Looking back on Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision to retire from Manchester United in 2013.
Manchester United’s era of dominance came to an end in 2013 with Sir Alex Ferguson‘s decision to retire from management.
Ferguson made the announcement after clinching the 2012/13 Premier League title, with two games remaining.
His midweek decision came like a bolt from the blue, a major shock. But it was not a surprise that he chose to do it in this manner.
Ferguson bowed out at the top, and by making a sudden decision, it ensured United did not suffer the repeat of a troubling 2001/02 season where he publicly announced that he planned to retire, before the team’s form drastically fell off. United then convinced Ferguson to make a U-turn and stay on as manager.
The fact that Ferguson stayed on for a further 11 seasons, making it 27 seasons in total, was truly remarkable.
But his original plan at the turn of the century sowed the seeds in the minds of United fans that Ferguson’s era would not continue forever.
Ultimately not enough work was done in terms of succession planning. United were also hurt by David Gill’s decision to retire as chief executive at the same time. Their double exit shone a spotlight on the Glazers‘ poor running of the club.
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Sir Alex stepped down for personal reasons, feeling that he had reached the end of his long chapter in charge, desiring to spend more time with his wife Cathy. He was able to spend a decade with her post-management before she died in 2023.
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Sir Alex Ferguson’s statement
Below is the full statement made by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, admitting that the decision was not easy. He felt that the club were in a strong position to succeed in the future long after his departure.
“The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time.
“It was important to me to leave an organisation in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so.
“The quality of this league winning squad, and the balance of ages within it, bodes well for continued success at the highest level whilst the structure of the youth set-up will ensure that the long- term future of the club remains a bright one.
“Our training facilities are amongst the finest in global sport and our home Old Trafford is rightfully regarded as one of the leading venues in the world.
“Going forward, I am delighted to take on the roles of both director and ambassador for the club. With these activities, along with my many other interests, I am looking forward to the future.
“I must pay tribute to my family, their love and support has been essential. My wife Cathy has been the key figure throughout my career, providing a bedrock of both stability and encouragement. Words are not enough to express what this has meant to me.”
Can you recall the player who scored two goals for Man Utd, including in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final match?
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Ferguson’s confidence in United infrastructure and squad was too high
With the benefit of hindsight of the post-Ferguson era, it is easy to conclude that his confidence in the Manchester United he left was too high.
United’s squad was an ageing one. Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand only played for one more season, while Paul Scholes retired immediately.
Young players Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Tom Cleverley were not able or not ready to become the truly elite players United required them to be.
Ferguson’s confidence in United’s off-field structure was also misplaced, with the club’s training ground facilities overtaken by the likes of Leicester City, and a later £50 million overhaul of Carrington required.
Most strikingly, all of this has been backed up by results on the pitch, with Manchester United failing to win a league title since Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
Ferguson’s exit was inevitable eventually, but the sudden exit was a double-edged sword. His exit did not serve as a distraction to the team during his final season, but not enough expertise and analysis was deployed to put together a proper succession plan.
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