Friday, Feb 07, 2014
Dubai: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer became only the seventh Sir Alex Ferguson protege to manage an English Premier League (EPL) club when he took over at Cardiff City last month.
Considering Ferguson’s impact on English football, winning 38 titles in 26 years as Manchester United manager before his retirement last year, that statistic is a big surprise.
Those seven players — only three of whom, including Solskjaer, are still coaching in the EPL — have won 16 titles between them, but nine of those honours were won outside of England and the other seven outside of the country’s top flight.
But the rarity and relative lack of success of Fergie’s fledglings doesn’t distract from their experience and ability, according to former United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, who is yet to enter management despite playing under Ferguson for eight years between 1991 and 1999.
Instead the Dane points to the lack of time given to new coaches as a key deterrent to prospective talent and blames the enthusiasm of former players to fight against the pitfalls of modern football.
“I have one hand that really wants to go into management and another that tells me to stay clear,” Schmeichel told Gulf News. “If I was offered the right opportunity I would take it, but I think my reasons for going into management would be to create and develop, not to be a steward at someone’s football club for a period of time until they grew tired of me and sent me on my way.
“I’m very sad with the way it’s going with ownerships in English football in particular, because I think in the long run it’s damaging. I think you need to have managers that sit there for longer than 18 months. It was ridiculous that when David Moyes moved to United, Michael Laudrup suddenly became one of the league’s longest-serving managers after just a year at Swansea.
“This is where I take a step back and think: ‘Do I really want that?’. This is what my hand is telling me now but on the other hand I’ve spent so many years in football and I have my ideas and I would like to have the opportunity to see if my ideas work and see how far I could take them.”
Former United midfielder Roy Keane once said that none of Ferguson’s former players had succeeded in management. But Schmeichel, who made 393 appearances for United, believes their association with Ferguson would always set an unfair comparison.
An enthusiasm thing
“It would become problematic if you were of the opinion that you could go and do exactly what Fergie’s done,” he said. “I don’t think anyone can do that. I think it’s great to have Fergie as an inspiration. But at the end of the day there’s only one person accountable for what you do and that’s yourself.”
Schmeichel also points to the complacency that sets in after a successful career.
“I really think it’s an enthusiasm thing,” he said. “I have to say that’s one of the things that has held me back. I spent so much time being a player and put my whole life into that. I was really looking forward to that ending. For me to put everything back into that again — it would really have to be the right opportunity.”
Ferguson, quite noticeably, didn’t have as illustrious a playing career as his fledglings, thus he had the desire to complete unfinished business. But he was also given the time to do this, said Schmeichel.
“I think [former United chairman] Martin Edwards should be hailed a hero,” he said. “He was convinced that Ferguson was the right manager and stuck by him for three-and-a-half years [without a trophy]. Fergie was never under pressure and his job was never on the line.
“People hated Edwards for sticking by this Scotsman who wasn’t winning anything. But Edwards knew the job Fergie was doing behind the scenes, re-organising the academy and scouting. This resulted in, ten years later, five players becoming steady players in the team. Once he won his first trophy that was it, but he had three-and-a-half years. No one gets that anymore.
“And I think that’s a travesty for the EPL. I really think that’s working against what the EPL is all about. There’s a lot of money and you can buy good players, but I think in the long run to keep the quality and value of English football you need to do more behind the scenes with academies and creating more players.
“To do that you need long-term rule, not a change of hands every 12-18 months. When a new manager comes in, his first question is: ‘How much money do I have to spend on players?’. If you change the manager, players are also coming in and out. But at the end of the day the only thing that wins you the EPL year after year is consistency.”
By Ashley Hammond Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2014. All rights reserved.
