Manchester United have announced this week that former manager Sir Alex Ferguson will be leaving his ambassador role at the end of the current season.
Moreover, against club tradition, Ferguson has reportedly been told not to enter the United dressing rooms.
As Manchester United’s longest-serving manager, the Scot won 38 trophies in 26 years at the club, including 13 league titles, 5 FA Cup victories, and 2 Champions League trophies.
After he retired from management in 2013, the now 82-year-old continued to earn over £2 million a year in his ambassadorial role, but the suspension of his position for next season has gone on to cause a lot of backlash in the media.
Eric Cantona was one of the high-profile names who spoke out about the matter, posting this comment on his Instagram attached to a photo of him and Ferguson:
This decision has also proven unpopular with fans, as have other decisions made by INEOS including the 250 job losses as part of cost-cutting measures, with a large number of supporters voicing that the decision is disrespectful to one of the greatest managers in the history of football.
This disrespect lies in the controversy of the legacy that Ferguson has made when compared to the final decision made by the INEOS.
Part of this is rooted in the fact that the club has stressed that Ferguson is still welcome to attend games, which, as such a big figure in the club’s history, is a statement that fans feel should not need to be said.
From this perspective, perhaps the way that the statement was released has heightened the fan response, although such a decision would have likely caused an uproar regardless of how the decision was announced.
From a different angle, the impact that Ferguson has had on the club will not change - his United career will always remain a massive part of the club’s history.
Therefore, keeping in mind that this decision will not change anything surrounding what the Scot has achieved, it has been suggested that perhaps Ratcliffe’s new vision for the future is better put into effect in the absence of Ferguson’s shadow.
This, although crucially part of cost-cutting measures, could also be a statement for a new start for a Manchester United side that have struggled to find the same consistency and success since Ferguson retired in 2013.
Ferguson will always be a popular character within the club and its fans, and his years of success will always be remembered despite the decision made.
Therefore, supporters will be able to look back on unchangeable history and praise the man who led the side to so many victories, and perhaps it's this success that supporters should be celebrating, rather than negatively focusing on the decision announced earlier this week.
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