Some of the best quotes from SAF’s illustrious 20+ years as Manchester United manager.
1. “Only true champions come out and show their worth after defeat- and I expect us to do that”(Sir Alex Ferguson after been beaten by Arsenal for a second time in the league 2006 season}
2. “You’re a feckin’ bottler Incey! You cannae handle the stage, can you? You are a feckin’ bottler!” (Alex Ferguson to Paul Ince at half-time, Barcelona, 1994.)
3. “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it. Football. Bloody hell.”(Alex Ferguson after winning the European Cup on May 26th, 1999.)
4. “I thought the first 45 minutes were the best of my time as a manager.”
(Alex Ferguson after United had come back from 2-0 down to beat Juventus 3-2 in Turin, Italy in what was later heralded as one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history.)
5. “I’m privileged to have followed Sir Matt because all you have to do is to try and maintain the standards that he set so many years ago.”
(Alex Ferguson after equalling Sir Matt Busby’s Premiership record)
6. “That’s absolute bollocks, that. Absolute nonsense.”(Sir Alex Ferguson after beating FA Premier League champions Chelsea FC 1-0 on November 6th 2005 when asked if the previous week where Manchester United had endured much criticism was the worst week of his career.)
7. “At the end of this game, the European Cup will be only six feet away from you and you’ll not even able to touch it if we lose. And for many of you that will be the closest you will ever get. Don’t you dare come back in here without giving your all”.
o Alex Ferguson’s half time team talk during the 1999 European Cup Final
8. “It would have been Sir Matt Busby’s 90th birthday today, but I think he was up there doing a lot of kicking.”(Alex Ferguson post match after winning the European Cup 1999)
9. “My greatest challenge is not what’s happening at the moment, my greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their fecking perch. And you can print that.”(Sir Alex Ferguson responding to Alan Hansen questioning Sir Alex Ferguson’s future as Manchester United manager in September 2002 in the Guardian.)
10. “Just fecking patch him up” (Sir Alex Ferguson to a club physio after kicking a boot at David Beckham’s head which left him needing stitches above his eye.)
11. “It was a freakish incident. If I tried it 100 or a million times it couldn’t happen again. If I could I would have carried on playing!”(Sir Alex Ferguson to the media after the incident had happened.)
12. “It’s getting tickly now - squeaky-bum time, I call it”.(Sir Alex Ferguson on the 2002/2003 end of season title race. A phrase now used very often in newspapers at all levels of football.)
13. “On you go. I’m no fecking talking to you. He’s a fecking great player. Yous are fecking idiots.” (Sir Alex Ferguson speaking to the media about Juan Sebastian Verón)
14. “It keeps those feckers from the media out.” (Ferguson about the new ‘Fortress Carrington’ training complex.)
15. “I am such a bloody talented guy. I might go into painting or something like that.” (Sir Alex on life after management.)
16. “He’s a bully, a fecking big-time Charlie”. (Alex Ferguson on Paul Ince)
17. “They say he’s an intelligent man, right? Speaks five languages! I’ve got a 15-year-old boy from the Ivory Coast who speaks five languages!” (Sir Alex Ferguson on Arsene Wenger)
18. “It is totally out of the question. There is no way we would sell him, or any of our best players” (Sir Alex Ferguson before selling David Beckham, 12th April 2003)
19. “David Beckham is Britain’s finest striker of a football not because of God-given talent but because he practises with a relentless application that the vast majority of less gifted players wouldn’t contemplate. (Alex Ferguson on David Beckham (1999))
20. “What the feck are you lot playing at? That is the biggest load of shite I’ve ever seen. Not one of you can look me in the eye, because not one of you deserves to have a say. I can’t believe you’ve come here and decided to toss it off like that crap you’re playing out there.” (Half-time at Sheffield Wednesday, 1998.)
21. “If he was an inch taller he’d be the best centre half in Britain. His father is 6ft 2in - I’d check the milkman.” (Sir Alex Ferguson on Gary Neville)
22. “When an Italian tells me its pasta on the plate I check under the sauce to make sure. They are the inventors of the smokescreen.”(Alex Ferguson before Manchester United played Inter Milan in the Champions League Quarter Final 1999)
23. “Whether dribbling or sprinting, Ryan can leave the best defenders with twisted blood” (Sir Alex Ferguson on Ryan Giggs)
24. “Cole should be scoring from those distances, but I’m not going to single him out.” (Sir Alex Ferguson on Andy Cole and others.)
