© EuroFootball.com
Legendary Sir Alex Ferguson shared his recipe for success with fans. The former Manchester United manager, who ended his career this year, has 49 trophies in his collection. The 71-year-old football specialist provided eight pieces of advice in the October issue of the Harvard Business Review, which, in his opinion, were the key to his successful career, writes espnfc.com.
Build the foundation
Sir Alex Ferguson: "When I arrived at Manchester United, I only thought about one thing: building the football club. I wanted to build the club from the ground up."
Dare to rebuild the team
Sir Alex Ferguson: "I believe that the cycle of a successful team lasts about four years, and then changes are needed. Therefore, we tried to imagine the team after three, four years and made decisions based on that. Since I was at Manchester United for a long time, I could afford to plan ahead."
Set high standards and make everyone follow them
Sir Alex Ferguson: "Everything we did revolved around the standards we set as a football club. This applies to team building, team preparation, motivational speeches, and tactical discussions. I expected even more from the stars than from other players."
Never lose control
Sir Alex Ferguson: "I never allowed anyone to be stronger than me. If there came a day when the players would lead Manchester United – deciding how training would go, which days would be off, what tactics would be needed – then this club would no longer be the Manchester United we all know."
Adapt the message to the moment
Sir Alex Ferguson: "Nobody likes to be criticized. Most people respond better to encouragement. But at the same time, you have to list mistakes. You play different roles at different times. Sometimes you need to be a doctor, sometimes a teacher, and sometimes – a father."
Prepare for victory
Sir Alex Ferguson: "Victory is natural to me. I don't see any other possibilities – just victory. I like taking risks and you can see that from important matches. All of my teams were resilient – they never gave up."
Rely on observation
Sir Alex Ferguson: "Participation and the ability to make insights are crucial. What you can see or pick up by observation is incredibly valuable. I can even tell which player was injured when he thought everything was fine."
Don't stop adapting
Sir Alex Ferguson: "When I started working, there were no agents. Although matches were broadcasted, the media didn't elevate players to the level of movie stars, didn't look for new stories about them. Players' lives were safer, so now players are more fragile and vulnerable than those who played 25 years ago."
