Sir Alex Ferguson hated one aspect of being Man Utd manager and it left him with regrets

Sir Alex Ferguson’s Legacy: The Relentless Manager with a Soft Spot for His Players

Sir Alex Ferguson’s 27-year reign as Manchester United’s manager was marked by his relentless and ruthless approach, but there was also a softer side to the iconic Scot.

Ferguson was known for making tough decisions, even when dealing with world-class players like Ruud van Nistelrooy and Jaap Stam, as well as club legends David Beckham and Roy Keane. The message to all players was clear: crossing the notoriously ruthless boss often meant there was no way back, regardless of their ability.

Despite his hard-nosed demeanor and occasional sharp criticism of officials, Ferguson detested the task of letting players go. While he saw numerous talents leave Manchester United during his tenure, parting ways with players was an aspect of the job that pained him.

In 2021, while promoting his documentary “Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In,” Ferguson expressed his regrets about dismantling the squad that secured his first two Premier League titles. The back four of Paul Parker, Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, and Denis Irwin, who had grown old together, left him with a heavy heart.

“These guys were fantastic for me,” Ferguson said. “They gave me nine or 10 years, and the evidence is always on the football field. They don’t see it. I see it. The problem for me is ‘What do I do about it?’ I managed to organize a move for them, and they did well out of it, but telling them is very, very difficult.”

Ferguson also revealed the emotional toll of informing young players that their dream of playing at Old Trafford was over. “The same when having to let young players go. The process was the youth coach and the welfare chap would come in with the player you’re going to let go,” he explained.

“Maybe he’s only 17, 18 years of age. The way we’d explain it is we’d try to get him a team. We’d try to get him a club and say, ‘We’re sorry we’re having to do this.’ That’s terrible. That is the worst thing, having to let a young player go.”

Ferguson knew that every young player’s dream was to represent Manchester United in front of 75,000 fans and play at Wembley in a final. Taking that dream away from them was a painful experience he despised.

Despite the challenges of letting players go, many of the youngsters Ferguson retained would later become club legends. The famous ‘Class of ’92’ included David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, and Paul Scholes, all of whom would go on to achieve greatness with United.