Yep, He's selling matchday programmes
Sir Alex back working at the club (according to Sun)
- Thread starter carlosp
- Start date
-
In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
Poch's a big fan of Fergie isn't he?
Hopefully he’s having a Christmas with his family. feck knows it wasn’t that long ago this looked unlikely. Whatever he’s doing at the club is secondary.
He didn't leave the club , he was appointed as some sort of director, which nobody knew what actually entailed as a real position within the organisation. It was his retirement payment basically.
He may have been consulted, but tbh he is not the only one that can recommend to bring back Phelan. Also, I'd believe he'd want him as the actual interim manager, not assistant.
I didn't mean that in the literal sense. I was implying that Fergie's "shadow", for want of a better word, remained even after he'd retired to purportedly pursue other things.
I'm sure Ole and Phelan have Fergie's ear.. but he won't be on the payroll the way this article portrays.
Leave the man alone ffs it's only football and he nearly died a few months ago.
Love the guy but no. I can't see him wanting to pay the fee it requires to get top players these days.
I would have thought that his medical consultant would have advised strongly against him being back involved with the club in any capacity.
Maybe he's doing the Busby role. Where he has an office at Old Trafford and comes in a few days a week and his door is always open. Sort of a "use him if you need him" type role.
The only thing you can agree with the Scousers on is regarding The Sun.
He was consulted by Woodward I believe when the board had decided a couple of months ago to sack Mourinho.
I don't believe for a moment that Ole and Phelan were only asked after the Liverpool loss.
Ole wants Fergie's advice and Fergie is glad to give it. So it is an ideal situation.
If Ole really gets results and we get Top 4 and say win the FA Cup, Ole may well get the long term job. I think Fergie will back him.
We have half the season to go and a lot of football to play.
A game at a time.
I don't believe for a moment that Ole and Phelan were only asked after the Liverpool loss.
Ole wants Fergie's advice and Fergie is glad to give it. So it is an ideal situation.
If Ole really gets results and we get Top 4 and say win the FA Cup, Ole may well get the long term job. I think Fergie will back him.
We have half the season to go and a lot of football to play.
A game at a time.
Assuming he's back working, give him special working hours 
"Come and go whenever you want boss. In fact, we insist you leave work early. If you decide to stay at home today, sure, the phone is easier if we need to contact, no problem at all."
Just give him an easy job with assistants to do the tedious hard specifics paper works and all if necessary while he just offer his wisdom.
-- Football Consultant, at the club.
His words have power, and I don't see SAF him using/abusing it for the wrong cause it since he retired. Obviously not perfect, but still more reliable more often than not.
Managers and other personnel (coaches, scouts and the negotiator) can freely come by to his office for a Cup of Tea chat or two.
"Come and go whenever you want boss. In fact, we insist you leave work early. If you decide to stay at home today, sure, the phone is easier if we need to contact, no problem at all."Just give him an easy job with assistants to do the tedious hard specifics paper works and all if necessary while he just offer his wisdom.
-- Football Consultant, at the club.
His words have power, and I don't see SAF him using/abusing it for the wrong cause it since he retired. Obviously not perfect, but still more reliable more often than not.
Managers and other personnel (coaches, scouts and the negotiator) can freely come by to his office for a Cup of Tea chat or two.
I've amended the thread title. It's only the Sun who's saying that. There are no various reports.
Agree with all of the above. I don't mean to be disrespectful but he looks older since his illness, it must've taken a lot out of him. I'm sure managers including Ole will call him for advice but in terms of an actual role at the club I think that's highly unlikely. Let the great man enjoy his retirement without all this fantasy nonsense.
He should be resting.
The greatest man to ask for advice from but I don't see him taking an official position.
He will help Ole when necessary.
He will help Ole when necessary.
Who isn't? I think even the scousers will happily admit they have big respect for the guy now he's retired
If true.... and probably BS given the source it's a good move. I think all other managers we've appointed before have wanted to create their own mark on the club (I don't blame them but in hindsight it's been really detrimental to the club). Ole I think being interim boss and a player the great man himself brought it is much more likely to be receptive to any input from Fergie.
Michael Corleone on taking over the Corleone family, "Tom Hagen is no longer consigliere; he will be strictly our lawyer; besides, can I have better consigliere than my father?" Ole= Michael Corleone; Sir Alex= Don Corleone. Ole's gonna settle all family scores and will take this team back on the perch
Thanks, I’ve been practising with Mavis.Well typed
Who can believe if you can't believe the English publication, The Sun?
Apart from during his illness has SAF ever been away for OT, isn't he a non-ex Director?
Can't imagine anyone at OT ignoring what SAF says, they may not act on his advice, but his utterings, good or bad, cannot be ignored given his past associations with the club. They may not always be a good idea ( eg.Moyes recommendation etc.)
