The Boss

Arguably the most successful, and controversial club manager in British football history, Sir Alex Ferguson has also been a prolific chronicler of his own life--seven autobiographies to date--but journalist, author (and United fan) Michael Crick claims now to have written the first serious, critical biography of The Boss. Crick, award-winning journalist, and biographer of Michael Heseltine and Jeffrey Archer, attempts to bring the same sort of structured research-based approach to this study of Ferguson--tracing his life from a Govan childhood, his ultimately frustrated playing career, through his first steps in management, to the trophy-harvesting Aberdeen and Manchester United sides that established his place in the pantheon. To this end, there is a page-by-page list of reference sources (including Fergie's own books), and a demonstrable intention to analyse and assess the veracity of various established "facts" about the Manchester United manager's extraordinary life and career. At times this reads like nit-picking, but what this book reinforces is that Ferguson has been and is a practised and remorseless operator in the public arena--whether it is ham-stringing opponents with his infamous "mind games", gagging the media, peddling his own "official" version of history, or establishing the strict paternalism that is the foundation of the Fergie approach to squeezing performances out of players.

Alex McLeish [then playing for Ferguson at Aberdeen], for instance, says that when his father died unexpectedly in his early forties Ferguson stepped in and "assured me that he would take my Dad's place as much as he could in keeping me up to scratch".

The chronicling of Ferguson's relationships with such key players—"lost boys" like McLeish, Cantona, Ince, Keane, plus the legion of stars that emerged wide-eyed from under Fergie's wing and the Old Trafford schoolboy squad--is a particularly interesting theme.

Not surprisingly, given Ferguson's and Manchester United's notorious media wariness, there is little fresh material from centre-stage, but a widespread of new interviews with some of the supporting-cast in this extraordinary drama are well used, as is material from contemporary media reports, and books, including Ferguson's, that have long since drifted out of print. The result is a rounded study that nevertheless debunks elements of the Ferguson myth. Immensely readable, not least because the ambition of the man in question drives the narrative along at a tremendous gallop, The Boss is a very welcome addition to the Fergie library.--Alex Hankin

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Interesting Enough - Rated
Although I can sympathise with some of the previous reviewers' comments with the author's dry, detached style of writing, I nevertheless found the book to be an interesting and easy read. It is also quick to get through, despite being over 600 pages long. I'm not a Manchester United fan, but I wanted to find out about Alex Ferguson the man and manager - what makes him tick, and why is he so successful. To be fair, Michael Crick provides those answers, even if the "autobiographical" section of the book is a bit lacking. The dominant theme of the book is football, relentless ambition and determination to be the best. Therefore it is probably not surprising that other aspects of Ferguson's personality are barely touched upon. Ferguson comes across as a football addict.

I found out some useful stuff about Ferguson - his background in Govan, his New Labour sympathies, Trade Unionism, his admirable charity work and donations and love of horse racing. He also comes across as an intelligent, bright man, loyal to family and friends, until you cross him. Indeed there is a flip side to Ferguson - his brutal bullying of young players, contradictory attitude over "tapping up" players and use of agents and gambling, the childish boycotts of the press. It is a prime example of the murky world of professional football.

On the football front though I have nothing but admiration for his achievements at Manchester United, and Aberdeen in particular, with whom he briefly overturned the traditional Old Firm hegemony in Scotland. Maybe had he stayed Aberdeen could have permanently challenged Rangers and Celtic. Another regret (from my own biased point of view) is Ferguson's turning down the Spurs job in the mid-1980s.

A recommended read.

Streetfighting Man - Rated
In the opening section of this thoroughly researched book, political journalist and ardent Manchester United fan Michael Crick notes that despite Alex Ferguson's impressive and extensive record of managerial success there is precious little biographical material about him. Crick sets out to rectify that deficiency by carefully examining the background, record and actions of the man who is Britain's most successful football club manager ever. His approach to his subject is suitably rigourous. This can be seen in the fact that he and his research team spoke to `at least 250 people' including Ferguson's `friends and colleagues, associates and admirers, rivals and enemies.' The virtues of this diligent approach can be seen in the way he manages to tease out the inconsistencies and contradictions in what Ferguson says about particular events at various times. He takes great pleasure, for instance, in comparing what Ferguson recalls in his best-selling autobiography Managing My Life (1999) with what he said, or did, previously. The notorious dropping of goalkeeper Jim Leighton for the 1990 FA Cup Final is a telling example. In 1992, Ferguson said that if he could have his time over again he `would not have dropped [him]'.However, by 1999, as Crick highlights `the Govan street fighter' has re-emerged, with Ferguson now claiming that he felt `no remorse' for his actions. Occasionally, however the text becomes infected by a hysterical and pedantic tone. Fancifully, Crick compares Manchester Evening News unwillingness to grant him access to their archives without the nod of approval from Alex Ferguson and/or Manchester United with being "transplanted to Cold War Eastern Europe or Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe'. The controversial and critical tone of this biography means it will appeal to the more free-thinking football fan. Ferguson may well have been knighted, but Crick does not bow, grovel or doff his cap to `Sir Alex' in this argumentative biography.

