Sir Alex Ferguson was conquering everything at Manchester United, but did the players learn from his success? We look at all his former players to determine who will prove to be the best manager
Sir Alex Ferguson is, in the eyes of many, the greatest manager of all time. His success and fame continued over the decades, first at Aberdeen and then at Manchester United.
But what did those who learned from him do? Many argue that a manager’s accomplishments depend in part on how he or she influences those around him. Johan Cruyff to Pep Guardiola are obvious examples. The Manchester City manager has watched players close to him, such as Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso, continue to prove themselves in the dugout.
For Ferguson, he has seen many of his students struggle to turn great players into great coaches. The Class of 92 has been the bedrock of United’s success, but few players have had memorable careers in the dugout.
With some exceptions, others still have time to prove themselves. Michael Carrick is someone who tends to enjoy great work as a manager and is currently being linked with the Rangers job.
There are even more big names turning their hand to management, including Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy. The latter is serving on an interim basis in Manchester and has the honor on his CV.
Mirror Football writers have scoured the long list of players who learned from Ferguson to find out who had the best time as manager.
scott trotter
None of Fergie’s disciples have truly become icons of management. Some trophies and promotions are littered with dismissals and largely forgotten. After winning the title with Bordeaux, Laurent Blanc went on to have a lot of success with PSG and is perhaps the most accomplished player at the moment. But at the end of the day, who will be remembered as the best?
Carrick enjoyed a consistent spell at Middlesbrough before being relieved of his duties, but has already gained backing from Cristiano Ronaldo for what he can achieve as a coach. The midfielder didn’t really stand out during his playing days, but his experience at the top rather than being an unconnected superstar should make him a good replacement.
The former England star is well suited to higher levels of football and should develop if given the opportunity. In addition to management, he is also preparing for the top job as a technical observer at UEFA.
I would also like to send a shout out to Robin van Persie. The legendary forward currently plays for Feyenoord and could soon file a lawsuit.
Tom Victor
To put it harshly, Ferguson’s managerial career at United could be said to show that he was more of a player developer than a manager. More generously, one might argue that his extraordinary managerial talent was something even he could not teach.
Even if Fergie’s prosecution were successful, there were many good and bad things. Steve Bruce and Mark Hughes both had their finest moments in the Premier League, but given their relative decline, it’s hard to make a case for them now, while Bran certainly had plenty of other influences under Ferguson’s tutelage before taking over in his late career.
Van Nistelrooy’s meteoric rise was derailed by a nightmare at Leicester, while Heinze has had a checkered career as a mainstay in the Americas and will continue to be number two with some success for the time being, so some players may end up making something big happen.
Instead, I would like to pay tribute to Mark Robbins. He worked wonders in his second spell at Coventry, despite continued off-field distractions, as they won two promotions and came within inches of an impressive win against United in the FA Cup semi-final.
Although the odds weren’t as high for Fergie, Robins’ success came in a way that would have made his old mentor proud. In fact, this seems fitting as Ferguson himself had to overcome some difficult circumstances to achieve success, but was helped by none other than Robins himself, especially in a must-win cup competition.
daniel ohm
The United job is a poisoned chalice, with only one of Sir Alex’s former stars brave enough to take the role. That is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Despite struggling at Cardiff City, the Norwegian was a smart but convenient appointment by the Red Devils bosses in 2018. His appointment immediately won fans over, and given the good form United had enjoyed in the early weeks of his tenure, it was a productive move.
Remarkably, he has managed more games than any United manager since Ferguson’s retirement, a fact that should not be forgotten. Solskjaer may not have won any trophies and his tenure didn’t end on the best of terms, but it’s worth noting that he managed to steady a sinking ship.
Sure, Bran has trophies and a pedigree. But the sheer fact that Solskjaer has managed to make United look like a relatively competent team during his time in charge is arguably one of his greatest achievements.
sam mead
It would be easy to look at Blanc and argue that anyone could win at PSG, but it has to be said that the way he succeeded was quite significant. While his stint in France may not have gone as planned, his crowning achievement as a manager was undoubtedly winning the title with Bordeaux.
Landing in League One in 2009 was a truly remarkable effort. This was Bordeaux’s sixth league title in their history, and their first in 10 years. Blanc’s talent as a manager was underlined the following year when they reached the last eight of the Champions League. That included a historic victory over Bayern Munich, twice defeating the German giants at the Allianz Arena.
Of all the Ferguson alumni, Carrick has all the characteristics of a manager who could have a great managerial career. They were provisionally unbeaten in Manchester after Solskjaer was sacked.
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