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Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography – review

S ir Alex Ferguson was the most important football man of the past 25 years. But this does not feel like an important football book. Given the scale of his achievements, and the brilliance of the football teams he constructed over 27 years at Old Trafford, it feels churlish to carp about the quality of an autobiography published hard on the heels of his retirement. But Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography is a flawed affair. Undoubtedly moving when, for example, it recounts the manager's paternal pride in nurturing homegrown youthful talent, it reads like a succession of sporting back pages when it comes to settling scores with former colleagues and rivals in the game.

Addicts of TalkSport-style football polemic will find rich fare. The chapter headings suggest a highlights package of the rows, controversies and personality clashes of the Premier League era. Rafael Benítez , the former Liverpool manager who accused Ferguson of exercising undue influence over referees, is given predictably short shrift (a control freak whose teams were "dull"). Twelve pages are devoted to the feud with Arsène Wenger , the Arsenal boss. More problematically, from a United supporter's point of view, two central figures in the club's recent history, Roy Keane and David Beckham, are given harsh treatment: the first for challenging Ferguson's authority; the second for allegedly "making it his mission to be known outside the game" and losing his focus on the pitch as a result.

Was the criticism really necessary, especially since Beckham in particular has made efforts to mend damaged relationships since his departure from the club in 2003? Keane has accused Ferguson of failing to practise his own cardinal virtue of loyalty, and there is something slightly unseemly, after the eulogies and endless tributes following his retirement, in Ferguson's desire to enjoy a withering last word.

This is "control" – the key word in Ferguson's philosophy of management – exerted well after the final whistle has been blown.

If a final settling of accounts really was required, did it have to be hurried out quite so quickly? In its construction and style the book sometimes feels rushed, as presumably it had to be, once Ferguson decided in December 2012 that he would retire the following summer. Rather lazily, although he admits he does not remember saying it, Ferguson repeats his famous bon mot about "knocking Liverpool off their f… perch" and places it in the late 80s, when United still languished in the Merseyside club's shadow. In fact, the celebrated phrase described an achievement, not an aspiration, and was made many years later, in 2002. There are other passages of the book that feel like a headlong rush through events that might have been more profitably reflected upon and then written about further down the line.

Such criticisms are minor compared with the book's glaring difficulty. Over the course of 350 pages, ghost-written by eminent sports writer Paul Hayward, barely four are devoted to the debt-driven takeover of Manchester United by the American Glazer family in 2005. Here, I should declare an interest. I am one of the 4,000-strong group who founded FC United of Manchester as a breakaway club, in protest at the £700m debt that the Glazers imposed on a previously debt-free institution. Ferguson has always maintained that the hundreds of millions of pounds in interest payments to service that debt did not affect his ability to buy top players. Very few fans believe him. Incontestably, ticket prices shot up, becoming too high for many younger supporters. The so-called green and gold anti-Glazer protests of 2010 mobilised much of Old Trafford against the predatory owners. They do not rate a single mention in this account of the period.

"The takeover was not down to me in any way," Ferguson writes. But he could have used his immense authority to fight a piece of corporate carpetbagging that his own chief executive, David Gill, had said was not in the best interests of the club. Why didn't he? For all Ferguson's continual references to "power" and "control", his autobiography barely addresses the biggest power struggle of them all. Extraordinary.

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Sir Alex announced his retirement as manager of Manchester United after 27 years in the role. He has gone out in a blaze of glory, with United winning the Premier League for the 13th time, and he is widely considered to be the greatest manager in the history of British football. Over the last quarter of a century there have been seismic changes at Manchester United. The only constant element has been the quality of the manager's league-winning squad and United's run of success, which included winning the Champions League for a second time in 2008. Sir Alex created a purposeful, but welcoming, and much envied culture at the club which has lasted the test of time. Sir Alex saw Manchester United change from a conventional football club to what is now a major business enterprise, and he never failed to move with the times. It was directly due to his vision, energy and ability that he was able to build teams both on and off the pitch. He was a man-manager of phenomenal skill, and increasingly he had to deal with global stars. His relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo, for instance, was excellent and David Beckham has described Sir Alex as a father figure. Over the past four years, Sir Alex has been reflecting on and jotting down the highlights of his extraordinary career and in his new book he will reveal his amazing story as it unfolded, from his very early days in the tough shipyard areas of Govan.