A tome too far............... - Rated
Until recent years I have never been the world's most avid reader, but have developed a liking for biographies and autobiographies, and simply "eat them for breakfast" (finishing most within a day or three).

So, I set about devouring this most gargantuan of tomes with glee and good heart, only to be sadly disappointed by Mr Crick's total failure to engage the reader, show any empathy with the sport or Ferguson's achievements. Furthermore, his clinical and detached style made reading this the hardest work for the first time since I left school.

5 months to completion (my reading of, not Mr Crick's writing of !) says it all.

Interesting, but absolutely no comparison to Ferguson's own work, "Managing my Life", which I wholeheartedly recommend.

This book is purely for those all-consumed with Manchester United and Ferguson himself , rather than those eager to get an insight to one of the sports most successful and intriguing figures.

Disappointing - Rated
Much research and effort has gone into this book, and while there are many things to enjoy in Michael Crick’s biography the overall sense is one of disappointment. There’s some new information that isn’t in Alex Ferguson’s autobiography ‘Managing My Life’, but what’s missing is any real feeling for the game.

Because because Crick lacks the passion (even if, as the publicity blurb tells us, he “estimates he has attended three-quarters during Sir Alex Ferguson’s sixteen years at Old Trafford”) he doesn’t really get to grips with his subject. It’s very much the work of an outsider – it smells of the executive box rather than the deep heat of the changing room.

Crick has made his name as a political reporter and has written books about Jeffrey Archer and Labour’s Militant Tendency. It shows. There is more, for example, in his Ferguson biography about Tony Blair and his press secretary Alistair Campbell than about Roy Keane, who has been arguably the most important player in Ferguson’s Manchester United.

When talking about press criticism of United, Crick writes: “The goalkeeper Jim Leighton became another target, partly as a kind of surrogate for Ferguson himself – in rather the same way that, in politics, attacking Peter Mandelson has been a way of getting at Tony Blair.” This explains nothing to a football fan who has no interest in the politics of New Labour (and judging by the rate of abstention in the last general election, that’s probably most football fans): meanwhile, a football fan who does know New Labour would get a seriously misleading impression of Jim Leighton.

Another really painful remark is the description of Lothar Matthaus as “the Bayern defender” – which, for those of you who know nothing about football but like your jazz, is rather like calling Diana Krall “the Canadian piano player”.

In seeking to expose the “many sides” of Ferguson, Crick reveals his own inability to understand the ethics and motivations of the working-class background that the Scot came from. Despite disliking Margaret Thatcher, Ferguson “has no qualms about giving significant financial support to Manchester Grammar School, even though it is a private school”. So what? Self-advancement, especially through education, was always part of Ferguson’s and older generations’ driving force.

Hence, despite some interesting information here and there (I didn’t know for example that in 1958 Bobby Charlton pulled out of a European Cup semi-final against Milan to play in an England friendly) Crick never really gets to grips with Alex Ferguson and his phenomenal success.

An effective biography of the Manchester United manager requires someone with a knowledge and feel for football – because without football, we wouldn’t be reading it, would we? Until then, I recommend Ferguson’s autobiography.

a fan's view of the book - Rated
As a lifelong United fan and Ferguson admirer. This book provides the oppurtuinity to see Ferguson from a different angle than the one he portrays in his own books.
Michael Crick investigates Ferguson's rise from the back streets of Govan to being the manager of the most famous football club in the world with forensic detail and research that would make even the most seasoned investigative journalists envious.
The book shows that Ferguson is a shrewd operator in dealing with the media, players and at playing psychological mind games with his opponents and enemies. But it also shows the hidden side of Ferguson's personality his loyalty to his family, young players, his love for the beautiful game and his charity work.
All in all this book is probably the best football book written, it's a shame that some United fans have attacked Crick without ever reading this fine piece of jounalism it's a book that will open your eyes to the unscruplous world of British Football and it's no1 club Manchester United.