06 Jan 2019 06:39:42
Hi Ed01. I wonder whether you'd be willing to write an article on Man Utd at their peak from a tactical perspective? We discuss tactics and formations a lot here and the Man U team that won all their trophies are well known for their flying wingers (and Fergie time) but what was it that made them unbeatable? Thanks.

{Ed001's Note - that would be difficult to do because the reason they maintained their peak for so long was that they changed their tactics repeatedly. The assistant manager was, in large part, responsible for them, so they altered to suit whoever it was in that role at the time. With Phelan (who is now assisting Solskjaer) they were quite dour and dull to watch and there were a lot of moaning about the football being produced. When it was Queiroz as number two, the football was more Mourinho-like than the flying wingers that rose-tinted nostalgia would have you believe. It is really only the early days of Fergie that the flying wingers attacking at pace was truly what it was about.}

1.) 06 Jan 2019
06 Jan 2019 08:17:11
Hi Ed,
How did you rate Fergie as a tactician? He was unquestionably one of the greatest managers of all time, but I believe his European record alludes to him being too susceptible to being outwitted by European heavyweight managers. I think a lot of his success was dependent on can-crushing some of the absolute managerial dinosaurs that were so commonplace in top flight English football during his ‘peak’.

{Ed001's Note - Fergie wasn't really the tactician, as I pointed out, he was the motivator. The man who got the absolute best out of his players, week in, week out, so that even a weakened side would roll over the lesser lights in the Premier League.}

2.) 06 Jan 2019
06 Jan 2019 08:47:49
Fergie is a really interesting one and it shows how football has changed from a loyalty point of view. There’s no doubting what he achieved but as Lowe says, he never managed to conquer Europe as Paisley did.

People talk about Klopp not winning anything but it took Fergie 3 years to win his first trophy and a hell of a lot of money to knock us off our perch. Which is why I find it amusing when their fans slate City.

Even back then, the game was full of fine margins, going to Old Trafford and hearing “Fergie out”, I remember seeing a banner once too. Yet he managed to turn it around and the rest is history as they say.

The one good thing is that he’s fit ( I use that term loosely) and well again.

3.) 06 Jan 2019
06 Jan 2019 11:02:29
Very interesting thread and great input by Ed001.
Ferguson was a big admirer of 1970s Lfc and there’s a tremendous tale knocking around the web of his experience at Anfield for the famous St Etienne tie.
As manager of his then St Mirren team, he arranged a Summer friendly with us and his programme notes are full of praise for Liverpool and their fans.
It’s well worth a read.
The atmosphere in the late 80s at Liverpool / Man Utd games was quite toxic however and perhaps it was these experiences that caused some of his enmity towards Lfc. Although with his competitive nature, and our dominance at the time, this was probably inevitable.
He did always retain respect for Liverpool though, you have to credit him for that.

{Ed001's Note - he had no enmity he just saw us as the threat to his team.}

4.) 06 Jan 2019
06 Jan 2019 12:02:17
Never liked Fergie the Man Utd manager, for his was bullish, dominant and successful.

However, you cannot but respect the work he has done. He is the only manager that has defended the PL more than once and won it three times on the trot. He also stood up to the challenges of Wenger and Mourhinho and ended his career with another PL title with a rather ordinary squad. A true fighter and winner.