to management now.
Not that long ago the media of all types, print, TV, radio were wanking themselves into a frenzy about the amount of managers around that played under Dame Fergie of Pucenose at some point. But after the last couple of weeks has seen two of the Dame’s brightest stars fade into unemployment what does it mean.
Well when you look at the two that have gone, Roy Keane and B.T. Charlie, it pretty much sums up the legacy he’s left. They both worked in lower divisions at the beginning and both did extremely well. Keane got Sunderland to the Premier League by winning the Championship after they were looking more like being relegated when he took over. Charlie, or Ince whichever you prefer, kept Macclesfield from being relegated and then won silverware (Football League Trophy) and then promotion to League One with MK Dons. But both showed that the Premier League was a bit of a struggle for them, so much so that fans from both Sunderland and Blackburn have been crying out for Sam Allardyce recently, is it a wish some fans will now regret?
So then there’s the other lot, Bryan Robson why not start with him, yes there’s plenty of clubs scrambling to get him as their new boss. He did alright getting ‘Boro promoted twice, but then he did take them down once and was on the verge of doing it again when bailed out by El Tel. He relegated Bradford, tried his best to do the same with West Brom somehow fluked not doing it his first year but succeeded the second. He then failed at Sheffield Utd.
Steve Bruce, is doing well at Wigan lately though there’s time yet after going through a number of lower league teams not getting anywhere, he led Birmingham to promotion but then later helped them be relegated with the assistance of the man that replaced him, Alex McLeish. Who played under Fergie at Aberdeen and had mixed fortunes with Motherwell and Hibs, before having some good times with Rangers and Scotland before going down in Brum. His old central defensive partner Willie Miller came second in a few competitions in charge at the their old club. Another ex-Don Gordon Strachan has done not bad in that league after being a bit of a relegation dodger with Coventry, he eventually took down to the Championship, had a better time at Southampton, strangely not the one that ended they’re reasonably long stay in the top flight.
Fergie’s son is doing OK at League One side Peterborough Utd. , same with Mark McGhee at Motherwell in the SPL. Yes Mark Hughes had a decent time at Blackburn but is struggling with Man City and was probably sad to see Ince sacked only because it was deflecting the flack away from the Welshman.
Then there’s also the assistants Brian Kidd, got Blackburn down and helped out Robson at Sheffield, Carlos Queiroz failed at Madrid not doing too well with the Portuguese national team, Walter Smith not great at Everton OK with Scotland / Rangers and then there was the McClown.
So that’s the legacy Fergie has handed down, a bunch of managers who can do the business for the most part in the lesser leagues but not when it comes to the the big time…no…
And while we’re at it, isn’t it time the B.B.C. said sod it and didn’t bother asking anyone from ManUre to give them a post match interview after the damning verdict given out by the F.A. in the Chelsea v Evra fracas. Dame Ferie won’t deign to talk to the Beeb cos they were nasty about him and his son some years back, which at least saves us from his drivel but it means we have to put up with some dullard lackey spouting some crap fed to him.
And lately it’s been Mike Phelan, of whom the F.A. report said…
Mr Phelan particularly did not impress us. The inconsistencies in [his] evidence … are not just the normal expected uncertainty about detail. They cast serious doubt on the reliability of their overall evidence. F.A. disciplinary commission
So who wants to hear him say how badly ManUre were treated or that it wasn’t a penalty after the next game 🙄