Sir Alex Ferguson’s answer to a Man Utd fan who openly questioned his tactics says a lot about him.
Back in 2005, 11-year-old Paul Golah-Ebue from London had to write a letter to a famous person for school. He chose Sir Alex Ferguson, the then-Manchester United manager and one of football’s all-time greats, known for being tough both on and off the field.
At the time, Manchester United had just finished a tough season in third place, 18 points behind Chelsea, who had won their first league title in 50 years thanks to Jose Mourinho. Even though things were not going well, Paul didn’t hold back in his letter to Ferguson.
He started with a compliment: “Dear Mr Ferguson, I think you’re a great manager. I’m a big fan of you and Manchester United.” Then he shared his thoughts: “I wouldn’t keep trying the 4-3-3 formation when 4-4-2 works better. Wayne Rooney isn’t a natural winger and plays best up front with Ruud Van Nistelrooy. I wouldn’t have sold David Beckham just because of an argument. He sells lots of shirts and would be great in midfield with Ronaldo, Keane, Scholes, and Giggs or Park. I’d keep Ricardo as third-choice keeper because he looks like a quality player. I wouldn’t have let Carlos Queiroz pick the team against Norwich—the lineup had too many missing players and some out of position. The FA Cup final showed we need to improve on finishing chances if we want to win anything. I like the new signings Van Der Sar and Park Ji-Sung; Van Der Sar has loads of experience, and Park is a versatile player. But overall, I still think you’re one of the best managers in Europe, maybe the world.”
Instead of ignoring the letter, Ferguson replied kindly. He didn’t address the criticisms directly but thanked Paul for his support: “Dear Paul, thank you for your letter. It’s always nice to hear from our fans, and your kind words mean a lot. Thank you for your loyal support over the years. Best wishes.”
Ten years later, at 21, Paul was asked if Ferguson had taken any of his advice. “I wish I could say yes, but not really,” Paul told The Mirror. “Though, in the Champions League Final a few years later, we did start with a 4-4-2 and Rooney up front. But I don’t think I can take credit for that.”