of Lab participants watched his last home game against Swansea, which took place on Sunday 12th May, although fewer heard the speech made by Alex Ferguson to the crowd after the match. Over half planned to watch his last game against West Bromwich Albion on May 19th.
Lab participants had the following to say about the speech:
“Good and somewhat sad speech” Anon
“Exaggerated speech” Anon
“It was sad” Anon
“Reflects the coach’s image” Anon
“Awesome feeling. One of the emotional feelings after a long time” Samnan, UAE
“It is a good one” Anon
“Hits the core” Anon
A fifth supported Manchester United’s decision to choose David Moyes as Ferguson’s replacement whilst most were unsure about whether or not they supported the decision.
“I was expecting Jose Mourinho to coach United instead of Chelsea, so that Mourinho can bring back Ronaldo to an English league” Samnan,UAE
“He’s got experience in the English football clubs and almost has the same professional journey as Ferguson” Anon
“I cannot judge him as I did not watch any of his matches” Anon
“I really don’t know how good David Moyes is” Anon
“He is a good replacement” Anon
“We don’t know if he’ll interact with the team as he should” Anon
“I heard that he is good. We’ll have to wait and see his activity” Anon
“He may or may not succeed. I don’t know” Anon
“He has a strong personality, wisdom, and experience in training several teams” Anon
“I am not sure whether he is one of the best coaches but he should be given a chance” Anon
“I am not aware of Moyes strategy of work” Anon
Overall most lab participants are sad to see Alex Ferguson leave, although most do not believe his departure will have a negative impact on the club. As for the future of David Moyes at the club, Lab participants are undecided on the impact he will have.