Sir Alex Ferguson's reply to Man Utd fan who brutally questioned his tactics sums him up
Sir Alex Ferguson took the time to respond to a fan who questioned his tactics, accused him of playing Wayne Rooney out of position and suggested he made a mistake by selling David Beckham.
Back in 2005, Paul Golah-Ebue was at school when he was tasked with writing a letter to a famous person.
The 11-year-old, from London, picked then-Manchester United manager Ferguson, one of football's greatest managers who was renowned for his no-nonsense approach, both on and off the pitch.
At the time, Jose Mourinho had just helped Chelsea lift their first league title in 50 years in what was his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge, while United finished third, 18 points off top spot.
Advert
Paul Golah-Ebue's letter to Sir Alex Ferguson in full
After such a disappointing campaign, tensions were likely high in Ferguson's office, but that didn't stop Paul from making some strong comments in his letter to the legendary Scot.
"Dear Mr Ferguson," he began. "I think you are a great football manager. I am a big fan of you and Manchester United. Your managerial record is fantastic, both with Aberdeen and Manchester United.
"However, I don't always agree with everything you do, and if I were manager, I would have done some things differently.
"For example, I wouldn't keep on trying the 4-3-3 formation when 4-4-2 works better. Also, Wayne Rooney is not a natural wide player and works best when he just plays off Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
"I wouldn't have got rid of David Beckham because of an argument. He sells a lot of shirts, and it would have been great having him in a midfield five of: Ronaldo, Beckham, Keane, Scholes and Giggs/Park.
"I would have still kept Ricardo to be 3rd choice keeper just to see how good he is. From the little I've seen of him, he is a quality keeper.
"I wouldn't have let Carlos Queiroz choose that side against Norwich. Too many people were missing from the original line up and not in their best position.
"I think the FA Cup final game underlined our whole season. Lots of chances to score but none taken. I think that is what United need to work on this season if we are going to win anything.
"However, I am pleased with the new signings Edwin Van Der Sar and Park Ji-Sung. Van Der Sar has lots of experience and could easily replace Peter Schmeichel.
"Park is also a good player and very versatile. But overall, I still think you are a truly great manager and one of the best in Europe, if not the world."
To his credit, Ferguson got back to Paul with a message of his own, and, rather than address the aforementioned criticisms, he simply thanked the 11-year-old for his continued support.
He could have easily ignored the letter, but Ferguson's response speaks volumes.
"Dear Paul," he began. "Thank you for your recent letter and I just thought I would drop you a wee line as it is always nice to hear from our fans and your kind comments are much appreciated.
"On a personal note, I would like to take this opportunity of thanking you for your loyal support and devotion to the club over the years. Best wishes."
A decade on, when Paul was 21 years old, he was asked whether he believed Ferguson had taken any of the suggestions in his letter on board.
"I wish I could claim he did, but not really," said Paul, as per The Mirror. "Although, in the Champions League Final three years later, we did start with a 4-4-2, and Rooney was upfront.
"But I think it would be stretching it to claim credit for that."
Topics: Man Utd, Sir Alex Ferguson, Premier League
Jack Kenmare
