Premier League clubs must stand up against player power: Ferguson
By ANIMonday, January 3, 2011
LONDON - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed that striker Wayne Rooney’s contract stand-off last year has proved that the club would be “finished” if they ever allow players to become more important than the manager.
“The most important thing you have to have managing at our club, and I’m sure it is now embedded in the constitution of the club, is that the most important person at Manchester United is the manager,” the Telegraph quoted Ferguson, as saying.
“The minute a player becomes more powerful than the manager of Manchester United, our club is finished. It will never be the same,” he added.
The 69-year-old further emphasized that it is important for the manager to be strong and have the support of the club’s board.
“The important thing is to have your control because that is vital. In the case of Wayne, there is no doubt that he took bad advice. We are having to deal with agents all the time nowadays and it’s a hard job to deal with these people,” Ferguson said.
“They come in with an imagination that’s beyond belief. I remember one agent wanted a striker to be paid for all of the goals that he scored. I told [former chairman] Martin Edwards to remind the agent that was the reason why we wanted to buy the player!”
“Another wanted us to buy blocks of flats for him! This is what you’re dealing with today - it’s unbelievable,” he added. (ANI)