25. “Pippo Inzaghi was born in an offside position.” (Sir Alex Ferguson on Pippo Inzaghi after finding out that Pippo is the most offside player in the football ever.)
26. “As with every young player, he’s only 18.” (Alex Ferguson on youngsters)
27. “It was particularly pleasing that our goalscorers scored tonight.” (Alex Ferguson on scoring goals)
28. “The philosophy of a lot of European teams, even in home matches, is not to give a goal away.” (Alex Ferguson on European teams)
29. “This pilot move by FIFA will take root and fly.”(Alex Ferguson on FIFA pilot program)
30. “If we can play like that every week, we’ll get some level of consistency.” (Alex Ferguson on consistency)
31. “The lads ran their socks into the ground.” (Alex Ferguson on his players)
32. “He could start a row in an empty house.” (Alex Ferguson on Dennis Wise)
33. “We have people coming here to admire the scenery and enjoy their crisps.” (Alex Ferguson on United fans)
34. “Just when they thought they had a chance Ruud killed them off a bit.” (Alex Ferguson on most matches in which Ruud scores!)
35. “The big challenges are the biggest stage and it is a true test of all footballers in Europe.”
36. “We need Van Nistelrooy up there again because we missed some incredible chances at Portsmouth. He’s the best.”
37. “Sometimes we can get too emotional as a club with things that are happening. But we’re both of a common denominator - we don’t want the club to be in anyone else’s hands.”
38. “I have always tried to be the bridge between the club and the fans and I have tried to support the fans in a lot of their pleas and causes.”
39. “In my 18 years at this club, that was the worst performance we have ever produced in the FA Cup.” (after the FA Cup holders are held by non-league Exeter City in 2005)
40. “If Chelsea drop points, the cat’s out in the open. And you know what cats are like - sometimes they don’t come home.”
41. “He was certainly full of it, calling me Boss and Big Man when we had our post-match drink after the first leg. But it would help if his greetings were accompanied by a decent glass of wine. What he gave me was paint-stripper.” (on Jose Mourinho)
42. “Wayne Rooney doesn’t score tap-ins.”
43. “Oh dearie me, the FA are going to be delighted with that!” (Alex Ferguson on Man Utd vs Arsenal in the Carling Cup)
44. “We’re suffering because of what happened against Arsenal… one of my players would have to be hit by an axe to get a penalty at the moment.”
45. “They have those fans who are so emotional and fanatical, they expect to win the World Cup” (Alex Ferguson on Newcastle fans)
46. “They come out with the ‘English are so strong, we’re terrible in the air, we can’t do this, we can’t do that’. Then they beat you 3 - 0″ (Alex Ferguson on Italians)
47. “I used to have a saying that when a player is at his peak, he feels as though he can climb Everst in his slippers. That’s what he was like”(Alex Ferguson on Paul Ince)
48. “At half-time it could have been 20-all! But commonsense took over - or boring football took over!” (Alex Ferguson on a 3 - 2 win over Fulham, 2005)
49. “I remember the first time I saw him. He was 13 and just floated over the ground like a cocker spaniel chasing a piece of silver paper in the wind” (Alex Ferguson on Ryan Giggs)
50. “We are catching them [Chelsea] and we just hope the finishing line doesn’t come too soon.”
51. “This was an important day and we wanted everyone together. In that situation it was best to leave Ruud out”
52. “Wayne is truly blessed. He doesn’t just have ability, he has a fire inside him ”
53. “When we signed him [Rooney] at 18, everyone said ‘what will he be like at 21?’ Now he’s 21, people are saying ‘what will he be like at 25?’ It was always destined to be that way”
54. “He demonstrates great hunger and desire all the time. Without doubt, he is the best 21-year-old I have ever had.” (Alex Ferguson on Rooney)
55. “He was towering over me and the other players were almost covering their eyes. I’m looking up and thinking ‘if he does hit me, I’m dead’”(Alex Ferguson on an argument with Peter Schmeichel)
56. “I think it’s important to work and I’m entitled to work. Some people do not want to work but I want to continue working”
57. “We will only be in trouble if we listen to Jose too much”
58. “I bet him he wouldn’t get 15 league goals and I’m going to have to change my bet with him. If he gets to 15 I can change it and I am allowed to do that because I’m the manager. I’m going to make it 150 now” (on Ronaldo)
59. “He’ll be getting a hug and a kiss from me - maybe even two!” (on Sam Allardyce)
1. “Only true champions come out and show their worth after defeat- and I expect us to do that”(Sir Alex Ferguson after been beaten by Arsenal for a second time in the league 2006 season}
2. “You’re a feckin’ bottler Incey! You cannae handle the stage, can you? You are a feckin’ bottler!” (Alex Ferguson to Paul Ince at half-time, Barcelona, 1994.)
