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Sir Alex Ferguson

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION - EMINENT PERSONALITY ASSIGNMENT

Camp Nou, Barcelona, 26th May, 1999

Manchester United F.C. vs F.C. Bayern. UEFA Champions League Final.
United, missing some key starting players, have conceded an
unfortunate goal. It is half-time, and Bayern do not look like theyre
going to loosen their grip on the trophy. The players go into their
respective dressing rooms.
The managerial address that followed, became the pre-cursor to one of
the greatest comebacks in sports history.
At the end of this game, the European Cup will be only six
feet away from you, and youll not even able to touch it if we
lose. And for many of you, that will be the closest you will ever
get. Dont you dare come back in here without giving your all.
These were the words that Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson, then
manager of M.U.F.C. and the eminent personality subject of this
report, uttered to motivate his team. Manchester United then fought
tooth and nail. They were unable to score in the regular time of 90
minutes but they refused to give up nevertheless.
Result? The trophy was being decorated with Bayerns ribbons, as
United nicked two goals in injury time to win the trophy.
It wasnt Uniteds first instance of success under Sir Alex, and it wasnt
to be the last. Through his leadership, he anchored an era of
unparalleled success in English football. Through his mentality, he
cultivated the habit of excellence. Through his strategies and
communication, he made players ordinary ones too champions. He
made the fans believe, he made the players believe, he had the media
in his grips and he had his rivals intimidated. He promised big, and he
delivered all the time. This is why, Ive chosen him to be the subject for
this assignment.

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Sir Alex Communication Styles Across

Situations
The Father Figure
Football
is
a
demanding
profession. There is pressure on
players surrounding performance,
attitude, conduct and what not.
The media-houses in England are
known to sharpen their knives
regularly and wait to make a
move, which might shatter a
young players confidence. Sir
Alex, with his words and actions,
has always protected his youngsters. Hes protected them from the
prying eyes of the media, from the ego bubble that accompanies fame,
and from the rivals.
"You [the media] wrote that 'there's no future for these
players, there's no tomorrow for them.' I couldn't believe that.
I played six youngsters in a European game and you say
'there's no future for them'. It's unbelievable. I have their
futures well mapped out. Of course they will grow from that
experience. I was confident playing them, they had every right
to be played and they will play again on Tuesday, too. Sir Alex
lashes out on media, defending his youngsters in 2009.
Steve Bruce, an ex-United footballer once narrated how Sir Alex was
once almost in a fist-fight with the Turkish police when United players
had been assaulted in a game against Galatasaray (known for its
incredibly rowdy fan base):
Hes over 50 years old, but hes straight in, wades in. His
hairs all over the place, his tie is under his ear and he says to

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the players, None of you have been fighting have you? No

team of mine has been fighting, eh?
And were all, No, boss. So he says, Didnt think so. And I
remember the door closed behind him that night, and we all
looked at each other and said: Hell do. He created that
spirit. Thats why his teams were never beaten. Its no fluke
that United always scored in the last minute. It wasnt
coaching. It was belief. He instilled belief that his teams have
to win. He created a sense of invincibility. He was a genius.

The Hard Taskmaster

Sir Alexs sermon against underperformers was renowned amongst
erstwhile Manchester United footballers, and it was every players
nightmare. If the team had not been playing up to standards, in the
half-time managerial address, thered be the hairdryer treatment
waiting for the players. Mark Hughes, former United striker who coined
the term, said:
"He would stand nose-to-nose with you and just shout and
bawl, and you would end up with your hair behind your head."
Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney, in his book My Decade in
the Premier League, further describes the treatment:
Theres nothing worse than getting the hairdryer from Sir
Alex. When it happens, He stands in the middle of the room
and loses it at me. He gets right up in my face and shouts. It
feels like Ive put my head in front of a BaByliss Turbo Power
2200. Its horrible.
The very idea of a raging, scathing, scolding delivered in a thick, rustic
Glaswegian accent is scary - but it was effective. Of course, the
effectiveness stemmed from the fact that this treatment was reserved
only for a specific kind of players. Sir Alex knew better than to hurt the
ego of some of the biggest stars, hence players like Ronaldo, Cantona,
and Keane were, on most occasions, spared this treatment. Saying the
right thing at the right place at the right time is important, but so is
understanding who youre saying it to. This treatment inspired his
players and egged them on to give it their all to get the win. Sir Alex
was a winner and he imbibed the winning mentality in even the most

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average footballers. Patrice Evra describes

how the fear of being on the receiving end
of Sir Alexs fury intimidated the players
into winning the title as soon as possible:
After we lost at Arsenal he asked
everyone whether or not they wanted
to win the 19th league title and break
the record? "How many opportunities
are you going to miss?" he said.
"You're going to regret it if you don't
win it". I was so pleased we got the
point we needed [to win the title] at
Blackburn, because if we hadn't I think we would have got the
hairdryer!'

