Fergie’s latest blast: justified, or just another rant?
Last week Sir Alex Ferguson lashed out at the Football Association, claiming that he and his club had been treated unfairly by the governing body. Last season Ferguson was hit with a five match touchline ban, while striker Wayne Rooney was handed a two match ban after swearing into a television camera during his goal celebrations. Ferguson’s claims were backed by Manchester United chief executive David Gill who suggested that such ‘harsh’ punishments would not have been handed out to other clubs, and that the FA wanted to demonstrate their ‘toughness’ by punishing the bigger clubs. Ferguson’s comments were triggered by concerns over the possibility of having up to eight of his players being called up to the England squad this weekend, and the United boss insisted that the FA ought to realise the importance of his club to the national side, “instead of treating us like s***”.
Ferguson’s argument rests on his claim that Manchester United have produced more players for their country “than any club in the world”, however, of the eight players that could potentially be called up for England duty, this can only be said for two of his players. Only Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley have come through the youth system at United, while the likes of Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Young, Michael Carrick, Phil Jones, and Chris Smalling had already made a name for themselves before joining the club. There are of course a number of players in the past who have been ‘produced’ by United and played for England, Paul Scholes being a prime example, but if Ferguson is suggesting the club are responsible for ‘producing’ players like David Beckham, Andy Cole, Teddy Sheringham, or any of the current crop of English players at his disposal, then I remain somewhat bemused by these remarks.
One thing being at United does for these players, is provides them with a platform and opportunity to prove their ability at the very top level. Those playing well in the Championship or lower divisions of English football are always going to be overlooked while they face competition from those at Manchester United, but Sir Alex’s suggestion that the club are ‘producing’ most of the English talent in the world seems far from the truth. Wayne Rooney was part of the Everton youth squad from the age of nine and signed for Manchester United some eleven years later on, and for a fee of around £25m. Ashley Young made his debut for Watford at the age of eighteen back in 2003,while Phil Jones came through the ranks at Blackburn Rovers, however both of their moves to Manchester United were only agreed this summer. Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick, like a number of other English players, owe much of their ‘footballing ability’ to the youth academy at West Ham. The likes of Carlton Cole, John Terry, Frank Lampard, and Joe Cole all spent much of their youth career with West Ham, and the club has since earned itself the reputation of producing a lot of the English talent that we see today.
Ferguson’s comments came about when he was discussing the possibility of eight of his players being called up for England duty, which can only mean he was suggesting that Manchester United had ‘produced’ such talented players. While it would be naive to suggest that playing for Manchester United would not improve your ability as a footballer, Ferguson’s suggestion that the club had ‘produced’ so many talented English footballers, at least for now, seems somewhat unfounded. Ferguson has simply splashed out on young English players in the early stages of their career, however a number of these players, if not all of them, have already made a name for themselves at their previous clubs. The likes of Wayne Rooney, Ashley Young, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick were all regular first team players at their former clubs, they had already been ‘produced’ as footballers at these clubs, and their talent had already been proven at the top level of English football.
While Ferguson can boast a number of top English players at Manchester United, he cannot take responsibility for ‘producing’ the talent that most of these players possess, only for purchasing it.
Football News 24/7
if we didn’t produce Beckham who did?
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david beckham was at man united from the age of 14….. as well as this most of the players you mention only got capped whilst playing for man united suggesting that they made the step up whilst plying their trade at old trafford….. just another (poorly informed) rant from you.
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What a poor article. agreeing with chis, if we did not produce beckham who did? Butt, scholes, neville brothers, beckham, now cleverly and welbeck. On top of that agreeing with sean kelly, carrick, smalling, jones, rooney only got called upto england after they had established themselves in the man utd team.
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It’s more to do with the fact that United will be bringing the best out of these players; to England’s benefit. They’ll be playing and training together week in week out, in a situation not too dissimilar to Barcelona at the moment. United hold the record for the most England appearances on aggregate for one club’s players,(thanks Wiki) so Fergie’s comments are fair enough.
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David Beckham spent the majority of his youth career with Tottenham Hostpur. He was there from 1987, before signing for United in 1991. He was born in 1975, and therefore 16 (not 14) when he signed and had obviously been scouted due to the potential he had shown (was produced) at Tottenham. Not United.
“One thing being at United does for these players, is provides them with a platform and opportunity to prove their ability at the very top level.” This was my way of explaining that playing at United is likely to earn you a call up over others – but the players’ talent is not ‘produced’, just demonstrated at United.
“While it would be naive to suggest that playing for Manchester United would not improve your ability as a footballer…” – playing at United may bring the best out of these players, but that is not to say their international call ups are down to Ferguson’s ‘production’ of such talent. These players may have been just as likely to earn call ups elsehwere due to the fact that their talent has been displayed at other clubs already (and has not been ‘produced’ at United.)
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” Beckham was a Manchester United mascot for a match against West Ham United in 1986. Young Beckham had trials with his local club Leyton Orient, Norwich City and attended Tottenham Hotspur’s school of excellence. Tottenham Hotspur was the first club he played for. During a two-year period in which Beckham played for Brimsdown Rovers’ youth team, he was named Under-15 Player of the Year in 1990.[33] He also attended Bradenton Preparatory Academy, but signed schoolboy forms at Manchester United on his fourteenth birthday, and subsequently signed a Youth Training Scheme contract on 8 July 1991.”
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end of, btw
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You seem to have reaffirmed my point.
“Beckham had trials with his local club Leyton Orient, Norwich City and attended Tottenham Hotspur’s school of excellence. Tottenham Hotspur was the first club he played for. During a two-year period in which Beckham played for Brimsdown Rovers’ youth team, he was named Under-15 Player of the Year in 1990.”
This shows that Beckham had already shown his potential and talent as a youngster elsewhere. That such talent was not ‘produced’ by Sir Alex. As I have said, it will have certianly developed at United. But produced by them? No.
Rather than obsessing over one player you should look at some of the other names mention. The ones that you are choosing to ignore because they are not open to debate. Rooney, Young, Jones, Smalling, Carrick, etc. The current squad Ferguson was talking about when he went on such a rant. All produced outside of Manchester.
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This guy is right, why are you all obsessing over Beckham? He is just one of the many examples mentioned in this article. The fact that you have ignored nearly all of the others only proves you can’t argue against them so you are just nit-picking at one small part of what the whole article is about.
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