3. “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it. Football. Bloody hell.”(Alex Ferguson after winning the European Cup on May 26th, 1999.)
4. “I thought the first 45 minutes were the best of my time as a manager.”
(Alex Ferguson after United had come back from 2-0 down to beat Juventus 3-2 in Turin, Italy in what was later heralded as one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history.)
5. “I’m privileged to have followed Sir Matt because all you have to do is to try and maintain the standards that he set so many years ago.”
(Alex Ferguson after equalling Sir Matt Busby’s Premiership record)
6. “That’s absolute bollocks, that. Absolute nonsense.”(Sir Alex Ferguson after beating FA Premier League champions Chelsea FC 1-0 on November 6th 2005 when asked if the previous week where Manchester United had endured much criticism was the worst week of his career.)
7. “At the end of this game, the European Cup will be only six feet away from you and you’ll not even able to touch it if we lose. And for many of you that will be the closest you will ever get. Don’t you dare come back in here without giving your all”.
o Alex Ferguson’s half time team talk during the 1999 European Cup Final
8. “It would have been Sir Matt Busby’s 90th birthday today, but I think he was up there doing a lot of kicking.”(Alex Ferguson post match after winning the European Cup 1999)
9. “My greatest challenge is not what’s happening at the moment, my greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their fecking perch. And you can print that.”(Sir Alex Ferguson responding to Alan Hansen questioning Sir Alex Ferguson’s future as Manchester United manager in September 2002 in the Guardian.)
10. “Just fecking patch him up” (Sir Alex Ferguson to a club physio after kicking a boot at David Beckham’s head which left him needing stitches above his eye.)
11. “It was a freakish incident. If I tried it 100 or a million times it couldn’t happen again. If I could I would have carried on playing!”(Sir Alex Ferguson to the media after the incident had happened.)
12. “It’s getting tickly now - squeaky-bum time, I call it”.(Sir Alex Ferguson on the 2002/2003 end of season title race. A phrase now used very often in newspapers at all levels of football.)
13. “On you go. I’m no fecking talking to you. He’s a fecking great player. Yous are fecking idiots.” (Sir Alex Ferguson speaking to the media about Juan Sebastian Verón)
14. “It keeps those feckers from the media out.” (Ferguson about the new ‘Fortress Carrington’ training complex.)
15. “I am such a bloody talented guy. I might go into painting or something like that.” (Sir Alex on life after management.)
16. “He’s a bully, a fecking big-time Charlie”. (Alex Ferguson on Paul Ince)
17. “They say he’s an intelligent man, right? Speaks five languages! I’ve got a 15-year-old boy from the Ivory Coast who speaks five languages!” (Sir Alex Ferguson on Arsene Wenger)
18. “It is totally out of the question. There is no way we would sell him, or any of our best players” (Sir Alex Ferguson before selling David Beckham, 12th April 2003)
19. “David Beckham is Britain’s finest striker of a football not because of God-given talent but because he practises with a relentless application that the vast majority of less gifted players wouldn’t contemplate. (Alex Ferguson on David Beckham (1999))
20. “What the feck are you lot playing at? That is the biggest load of shite I’ve ever seen. Not one of you can look me in the eye, because not one of you deserves to have a say. I can’t believe you’ve come here and decided to toss it off like that crap you’re playing out there.” (Half-time at Sheffield Wednesday, 1998.)
21. “If he was an inch taller he’d be the best centre half in Britain. His father is 6ft 2in - I’d check the milkman.” (Sir Alex Ferguson on Gary Neville)
22. “When an Italian tells me its pasta on the plate I check under the sauce to make sure. They are the inventors of the smokescreen.”(Alex Ferguson before Manchester United played Inter Milan in the Champions League Quarter Final 1999)
23. “Whether dribbling or sprinting, Ryan can leave the best defenders with twisted blood” (Sir Alex Ferguson on Ryan Giggs)
24. “Cole should be scoring from those distances, but I’m not going to single him out.” (Sir Alex Ferguson on Andy Cole and others.)