An Enigma for the Media Houses

Over the years, Sir Alex shared an on-and-off relationship with the
English media. His press conferences were awaited eagerly, and they
reeked of his quintessential my-way-or-the-highway style. His
attitude towards the media was the result of the divisive methods that
the latter used to drive their agendas, and the lows that they stooped
to, to sell their papers. With their exaggerations approaching libel, it
was only natural that Sir Alex always did all in his power to keep them
on their toes. His strategies included denial, ridicule, aggression and
often, refusal to speak to the media.
"Whenever we lose the media want an instant answer,
preferably something a bit different so it makes a good
headline. By now the press know I am immune to their sniping.
You sell your paper and radio shows off the back of this club."
These strategies were successful, because the journalists thought
twice before casting United in an unfavorable light. He once banned
Manchester Evening News, a local daily, from the club premises
because they leaked a story hed requested to keep under the wraps.
But when the journalist involved in this incident took a leave from
reporting program notes for the first time in 16 years owing to an
illness, Sir Alex was on his doorstep offering whatever help he could in
his capacity. Evidently, his media image existed only to protect his club

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and his players. Beyond, and

despite that, he was a media
darling.
Apart from conveying his
insight on players, the game
and the club, he used the
media to play mind-games
with his rival managers and
he excelled at them. Sir Alex
often used his wit and wry humor to get under his opponents skin. His
war of words with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and ex-Liverpool
manager Rafael Benitez, is legendary.
"They say he's intelligent. Speaks five languages! I've got a
15-year-old boy from the Ivory Coast who speaks five
languages!"- Sir Alex on Wenger.
His charismatic persona added to the enigma, and when Sir Alex
spoke, one listened.

Sir Alex Ferguson Communication Analysis

Verbal Communication
As is evident by the multiple quotes mentioned, Sir Alex had a
confrontational, no-nonsense approach to communication. He
wasnt one for cryptic musings - he said what he meant and he
meant what he said. He gauged the situation and people (players,
rivals, media etc.) and accordingly used the appropriate tone to
communicate. He ensured there wasnt any room for misinterpretation
or misrepresentation.

Non-Verbal Communication
Sir Alex used his non-verbal communication abilities to the fullest
advantage. Often when Manchester United were in a losing/drawing
position in a game, hed walk up to the touch-line, and make
exasperated gestures at his players to motivate them.

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Moreover, he also manipulated the

linesmen and referees just when the
normal time of the game started running
out, by repeatedly pointing at his
watch with a ferocious expression
on his face, thus playing on the
nerves of rivals and intimidating the
match
officials
into
giving
the
maximum possible injury time. An
analysis by Opta, of all Premier League games between 2010 and
2012, suggested that Manchester United got an additional 79 seconds
of injury time in matches where they were losing, than given to other
teams. With more time at their disposal, Uniteds chances of scoring
increased, and it is no wonder they had so many winning goals in this
Fergie-Time.
Absolutely, other teams were frightened of it. That's why I
used to go with my watch. But I never looked at my watch.
Honestly. I didnt know how many minutes but it gets across to
the opponents and the referee. It was just a little trick. Sir
Alex, on the watch-pointing.

Johari Window Placement

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As a key influencer at the

club, what Sir Alex said made
a lot of difference to players
confidence,
opponents
tactics
and
the
medias
treatment. The reason that
Ive placed him under the
Faade category is that
more often than not there was
a vested motive in what he
said and did (this motive
was usually the desire of
winning, and the greater good
of the club he managed). An example in this regard - when Sir Alex was
nearing retirement, Wayne Rooney, a key United player, expressed to
him his desire to leave the club. Sir Alex, obviously, wanted him to
stay. Hence, instead of dealing with this situation privately,
unbeknownst to the player, he made this information public. The
pressure that fans created because of this knowledge, led Rooney into
signing a new contract and ensured his stay at the club.

Conclusion
Sir Alexs communication style was coherent with his objective of
achieving success at his club. His conduct befitted that of a manager of
the worlds biggest club.
The biggest lesson in communication that Sir Alex offered me
through this assignment is how it is important to deal with
different people differently. Egos have to be taken into
consideration, without compromising on the effectiveness of the
communication. This is in fact, an important aspect of manmanagement.
His focus on the goal in hand, willingness to walk the talk and going
any length to achieve said goal, and his motivational qualities any
individual, including me, would strive to imbibe in their lives.

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References
1. Alex Ferguson, Michael Moritz; Leading, Hodder and Stoughton,
2015
2. Alex Ferguson; My Autobiography, Hodder and Stoughton,
2013
3. Wikipedia; Alex Ferguson Referees, Internet
4. Charlotte Pritchard, BBC; Fergie Time: Does it really exist,
Internet, 2012
5. Ashley Clements, Mail Online; Sir Alex reveals secret behind
Fergie Time, Internet, 2014
6. PA Sport Report; Sir Alex Ferguson's run-ins with the media
at Manchester United, Internet, 2015
7. Sportsmail Reporter, Mail Online; There's nothing worse!
Rooney sheds light on Ferguson's 'hairdryer', Internet,
2012
8. Ian Herbert, Independent; 25 years of Ferguson, Internet,
2011
9. Sportsmail Reporter, Mail Online; Fear of Fergie's hairdryer
inspired United to the title, Internet, 2011

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