On the second installment of this series, I take a look at the next thing, the great Scotsman did after he had built the 'foundations of Manchester United.
Dare to Rebuild Your Team
Even, in the period of great success, Ferguson worked tirelessly to rebuild his team. He is credited with assembling five distinct league-winning squads during his time at the club that continued to win many other trophies. Ferguson realized that apart from the fact his players were aging, it was actually very difficult to motivate players who had won a lot in their careers. He also believed every successful team had a timeframe. That was why there needed to be a re-shaping or rebuilding. Ferguson said "Although I was always trying to disprove it, I believe that the cycle of a successful team lasts maybe four years, and then some change is needed. So we tried to visualize the team three or four years ahead and make decisions accordingly"
The now 72 year old's thoughts and subsequent actions were driven by a keen understanding of where his team stood in the cycle of rebuilding and the player's life cycle. He defined the 'player's life cycle' as "how much value the players were bringing to the team at any point in time". Cutting players off irrespective of the personal attachments was part of the talent development management process. The process also involved getting the right players in.
The analysis of a Ferguson's player transfer activities revealed his unique ability to spot talent. In the last decade, Manchester United have won the English Premier league five times. What is more remarkable is that before Ferguson retired, the club had spent less on incoming transfers than its rivals Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool did. One factor accounted for this; the continued commitment to young players. Those under the age of 25 constituted a far higher share of United’s incoming transfers than most of its competitors. The likes of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, David De Gea who now feature for the first team were bought by Sir Alex Ferguson. Ferguson, on a few occasions, dished out huge amounts for established superstars, such as the Robin van Persie and Edwin Van Der Saar.
Young players were given the needed time and necessary conditions to succeed while most older players were gradually phased out. Most older players were sold, however a few were kept around to guide the younger ones help carry the culture of the club forward. Ferguson said "the goal was to evolve gradually, moving older players out and younger players in. It was mainly about two things: First, who did we have coming through and where did we see them in three years’ time, and second, were there signs that existing players were getting older? Some players can go on for a long time, like Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, and Rio Ferdinand, but age matters. The hardest thing is to let go of a player who has been a great guy—but all the evidence is on the field. If you see the change, the deterioration, you have to ask yourself what things are going to be like two years ahead"
Look forward to the third part of this series which will focus on 'how Sir Alex Ferguson set very high standards for his players' until then thanks for reading
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