Comparisons have been made with Sir Matt Busby and his associations with club, post his managerial role. The difference is perhaps SAF will give a response when asked, otherwise keeps quiet, where as Busby when he was almost forced back into harness, he expected from then on everything he said would be followed.
Can't imagine anyone at OT ignoring what SAF says, they may not act on his advice, but his utterings, good or bad, cannot be ignored given his past associations with the club. They may not always be a good idea ( eg.Moyes recommendation etc.)
Comparisons have been made with Sir Matt Busby and his associations with club, post his managerial role. The difference is perhaps SAF will give a response when asked, otherwise keeps quiet, where as Busby when he was almost forced back into harness, he expected from then on everything he said would be followed.
He's been a director since he retired really, so he's always been 'working' in some capacity with us since then.
I think Ole and Phelan's arrival was Fergie's decision, and so I think he's a major influence in the board room, and is a phone away from Ole, but I think that's all.
Is giving your opinion when asked the same as working somewhere?
This.
If Ole is a good tactician, with the help and presence of SAF, then our dark days are over. Players will give their all for these 2 great legends. SAF presence alone is enough to motivate these group of players.
Some good points, mate but I think it was less loyalty and more self interest on the part of Busby/Edwards to spend what was desperately needed (familiar?) and by the time Docherty arrived, we’d got past the daunting spectre of Busbys presence. In fact, the Doc would let it be known that he more than welcomed Busbys opinion and he did, indeed seek it. I’m hoping we’re at, or past a similar point in trying to find a way forward after such a long occupation of the job, followed by several ill advised appointments. The similarities are quite striking and I hope I’m not being unduly optimistic in hoping that we’re maybe through the dark days floundering around to find a direction forward and out of the confused mire that followed long periods of success. I do like the mix of experience in the coaching staff with largely young, hopefully ambitious types tempered by a bit of experience.
Anyone get the feeling he is helping Ole and Phelan out ? If we got top 4 and Ole wasnt offered the job Id be more than certain of it as its probably a one off this season.
Well we have had Ole say he has been in the office and has been on the training ground so, so much for The Sun. They've been correct at other times too even though people do hate them.
I'm happy that he seems to be helping out. Yes he is old, but any input from him I would think Ole is lapping up.
I'm happy that he seems to be helping out. Yes he is old, but any input from him I would think Ole is lapping up.
Last edited:
One little conspiracy theory I thought of the day (and it is just that) was thinking about that perhaps Ferguson is heavily advising OGS and Phelan is back obviously part of the fergie era. Perhaps they see naming him interim manager a good way of taking the pressure that has killed Moyes, LVG and Mourinho from the outset off and allowing everything to bed in and fergie to mentor him before naming him full time in the summer.
The more this goes on, the more I think that this was the succession plan that should have occurred when he retired. A manager being put in place who will act like a sponge and absorb all this information and experience and carry on the same legacy. I wouldnt be surprised if he hangs around for next season too if Ole gets the job.
And yet the club let Moyes turf our backroom staff for his merry bunch of muppets from Everton who've won nothing.
And yet the club let Moyes turf our backroom staff for his merry bunch of muppets from Everton who've won nothing.
There is a quote in this article from the official website that SAF was on the training ground on Saturday
https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/ole-gunnar-solskjaer-on-giuseppe-rossi-training-with-the-club
https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/ole-gunnar-solskjaer-on-giuseppe-rossi-training-with-the-club
Why can’t we just praise a decent manager for doing a good job?
We say the club shouldn’t look to Ferguson or live in the past but isn’t this thread doing just that?
Ole is doing a brilliant job and asking for advice from the greatest football manager that has ever lived is just smart thinking to me.
We say the club shouldn’t look to Ferguson or live in the past but isn’t this thread doing just that?
Ole is doing a brilliant job and asking for advice from the greatest football manager that has ever lived is just smart thinking to me.
Yep, Ole said as much in his post match interview where the boss was querying Rossi's goal.
4:39 in the video I Missed that press conference. Guess SAF is possibly helping / advising Ole and the coaching staff which can only be good news.Yep, Ole said as much in his post match interview where the boss was querying Rossi's goal.
A week in Dubai and Alex Ferguson on the training ground the day before the game? How did we think there was a chance Spurs would beat us?
If you look back on it no other club in Europe has ever had to deal with such a iconic and successful manager leaving. LVG and Jose have worked at the biggest clubs in the world and with rich histories which has its own and different pressures but nothing like follow SAF and his success. Maybe the weight of his success was to much for them and in hindsight when Busby left we should have known how to deal with it better. Now the club may have realized that having SAF to guide the club is better than not having him involved at all and taking a risk on a big name