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  • Publication date Nov. 26 2013
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Sir Alex Ferguson's compelling story is always honest and revealing he reflects on his managerial career that embraced unprecedented European success for Aberdeen and 26 triumphant seasons with Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson's best-selling autobiography has now been updated to offer reflections on events at Manchester United since his retirement as well as his teachings at the Harvard Business School, a night at the Oscars and a boat tour round the Hebrides, where he passed unrecognised. The extra material adds fresh insights and detail on his final years as United's manager. Both the psychology of management and the detail of football strategy at the top level can be complex matters but no-one has explained them in a more interesting and accessible way for the general reader than Sir Alex does here. MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY is revealing, endlessly entertaining and above all inspirational.

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Alex ferguson: my autobiography - hardcover, ferguson, sir alex.

9780340919392: Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography

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Sir Alex announced his retirement as manager of Manchester United after 27 years in the role. He has gone out in a blaze of glory, with United winning the Premier League for the 13th time, and he is widely considered to be the greatest manager in the history of British football.

Over the last quarter of a century there have been seismic changes at Manchester United. The only constant element has been the quality of the manager's league-winning squad and United's run of success, which included winning the Champions League for a second time in 2008. Sir Alex created a purposeful, but welcoming, and much envied culture at the club which has lasted the test of time.

Sir Alex saw Manchester United change from a conventional football club to what is now a major business enterprise, and he never failed to move with the times. It was directly due to his vision, energy and ability that he was able to build teams both on and off the pitch. He was a man-manager of phenomenal skill, and increasingly he had to deal with global stars. His relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo, for instance, was excellent and David Beckham has described Sir Alex as a father figure.

Over the past four years, Sir Alex has been reflecting on and jotting down the highlights of his extraordinary career and in his new book he will reveal his amazing story as it unfolded, from his very early days in the tough shipyard areas of Govan.

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  • Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
  • Publication date 2013
  • ISBN 10  0340919396
  • ISBN 13  9780340919392
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Number of pages 416
  • Rating 3.93 avg rating • ( 16,261 ratings by Goodreads )

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My Autobiography - critical summary review

My Autobiography Critical summary review

This microbook is a summary/original review based on the book:   Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography

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My Autobiography Critical summary review

Critical summary review

Widely considered one of the greatest managers of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson holds the distinction of being the longest-tenured manager in the history of one of the most popular football clubs in the world, Manchester United. During his 26 years with the club (1986-2013), Ferguson won an unprecedented 38 trophies, including 13 Premier League titles, 5 FA Cups, and 2 UEFA Champions League titles. This, coupled with the 12 trophies he had won as manager of St. Mirren and Aberdeen previously, makes him the most successful coach in the history of the beautiful game.

Published soon after his retirement in 2013, My Autobiography might not be the first book of its kind – in 2000, Ferguson co-authored another memoir, titled Managing My Life with Hugh McIlvanney – but it is certainly (as of yet) the most complete. We tried to pack its most interesting bits into several brief and, we believe, intriguing sections. So, get ready to learn everything you need to know about Sir Alex Ferguson and his times – from his humble beginnings in Scotland through his most successful years as a Manchester United manager all the way to his last campaign and his final bow.

Per aspera ad astra… or, better yet, dulcius ex asperis

Despite being born in a working-class family in the relatively unimportant district of Govan – a part of the city of Glasgow – Sir Alex Ferguson grew to become arguably the most famous manager in football history. “Alex Ferguson has done really well in his life despite coming from Govan,” claimed a newspaper article written in the later stages of his career. In the opinion of Ferguson himself, the preposition of the sentence is wrong. “It’s precisely because I started out in the shipbuilding district of Glasgow that I achieved what I did in football,” he writes, smirking away the backhanded compliment. His working-class background, he goes on, wasn’t a barrier to success, but a motivation and part of the reason he excelled – just as it was for many of his players. Per aspera ad astra, or “through hardships to the stars,” believed the ancient Romans. The motto of the Ferguson clan in Scotland, Alex informs us, is the related and, arguably, even more inspirational dulcius ex asperis – or, “sweeter after difficulties.” For a reason, it seems. 

Football career as a player

Even though primarily known as a manager, Alex Ferguson was quite a good football player as well. He debuted as an amateur striker at the age of 16 for the Scottish second-division football club Queen’s Park – while still working in a Glasgow shipyard. His professional football career began seven years later when he signed with first-division Dunfermline Athletic. During the following season (1965-66), Ferguson tied for the league lead in scoring by tallying 31 goals, and a season later, for a then-record £65,000 fee, he was transferred to his hometown club Glasgow Rangers. Ferguson played for two other clubs (Falkirk and Ayr United) before retiring in 1974 at the age of 32. During his playing career, he scored a respectable 218 goals in 415 games and won two Scottish Division Two titles. But that, of course, is not why his autobiography sold millions of copies.