25. “Pippo Inzaghi was born in an offside position.” (Sir Alex Ferguson on Pippo Inzaghi after finding out that Pippo is the most offside player in the football ever.)
26. “As with every young player, he’s only 18.” (Alex Ferguson on youngsters)
27. “It was particularly pleasing that our goalscorers scored tonight.” (Alex Ferguson on scoring goals)
28. “The philosophy of a lot of European teams, even in home matches, is not to give a goal away.” (Alex Ferguson on European teams)
29. “This pilot move by FIFA will take root and fly.”(Alex Ferguson on FIFA pilot program)
30. “If we can play like that every week, we’ll get some level of consistency.” (Alex Ferguson on consistency)
31. “The lads ran their socks into the ground.” (Alex Ferguson on his players)
32. “He could start a row in an empty house.” (Alex Ferguson on Dennis Wise)
33. “We have people coming here to admire the scenery and enjoy their crisps.” (Alex Ferguson on United fans)
34. “Just when they thought they had a chance Ruud killed them off a bit.” (Alex Ferguson on most matches in which Ruud scores!)
35. “The big challenges are the biggest stage and it is a true test of all footballers in Europe.”
36. “We need Van Nistelrooy up there again because we missed some incredible chances at Portsmouth. He’s the best.”
37. “Sometimes we can get too emotional as a club with things that are happening. But we’re both of a common denominator - we don’t want the club to be in anyone else’s hands.”
38. “I have always tried to be the bridge between the club and the fans and I have tried to support the fans in a lot of their pleas and causes.”
39. “In my 18 years at this club, that was the worst performance we have ever produced in the FA Cup.” (after the FA Cup holders are held by non-league Exeter City in 2005)
40. “If Chelsea drop points, the cat’s out in the open. And you know what cats are like - sometimes they don’t come home.”
41. “He was certainly full of it, calling me Boss and Big Man when we had our post-match drink after the first leg. But it would help if his greetings were accompanied by a decent glass of wine. What he gave me was paint-stripper.” (on Jose Mourinho)
42. “Wayne Rooney doesn’t score tap-ins.”
43. “Oh dearie me, the FA are going to be delighted with that!” (Alex Ferguson on Man Utd vs Arsenal in the Carling Cup)
44. “We’re suffering because of what happened against Arsenal… one of my players would have to be hit by an axe to get a penalty at the moment.”
45. “They have those fans who are so emotional and fanatical, they expect to win the World Cup” (Alex Ferguson on Newcastle fans)
46. “They come out with the ‘English are so strong, we’re terrible in the air, we can’t do this, we can’t do that’. Then they beat you 3 - 0″ (Alex Ferguson on Italians)
47. “I used to have a saying that when a player is at his peak, he feels as though he can climb Everst in his slippers. That’s what he was like”(Alex Ferguson on Paul Ince)
48. “At half-time it could have been 20-all! But commonsense took over - or boring football took over!” (Alex Ferguson on a 3 - 2 win over Fulham, 2005)
49. “I remember the first time I saw him. He was 13 and just floated over the ground like a cocker spaniel chasing a piece of silver paper in the wind” (Alex Ferguson on Ryan Giggs)
50. “We are catching them [Chelsea] and we just hope the finishing line doesn’t come too soon.”
51. “This was an important day and we wanted everyone together. In that situation it was best to leave Ruud out”
52. “Wayne is truly blessed. He doesn’t just have ability, he has a fire inside him ”
53. “When we signed him [Rooney] at 18, everyone said ‘what will he be like at 21?’ Now he’s 21, people are saying ‘what will he be like at 25?’ It was always destined to be that way”
54. “He demonstrates great hunger and desire all the time. Without doubt, he is the best 21-year-old I have ever had.” (Alex Ferguson on Rooney)
55. “He was towering over me and the other players were almost covering their eyes. I’m looking up and thinking ‘if he does hit me, I’m dead’”(Alex Ferguson on an argument with Peter Schmeichel)
56. “I think it’s important to work and I’m entitled to work. Some people do not want to work but I want to continue working”
57. “We will only be in trouble if we listen to Jose too much”
58. “I bet him he wouldn’t get 15 league goals and I’m going to have to change my bet with him. If he gets to 15 I can change it and I am allowed to do that because I’m the manager. I’m going to make it 150 now” (on Ronaldo)
59. “He’ll be getting a hug and a kiss from me - maybe even two!” (on Sam Allardyce)
