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THE LEADER THAT I ADMIRE

SIR ALEX FERGUSON

(most successful manager in the history of the English top flight)

Sir Alex Ferguson is a former Scottish soccer manager and player who managed Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. He is considered to be one of the most admired and successful managers in the history of professional sports.

During his 27 years at the club, Ferguson won 38 trophies, including 13 Premier League titles and two UEFA Champions League titles.

I have long been a Manchester United Football Club fan, and one of the things I like so much about the club is the winning culture and champions mindset that’s been set in place by none other than their most successful manager ever, Sir Alex Ferguson who was retired in 2013.

Let’s see. Before Sir Alex was hired as the new Manchester United manager back in 1986, the club was somewhere near the bottom of the English League which was dominated by Liverpool. Fergie inherited a dispirited team of underachievers and faced a mountain of challenges to turn them around.

Now after over 26 years in charge of MUFC, Ferguson won almost 40 trophies including: 13 Premier League titles, 2 Champion League titles, 5 FA Cups, 4 League Cups, and other cups. MUFC surpassed Liverpool FC in the number of total Premier League titles. More importantly, beyond the trophies, he has transformed the whole club from a mediocre level into the best in England, and perhaps the most popular club in the world.

SIR ALEX FERGUSON TROPHY CABINET :

Source : Google

Sir Alex Ferguson with the treble's trophies in 1999

Here are the 5 qualities I admire in him:

· Untiring work ethics – This was what Ryan Giggs (one of MUFC’s all-time greats) said about Ferguson, “You can have all the qualities in the world, but hard work is the key to everything. He just loves his job. He loves watching United play. He loves seeing players develop. He loves everything about his job. You couldn’t do what he does at his age and have the work ethic he’s got if you didn’t love it.”

· Great appetite for success – You can see it in his eyes week in, week out, the fire and determination to win game after game. Even after years of success, he just wants more. Many teams who won the League title, faded away after one or two seasons of success. But not Manchester United; they never stop. It was Ferguson who instilled the winning mindset and insatiable hunger in them for more. Winning is a habit, and it’s the only thing the Manchester United team know.

· Evolving mindset – You can’t be stuck in the same coaching approach and mindset if you want to continue winning for more than two decades. Many good managers who have a winning formula, refuse to change what has been working for them and stay stagnant, even when times have changed. I could see Ferguson evolved with the times, so that his team is always on the cutting edge, always setting the standard and always leading the chasing pack.

· No nonsense disciplinarian – Of course, part of the answer to (4) is his strict disciplinary approach to training, playing and the players’ life off the field. He would not tolerate those who go against the rules of the club, no one is bigger than the club. And he is consistent with this, even to his biggest superstar players.

· Bouncing back from defeats – Ferguson proved it time and time again, that he always come back after defeats, bigger and better. Just look at the recent example, MU narrowly lost the Premier League title to their noisy neighbors Manchester City only on goals difference on the last match of 2011-2012 season. This season, they came back with a vengeance and indomitable determination to wrestle back the title and erase the pain of the previous season. They won the title with many games to spare.

In honour to Sir Alex Ferguson achievement to Manchester United, the club have gave him a stand name as "SIR ALEX FERGUSON STAND"