Pre-Manchester United coaching career

In June 1974, barely retired from his playing days, Ferguson got an offer to become part-time manager of East Stirlingshire. In the four brief months that he held that job, he quickly earned a reputation as being both a disciplinarian and an extremely talented coach, so he was invited to coach St. Mirren in October. He remained there until 1978, a period during which he transformed the club from a lower-half Second Division side to a First Division champion in 1977 – despite concurrently running two pubs as well! Even so, he was sacked by the club, partly because Ferguson had breached his contract by talking to Aberdeen to become their next manager. 

That happened in June 1978, and during the next eight years with Aberdeen, Ferguson managed to win three Scottish Premier Division titles, four Scottish Cups and, most amazingly, the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1983. And he achieved this last feat by impressively knocking out Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals and beating Real Madrid 2-1 after extra time in the final! Unsurprisingly, this attracted the attention of several English clubs and, after much speculation and a few offers, on November 6, 1986, Ferguson was appointed manager at Old Trafford. The rest is well-known history. 

The FA Cup win that saved Ferguson’s Manchester United career

Probably only die-hard Manchester United know that Fergie did not get off to a great start with his new club. In fact, it was everything but: despite several big-money signings, Ferguson’s Manchester United was quite inconsistent, finishing 11th, 2nd, 11th and 13th place during his first few seasons as a manager. After a disappointing early-season run of 6 defeats and 2 draws in eight games and a humiliating 5-1 away defeat to fierce rivals Manchester City, most Manchester United supporters wanted Ferguson out during the 1989-90 season. 

Slogans such as "Three years of excuses and it's still crap... ta-ra Fergie" could be seen hung around Old Trafford, and offensive songs were chanted almost routinely at the stadium. They say that Ferguson was even supposed to be sacked after the third round of the FA Cup – since everyone expected the longtime-winless Manchester United to lose to the in-form Nottingham Forest and bow out of the competition. Surprisingly, they won the game and went on to win the cup as well. It was Ferguson’s first major trophy as a Manchester United manager. He would go on to win 37 more in the following 22 years. 

The retirement U-turn

Ferguson won half of his trophies at Manchester United in the 21st century. However, after winning the UEFA Champions League title in 1999, he seriously pondered retirement. He was sure he had reached the pinnacle of his career and he was not getting any younger. But then, on Christmas Day 2001, Sir Alex’s family decided that they would not allow him to retire. “You’re not retiring,” said Ferguson’s wife Cathy to him, waking him up from a post-meal nap. “One, your health is good. Two, I’m not having you in the house. And three, you’re too young anyway.” “As I weighed this announcement,” Ferguson remembers, “I felt no urge to resist.” The discussion ended with him shelving his plans for retirement and remaining at the club’s helm for yet another eleven years.  

Jaap Stam, the biggest mistake

Fergie quickly grew to regret his decision to tell his players that he was not going to be with them the following year. There wasn’t the same performance on the pitch anymore: the 2001–02 season was “a fallow year” for the team. Some changes had to be made, so Manchester United spent heavily on Ruud van Nistelrooy, Juan Sebastián Verón, and got Laurent Blanc on a free. The last one came in place of Jaap Stam, who was transferred out to Lazio for £16.5 million. 

Many football fans believed at the time that Stam was let go because he had revealed in his autobiography, “Head to Head,” that Manchester United approached him directly without PSV’s permission. Ferguson dispels the myth: Stam’s memoirs had nothing to do with his transfer. He just feared that the player was too old (30) to recover properly from a recent Achilles injury and that the price tag was more than right. “But it was a mistake on my part,” he writes regretfully. 

A bit more on the subject of transfers

In addition to the error of transferring out Jaap Stam, throughout the book, Ferguson lists a few other transfer errors, mostly in the opposite direction – the chief among them the signings of Eric Djemba-Djemba, José Kléberson, William Prunier and Ralph Milne. He also mentions a few players on whom he missed out by the breadth of a hair: Paulo Di Canio and Ronaldinho are the names that stand out in this regard. 

Finally, there are some players who Ferguson lost, but then gained others of similar merit as a result: after missing out on, for example, Manchester United landed Paul Ince, and after failing to persuade Alan Shearer to join him, Sir Alex did sign “the bargain of the century,” Eric Cantona.

