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Sir Alex Ferguson Has Already Given His Thoughts on Darren Fletcher
Manchester United haven’t been the same club ever since legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement in 2013. After 27 years full of trophies and success, the Scot’s exit signalled an end to the Red Devils’ reign as a dominant force in England.
Ruben Amorim was the latest manager tasked with getting the club back on track, but the 40-year-old fell short and has been dismissed from his Old Trafford role as a result. His replacement comes in the form of ex-United midfielder Darren Fletcher, who will act as interim boss until a permanent successor is appointed.
Fans of the club will be very interested to hear what Ferguson made of the Scottish midfielder’s prospects of becoming a coach while he was still an active player. As always, the greatest manager in Premier League history had a brilliant answer.
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Speaking while Fletcher was still a player, Ferguson noted that he had already put the wheels in motion during his health scare in 2011. The retired midfielder was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, which threw his playing career into doubt.
Knowing this, Ferguson planned to help him move into coaching if he wasn’t able to return to the pitch. The now 84-year-old explained: “I started preparing him so that he could be a coach with us. That was, without question, the long-term view of it.
“I’ll always remember he said, ‘If you’re playing for Manchester United, there’s an expectation that you’re not showing out there. If you can’t do it in a reserve game, then you’ve got absolutely no chance of playing for Alex Ferguson.’
“I’ll always remember him saying that. He didn’t see me, I was standing at the door. I should’ve given him a rise.”
When asked if he thought his compatriot would explore coaching after hanging up his boots, Ferguson immediately responded: “Absolute certainty. He’s absolutely right to be saying what he’s saying because the best years of your life are playing. After that, it’s downhill. Trust me. I always looked back upon playing as the best part of my life.
“I think the long-term position will be as a coach, maybe even management. He’s got the presence, he’s got the sacrifice. When you become a manager, it’s a sacrifice. You give up your family life.”
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Shortly after it was confirmed that Fletcher would take the reigns of the first-team until a new manager is appointed, a video emerged on social media of him speaking after an Under-18s match in August.
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The 41-year-old has been in charge of the youth team since July. He admitted to showing his young players videos of players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney as he attempted to implement a ‘proper United’ style. He said
“The fast attacks, it’s proper United. I’ve been showing them clips of Rooney, Ronaldo, Ji-sung Park… counter-attack goals. Trying to show a bit of that Man United DNA.”
Not stopping there, Fletcher proved he wants his team to play quick attacking football as he added: “If teams want to come out and press, we’ve got the ability to play around them. If they want to leave a high line against the players we have in the final third, we can be devastating.”
