Consider for a minute, if you will, that there is a cameraman for Sky whose job it is to film Sir Alex Ferguson for the duration of a game when he is in attendance at Old Trafford. Indeed, any facial expression is eagerly awaited as it will be shown in the full-time montage following United’s game. These days, it is more likely to be a grimace which is then shown to the world following some catastrophic defending that has led to a goal being scored against the team he used to manage.
United probably enjoyed some of their best results in the Ferguson era, and for the gaffer to make peace with the mediocrity that the Red Devils have shown after his departure would’ve been a tough pill to swallow. Some of the defending has indeed been shambolic in recent years, and even spending plenty of cash in the transfer market hasn’t quite plugged the holes at Old Trafford.
Given that the broadcasters know that United fans often take their lead from Ferguson- if he supposedly doesn’t like what he’s seeing, then the cat is well and truly set among the pigeons. With this said, it’s fair to say that the Scot has cut a rather crestfallen figure of late after a string of bad results. This has led to United moving down to fourth favourites to win the title based on the prices for betting on the Premier League with Betfair, which is hugely disappointing considering the quality of the team. It’s fair to say their form over the last four odd weeks has done a lot of damage to their title aspirations.
So yes, Ferguson hasn’t had much reason to smile and the world’s media have picked up on that but you have to wonder what effect that has on the sitting manager at Old Trafford? Right now it’s Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and when he looked back on a 5-0 hammering by Liverpool, he would have seen Ferguson shaking his head in disgust in between some exquisite finishing by Mo Salah. It’s worth saying that perhaps Solskjaer is out of his depth at United but Ferguson’s dejection with life at Old Trafford since he left won’t be exclusive to just the Norwegian’s reign. Indeed, whoever comes in after Solskjaer and takes the hot seat in the dugout will also have to put up with the grandfather of Manchester United looking down from the directors’ box in a despondent manner.
For all intents and purposes, it should be said that it’s unlikely that Ferguson is doing it on purpose with the intention of creating a stir. Sometimes his looks of frustration could be down to the catering standards slipping at Old Trafford after munching on a prawn sandwich that tasted like the boot he kicked at David Beckham in 2003, and at other times, it could be down to Harry Maguire tackling Luke Shaw instead of Sadio Mane (LFC’s second goal over the weekend)
If someone were to film you for 90 minutes on the couch whilst you watched a game and wanted to shape a narrative then they would also get when they wanted at some stage or other. In other words, Ferguson is often an unwitting victim of football’s insatiable appetite for a headline.
But given that this is the case and unlikely to change, would it be easier for everyone at Old Trafford if their most successful manager of all time wasn’t in the stands having his every expression examined? Would it take the pressure of those who have the thankless task of following him as United’s manager?
The obvious problem with this suggestion is that if anyone deserves to enjoy a festive afternoon in a box at OT without the pressure of managing on a Saturday afternoon, it is Sir Alex given what he has done for the club. It is, however, becoming increasingly clear that his presence at Old Trafford also plays into the narrative that this is a club that can’t ever progress whilst a reminder of their glory days remains so attached to the institution.