David Beckham, the greatest regret

Still on the topic of regrets, none seems to hurt Ferguson more than David Beckham’s career which, he believes, should have been even more stellar – for he had never seen anyone with his stamina, dedication, talent and desire to prove people wrong. Not even Cristiano. Ferguson thought of Beckham as a son, and it is precisely because of this that their notorious falling out in February 2003 – during which Sir Alex kicked a boot at Beckham in the dressing room, causing him a minor injury – couldn’t be mended by anything but a transfer to Real Madrid. Ferguson did his best to prevent Beckham from falling prey to his celebrity status, but he implicitly admits to have failed in his attempt. “There was no footballing reason for him to go to America,” writes Ferguson, commenting on Beckham’s decision to join LA Galaxy after Real. “In LA, he probably thought Hollywood was his next step in life.” 

Rooney and Özil, an unlikely connection

One day after the title-winning victory against Aston Villa during Ferguson’s last season as manager of Manchester United, Wayne Rooney, Manchester United’s record goalscorer, asked to leave the club. According to Ferguson, Rooney wasn’t happy with being left out for some games and subbed in others – decisions Sir Alex ascribes to Rooney’s age at the time. It wasn’t the first time, though. Three years before, on August 14th, 2010, feeling the club wasn’t ambitious enough, Rooney informed Ferguson that he would not be signing a new contract at United. He even scolded his manager for not pursuing Mesut Özil, who had joined Real Madrid from Werder Bremen during the transfer window. “None of your business,” said Ferguson as one would only expect from him. Rooney eventually stayed – and won a couple more trophies with United.

The other coaches: Mourinho, Wenger, Benítez

Throughout his career, Ferguson saw many coaching rivals come and go, possibly none of them as enduring as Arsenal’s Arsène Wenger, as “special” as Chelsea’s José Mourinho, and as antagonistic as Liverpool’s Rafael Benítez. In the autobiography, Ferguson reveals his feelings about all of them, ranging from warmth and admiration for the Portuguese (with whom he developed a tradition of sharing wine after their games), understanding and even compassion for Wenger (who supposedly never recovered after losing the Pizzagate game), and hostility and incomprehension for Benítez, who, according to Ferguson, had made the mistake of making the Manchester-Liverpool rivalry “personal.”

The psychology of “Fergie time”

One of the most iconic images of Ferguson is him pointing to his watch at the beginning of injury time – something he would do regularly, especially in games of importance. “I pointed to my watch to strike fear into opponents, who knew we often scored in the last minute,” says Ferguson in his autobiography. So, in a way, he used reverse psychology on his opponents. And it worked!

The last game

“If I needed a result to epitomize what Manchester United were about,” writes Ferguson at the beginning of his autobiography, “it came to me in game No. 1,500: my last. West Bromwich Albion 5, Manchester United 5. Crazy. Wonderful. Entertaining. Outrageous.” Even though Ferguson was a bit annoyed that his players threw away a 5-2 lead, after the game, he could say nothing more to them than a poignant: “Thanks boys. Bloody great send-off you’ve given me!” 

Final Notes

Described by The Guardian as “a piece of oral history,” Ferguson’s Autobiography is fascinating, intriguing and inspirational – and that holds true even if you are not a football fan. 

If you are, then it’s nothing short of a must-read, regardless of what you think and how you feel about Manchester United.

He is Sir Alex Ferguson for a reason.

Alex Ferguson’s story is evidence that, in his words, “origins should never be a barrier to success. A modest start in life can be a help more than a hindrance.” Never forget that.

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Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography

Profile image of Diaz Nizari

THERE are a number of people I want to thank for their help in putting together this book.

COMMENTS

  1. Amazon.com: Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography: 8601404196256: Ferguson

    The celebratory, revealing, inspiring, and entertaining autobiography of the greatest manager in the history of British soccer Over the past four years, Alex Ferguson has been reflecting on and jotting down the highlights of his extraordinary career, and here he reveals his amazing story as it unfolded, from his very early days in the tough shipyard areas of Govan.

  2. Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography by Alex Ferguson

    3.93. 16,284 ratings1,035 reviews. The celebratory, revealing, inspiring, and entertaining autobiography of the greatest manager in the history of British soccer. Over the past four years, Alex Ferguson has been reflecting on and jotting down the highlights of his extraordinary career, and here he reveals his amazing story as it unfolded, from ...

  3. Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography

    Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography is the second official autobiography of Alex Ferguson, the former football manager and player. It was released on 30 October 2013 and covers the period from 2000 to 2013. Synopsis

  4. Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography

    Alex Ferguson leaves the biggest question unanswered in this headlong rush through his 27 years at Man United, writes Julian Coman ... But Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography is a flawed affair ...

