The reign of Alex Ferguson

Oct 3, 2024

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Alex Ferguson spent 26 seasons as the coach of Manchester United – winning more trophies and accolades than any other manager in the history of football (although Pep may well beat that soon…).

Part 1, the making of Alex Ferguson, tracked the Scotsman’s early life and career. This sequel episode concentrates on how Ferguson helped lead Manchester United to international fame and dominance – gaining respect and recognition from world leaders along the way.

In this episode, Mehreen and Simon cover Ferguson’s career and coaching style through the 90s to his retirement in 2013. They touch on his style of coaching on players such as Eric Cantona, his influence over the Class of ‘92 – including Ryan Giggs and David Beckham – up to managing Cristiano Ronaldo.

This episode focuses on Ferguson’s contradictory nature – from his authoritarian and domineering nature that would be a nightmare for any HR department, to the popular manager that attracted respect and admiration from people across all walks of life.

This is the second episode of a two-part series. Make sure to listen to ‘The making of Alex Ferguson’ before this one.

Time stamps:

00:32: Pick-up from last episode – stats, scouting, and play style

08:58: A father figure and matching coaching style to fit the player (Cantona and the class of ‘92)

14:19: Managing the ‘night and day’ personality of Ryan Giggs

21:04: Ruthlessness, egomania, and ways to instill fear in players

26:18: Money and empathy in the era of hyper-rich football

35:00: ‘Fergie time’ and putting the pressure on extra time

42:16: Signing Cristiano Ronaldo and scouting new talent

46:10: Nearing retirement age but not ready to give up

54:51: Last blaze of glory and retirement

59:31: Working with Manchester United after retirement

1:01:49: Brain haemorrhage and influencing from the sidelines

1:07:49: Legacy of a brutal, almost political, figure

1:16:47: Applying the Ferguson leadership style to other industries

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The reign of Alex Ferguson

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