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  1. #1
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    Alex Ferguson: Never Give Up (wee bit of Hibs content)

    Apologies if there's already been discussion of this (I can't see a recent thread) but has anyone watched it on Prime?

    I was actually more interested in the part focusing on his time at Aberdeen and the insight into how he transformed them from a team which might win the occasional cup into a multiple title-winning unit which would regularly better the Old Firm.

    Gordon Strachan admits that the squad were mostly "just a bunch of guys trying to earn a living playing football" until Ferguson got in about them and completely changed their mentality. The intensity with which he went about this was quite something to hear about. I wish we'd had him at Hibs in those days (it was a grim memory to see footage of our relegation-bound team being trounced 5-0 at ER the day Aberdeen won Ferguson's first title). Judging by the fact he called his players a "disgrace" after beating Rangers in the Scottish Cup final a few days after winning the Cup Winners Cup (for which he admittedly later apologised) can you imagine how he'd have reacted to our display against St Johnstone last month?! Mind you, I doubt we'd have played like that with Fergie patrolling the touchline!

    Perhaps his methodology wouldn't work so effectively now but what a manager the guy was. It was a job which clearly consumed his life judging by what his wife and sons had to say, but in my view he's the greatest there's ever been or ever will be.
    Last edited by G B Young; 21-06-2021 at 02:21 PM.


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  3. #2
    @hibs.net private member AgentDaleCooper's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by G B Young View Post
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    Apologies if there's already been discussion of this (I can't see a recent thread) but has anyone watched it on Prime?

    I was actually more interested in the part focusing on his time at Aberdeen and the insight into how he transformed them from a team which might win the occasional cup into a multiple title-winning unit which would regularly better the Old Firm.

    Gordon Strachan admits that the squad were mostly "just a bunch of guys trying to earn a living playing football" until Ferguson got in about them and completely changed their mentality. The intensity with which he went about this was quite something to hear about. I wish we'd had him at Hibs in those days (it was a grim memory to see footage of our relegation-bound team being trounced 5-0 at ER the day Aberdeen won Ferguson's first title). Judging by the fact he called his players a "disgrace" after beating Rangers in the Scottish Cup final a few days after winning the Cup Winners Cup (for which he admittedly later apologised) can you imagine how he'd have reacted to our display against St Johnstone last month?! Mind you, I doubt we'd have played like that with Fergie patrolling the touchline!

    Perhaps his methodology wouldn't work so effectively now but what a manager the guy was. It was a job which clearly consumed his life judging by what his wife and sons had to say, but in my view he's the greatest there's ever been or ever will be.
    i think his ability to be so aggressive in the changes he made is because of his brilliance in a whole host of other areas - he knew how and when to use it, and was smart enough on all fronts to command the respect of the players, so that they would react well.

  4. #3
    To think St Mirren sacked him. I wish Hibs had gone for Fergie but I bet fans of every club in Scotland bar Aberdeen, Dundee United and Celtic say the same

  5. #4
    @hibs.net private member BILLYHIBS's Avatar
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    Credit to Man Utd for sticking with him through a difficult slow start

    I did not realise how close to death he came due to a brain haemorrhage in 2018

    Well worth a watch

  6. #5
    We did have his brother Martin as a coach/scout for quite a long period in the 80s.

  7. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Wheat Hound View Post
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    We did have his brother Martin as a coach/scout for quite a long period in the 80s.
    Thought Martin was with us in the 90s, but I might be wrong.

    I enjoyed the documentary. Martin's on it and says Alex was always the leader.

    Cantona is good value as always and you get the impression Ryan Giggs had a pretty damaged childhood the way he talks of Ferguson being a surrogate father to him.

  8. #7
    Testimonial Due gbhibby's Avatar
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    He felt he was made the scapegoat for the SCF loss to Celtic not tracking Billy McNeil and hinted is was probably due to his wife being Catholic. Mentioned he was asked by a director if he was married in a Chapel said in hindsight he should have told him to F off.

  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Wheat Hound View Post
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    We did have his brother Martin as a coach/scout for quite a long period in the 80s.
    … and Bill Shankly’s brother, Bob, and (briefly) the actual Jock Stein.

  10. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by gbhibby View Post
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    He felt he was made the scapegoat for the SCF loss to Celtic not tracking Billy McNeil and hinted is was probably due to his wife being Catholic. Mentioned he was asked by a director if he was married in a Chapel said in hindsight he should have told him to F off.
    I thought that section said so much about him as a person. Obviously he's a very successful manager, but the way he looked when he told that story and when he said "I let my wife down", good on him for saying it about the club he loved as a child.

  11. #10
    The footage of Glasgow, the shipyards and Old Firm games back in the days of Ferguson's youth was amazing and had the feel of watching a different world.

  12. #11
    Testimonial Due I'm Spartacus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gbhibby View Post
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    He felt he was made the scapegoat for the SCF loss to Celtic not tracking Billy McNeil and hinted is was probably due to his wife being Catholic. Mentioned he was asked by a director if he was married in a Chapel said in hindsight he should have told him to F off.
    Here's something I had in my mind watching this part, and the blaming of him for the defeat and the words about his wife are an absolute disgrace, but I felt this was the moment the spark arrived, it was turned 100% personal - would SFA have been SAF if these 2 moment had never happened.

    SAF's difficult decision making skill are unrivalled, Jim Leighton HAD to be dropped, Leighton was near enough greetin' live on TV!!

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