  5. ALEX FERGUSON My Autobiography

    Sir Alex Ferguson's compelling story is always honest and revealing he reflects on his managerial career that embraced unprecedented European success for Aberdeen and 26 triumphant seasons with Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson's best-selling autobiography has now been updated to offer reflections on events at Manchester United since his retirement as well as his teachings at the Harvard ...

  6. Alex Ferguson My Autobiography by Alex Ferguson

    Alex Ferguson. a former Scottish football manager and player who managed Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. His time at the club has led to Ferguson being regarded as one of the most successful, admired and respected managers in the history of the game. Ferguson managed East Stirlingshire and St. Mirren before a highly successful period as ...

  7. Alex Ferguson : My Autobiography , Volume 7

    The celebratory, revealing, inspiring, and entertaining autobiography of the greatest manager in the history of British soccer--fully updated one year later Sir Alex Ferguson's compelling story is always honest and revealing, and he reflects on his managerial career that embraced unprecedented European success for Aberdeen and 26 triumphant seasons with Manchester United.

  8. Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography|Paperback

    Sir Alex Ferguson's best-selling autobiography has now been updated to offer reflections on events at Manchester United since his retirement as well as his teachings at the Harvard Business School, a night at the Oscars and a boat tour round the Hebrides, where he passed unrecognised. The extra material adds fresh insights and detail on his ...

  9. Managing My Life: My Autobiography by Alex Ferguson

    Alex Ferguson. a former Scottish football manager and player who managed Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. His time at the club has led to Ferguson being regarded as one of the most successful, admired and respected managers in the history of the game. Ferguson managed East Stirlingshire and St. Mirren before a highly successful period as ...

  10. Alex Ferguson My Autobiography by Sir Alex Ferguson

    Sir Alex Ferguson's best-selling autobiography has now been updated to offer reflections on events at Manchester United since his retirement as well as his teachings at the Harvard Business School, a night at the Oscars and a boat tour round the Hebrides, where he passed unrecognised.The extra material adds fresh insights and detail on his ...

  11. Alex Ferguson : my autobiography : Ferguson, Alex, 1941- author : Free

    Sir Alex Ferguson's best-selling autobiography has now been updated to offer reflections on events at Manchester United since his retirement as well as his teachings at the Harvard Business School, a night at the Oscars and a boat tour round the Hebrides, where he passed unrecognised. The extra material adds fresh insights and detail on his ...

  12. ALEX FERGUSON My Autobiography by Alex Ferguson (ebook)

    Sir Alex Ferguson's compelling story is always honest and revealing he reflects on his managerial career that embraced unprecedented European success for Aberdeen and 26 triumphant seasons with Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson's best-selling autobiography has now been updated to offer reflections on events at Manchester United since his retirement as well as his teachings at the Harvard ...

  13. Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography

    Alex Ferguson: My Biography. $19.99. (5,403) In Stock. Sir Alex announced his retirement as manager of Manchester United after 27 years in the role. He has gone out in a blaze of glory, with United winning the Premier League for the 13th time, and he is widely considered to be the greatest manager in the history of British football.

  14. ALEX FERGUSON My Autobiography: The autobiography of the legendary

    ALEX FERGUSON My Autobiography: The autobiography of the legendary Manchester United manager - Kindle edition by Ferguson, Alex. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading ALEX FERGUSON My Autobiography: The autobiography of the legendary Manchester United manager.

  15. Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography

    Hardcover. ISBN 10: 0340919396 ISBN 13: 9780340919392. Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton, 2013. View all copies of this ISBN edition: Synopsis. About this title. About this edition. Sir Alex announced his retirement as manager of Manchester United after 27 years in the role. He has gone out in a blaze of glory, with United winning the Premier ...

  16. My Autobiography

    Alex Ferguson. Sports and Biographies & Memoirs. This microbook is a summary/original review based on the book: Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography. Available for: Read online, read in our mobile apps for iPhone/Android and send in PDF/EPUB/MOBI to Amazon Kindle. ISBN: 1473611083.

  17. (PDF) Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography

    Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography. Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography. Diaz Nizari. THERE are a number of people I want to thank for their help in putting together this book. See Full PDF Download PDF. See Full PDF Download PDF. Related Papers. UEFA and Football Governance: A New Model. 2003 •

  18. Managing My Life: My Autobiography

    Managing My Life: My Autobiography. Managing My Life. : Alex Ferguson. Hodder, Aug 3, 2000 - Sports & Recreation - 544 pages. This book is about the beginning of Sir Alex's football career, until the year 2000. 1999 was an outstanding year for Alex Ferguson - not only did he lead Manchester United, the most glamorous club in the world, to a ...