Oui, Quinton à nouveau disponible.
En anglais, mais trés intéressant:
Fergie to join the 1000 Club.
--------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
SIR Alex Ferguson is about to join the elite band of managers who have taken charge of 1,000 matches in English football.
The Reds’ manager reaches that major milestone on Tuesday in the Champions League fixture against Olympique Lyonnais at Old Trafford.
And what makes it even more outstanding is that the feat has been achieved at one club.
“When you look at the modern-day game it is an achievement. I haven’t given it a lot of thought, though obviously it is something I am proud of,” explained Ferguson, who spoke exclusively to the Chronicle about his 18 years as United manager.
Ferguson, the most successful manager in British football history with 28 major honours, joins legendary United boss Sir Matt Busby in clocking up 1,000 matches as manager.
And that stability is probably one of the underlying reasons why United have developed into the world’s biggest football club and one of the most successful.
Yet it was far from plain sailing in the early years when it looked a long shot for Ferguson to survive so long.
It took three-and-a-half years for Ferguson to land his first major honour, the FA Cup, and for a time he was reported to be skating on perilously thin ice.
Ferguson, who also managed 623 matches in Scotland at East Stirling, St Mirren and Aberdeen, admitted it hadn’t been an easy ride in those early years, saying: “I had a difficult start and it took time to put my own ideas into practice.”
They included a revamped youth policy, with the ‘Class of 92’ providing David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville, who along with Ryan Giggs and Phil Neville formed a home-produced nucleus on which so much of their success has been built.
Ferguson pinpoints the Premiership title success of 1993, their first championship for 26 years, as removing an enormous burden.
He explained: “That was the opening of the door and the key to our future success. Once we did that the path became clear.
“It wasn’t only a millstone around my neck, but also the players, club officials and supporters because it had been such a long time coming.”
When it comes to choosing the most memorable of his 1,000 matches, Ferguson selects that remarkable night in Barcelona in 1999 when they completed the historic treble of league, FA Cup and Champions League.
“The European Cup final is the match which stands out as we came from nowhere to snatch victory,” he recalled.
Injury-time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw the Reds overturn a deficit to defeat Bayern Munich, who thought they had their hands on the trophy which United had won only once previously in 1968 when Busby was manager.
In the last 14 years, United have won 18 major trophies, despite Ferguson having to rebuild the side several times.
He said: “That has been pleasing because few clubs have a decade of success. Liverpool are maybe the only other team which has done that.”
And Ferguson says the various teams he has built have all had different characteristics, the one common denominator being they have been successful.
Ferguson says there are around 10 signings which he describes as “terrific”. He includes Peter Schmeichel, Steve Bruce, Brian McClair, Roy Keane, Mark Hughes, Denis Irwin, Eric Cantona and Lee Sharpe.
“In Sharpe’s case we bought him for £85,000 and sold him for £4.5million,” he explained.
Ferguson, despite nearing his 63rd birthday, has no immediate thoughts about retirement and is concentrating on another rebuilding job.
He said: “You never know what will happen once you are in your sixties, but I still have an appetite.
“We recognise the ageing of the squad and try to address that by bringing in younger players - and that is an ongoing process.”
MANAGERIAL RECORD
1974: East Stirling 17 matches
1974/78: St Mirren 151 matches
1978/86: Aberdeen 455
1986 to date : Man United 998 matches
Total 1,621 matches
- In addition Ferguson managed Scotland for 10 matches in 1985/86 including the finals of the 1986 World Cup.
THE HONOURS
1980: Scottish League title
1982: Scottish FA Cup
1983: Scottish FA Cup, European Cup
Winners Cup, European Super Cup
1984: Scottish League title, Scottish FA Cup
1985: Scottish League title
1986: Scottish FA Cup, Scottish League Cup
1990: FA Cup
1991: European Cup
Winners Cup and European Super Cup
1992: League Cup
1993: FA Premier League
1994: FA Premier League, FA Cup
1996: FA Premier League, FA Cup
1997: FA Premier League
1999: FA Premier League, FA Cup,
European Champions League,
Intercontinental Cup
2000: FA Premier League
2001: FA Premier League
2003: FA Premier League
2004: FA Cup
