Hugh McIlvanney is a well-respected journalist for The Times, and he was granted a 1-on-1 interview with Sir Alex Ferguson.
McIlvanney has followed Ferguson's career since his days at Aberdeen - being in Gothenburg when he gained his first major European honour — the Cup Winners’ Cup when they defeated Real Madrid. Ferguson shares some insight on the current Manchester United side, as well as his thoughts on the game.
Ferguson on the 'drinking culture' in England - “Players from other parts of the world tend to have more natural discipline about how they address football, the training and their social life. They bring a more regulated approach than has been traditional in this country. There is, without doubt, a massive change in the game’s association with alcohol right across the board, though there are still remnants of the old attitudes to socialising among British players...the general picture is totally different from what it used to be. Gone are the days when even great players might think nothing of overdoing it with alcohol. Football today, especially at the Premier League level, is such an energetic game, makes such demands on speed and power, that it’s hardly imaginable anybody could drink a lot and get away with it on the park. The system of preparation is so rigorous now, with sports science, guidance on nutrition, fitness coaches. ”
Ferguson on Frank Lampard, the current player that reminds him most of Bryan Robson - "He is an exceptional player, a huge asset to his team. Every time he plays he goes from box to box and he hardly misses a game. You pay attention to players who can get goals from midfield and he’s been averaging 20 a season. You don’t see him getting into stupid tackles or making a habit of becoming involved in silly rows. When he was sent off against Liverpool two or three months back he walked from the pitch straight away, without fuss. He stayed restrained in the middle of all that bother after Chelsea were knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona and made a point of swapping shirts with Iniesta. As I say, Frank Lampard is exceptional.”
Ferguson on Barcelona, their rivals for the 2009 UEFA Champions League title - “The way Barcelona operate their midfield makes it very difficult to get the ball off them. I don’t think Iniesta and Xavi have ever given it away in their lives. They get you on that carousel and they can leave you dizzy. Your concentration levels can’t be allowed to falter for a second. But, with the right tactics, their game is containable.”
Ferguson on rebuilding his club to rival the titles won by Chelsea and Arsenal, prior to their recent 3-year title spree- “We did what we always do, examined the structure of the team, identified the strengthening required and relied on our philosophy of bringing in young players but only those we’re convinced will turn out to be really special. To produce the right revitalising effect there must be an emphasis on exciting, attacking players, the kind who can have a big influence on matches.”
Ferguson on Wayne Rooney - "You knew what you were getting with Rooney. He gets all your emotions going, drags you in with the physical, emotional way he plays. When he starts to compete and show that great desire and intensity, you say to yourself, ‘F****** hell, what is he made of, the boy?’"
“You’re starting to think, ‘I’ll maybe rest Rooney this week’. It was definitely an option to consider in the run-up to the second leg of the Champions League semi-final with Arsenal, which was to be played on the Tuesday following what was liable to be a tough league game at Middlesbrough. Then he comes up to you at training and says, ‘I hope I’m playing on Saturday. If I don’t play against Middlesbrough I won’t play well against Arsenal. I’m hopeless if I’m rested’. He’s something else."
Ferguson on his role in training - “I’m not interested in how Mike (Phelan) and Rene (Meulensteen) plan the training,” he said. “I’m interested in what I see. I want to see quality, intensity, what players are bringing to it. What they do on the training ground comes out on the pitch and I want to see if there is improvement in them. The players know my eyes are on them. I had to be away for a couple of days, doing something elsewhere, and when I turned up again Rio Ferdinand said, ‘Where have you been? It’s not the same when you’re not here’.”
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