In Wembley’s Great Hall this evening, The League Managers Association brought together the Premier League’s two most successful and longest serving managers.
The evening was held in aid of the LMA’s Benevolent Trust and Community Fund with special guests, including Fabio Capello, Sir Trevor Brooking and Alan Curbishley, with many other past and present football greats in attendance. The highlight of the evening was an extensive Q&A session with Sir Alex and Arsene, hosted by Sky Sport’s Richard Keys. The two managers enjoyed a lively discussion on football topics ranging from the challenges facing managers today to the opportunities and threats posed by foreign investment into English football.
Key excerpts from the discussion appear below:
ON MANAGERS AND MANAGEMENT...
Asked about managers of the future not being in complete control of their clubs, Sir Alex Ferguson said: “It won’t happen in my time… At no point in our history has the board ever overruled a manager. The fear is that we have owners that will [make managers] become project managers or basically just fitness coaches who will determine who out of the 16 are the fittest on the day. We need strong capable managers who can stand up against those that try and change the principles of the game.”
Arsene Wenger: “The quality of manager is determined by the quality of control [over team affairs]. The manager is a strong guide inside the club and has to establish his authority and demonstrate that he is in complete control. If you have no control but are still responsible for the defeats then that is unbearable.”
ON FOREIGN INVESTMENT...
Ferguson said: “You can have as much money as you like but you can’t buy every player. There is no guarantee that money gives you the best team.”
Wenger said: “New people are coming in for different reasons. In England we had a generation of fans whose ambition was to buy the club of their dreams, those days are gone. Now people are coming in for different reasons, maybe money or glory. To have more money in the League is a good thing… but the inflationary pressure of having too much money is destabilising for other clubs, it puts a huge pressure on their resources.”
ON MANAGERIAL SACKINGS...
Both managers stressed the importance of robust and comprehensive contracts.
Wenger: “Being sacked can be a humiliation. When you sign a contract, prepare for divorce.”
Ferguson: “Managers in lower divisions suffer ridiculous conditions [regarding their contracts]. It’s something that we’re discussing at the League Managers Association.”
ON THEIR RELATIONSHIP...
Wenger spoke of the two men’s competitiveness, adding: “There is a much better understanding and mutual respect now.”
Ferguson dispelled the myth that there was any real animosity between the pair: “We’ve sat and shared a glass of wine and a meal on many occasions on coaching conferences in Geneva. We’ve both [got] great teams and have had incredible competition over the last decade.”
Richard Bevan, LMA chief executive, said: “Sir Alex and Arsene provided a unique insight into their views on football and their roles as two of the game’s most successful managers ever. They are both truly inspirational leaders and it is no surprise that they are the Premier League’s longest-serving managers.”
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