Fergie’s book more of a tell-tale than a tell-all

Alex Ferguson recounts stories he had with fellow sports stars in his Autobiography. Photo courtesy of Austin Osuide

Autobiographies are part and parcel of football nowadays, with players and managers increasingly keen to tell the story of their time in the game. Many of these books are formulaic, but every once in a while there’s a gem that really catches your eye.

Like him or hate him, Sir Alex Ferguson is without a doubt the most revered and respected football manager of all time.

In a management career that spanned almost 40 years, 27 at the helm of Manchester United, you would imagine that a book about his life and tenure at the biggest club in Britain (or the world, depending who you ask) would be a must read.

Unfortunately, ‘My Autobiography’ falls a long way short of that ambition.

The book turns out to be a rather predictable and flat affair. Chapter after chapter, Sir Alex tells us about how someone stood in his way and how ultimately the fiery Scotsman brushed them aside.

None of these revelations are anything most fans didn’t already know. Controversial feuds with Rafa Benitez, rivalries with Arsene Wenger and falling outs with players are retold.

Nothing felt new or shocking, with the book beginning to feel like an archive of old news stories at one point.

The meaty questions that had never been answered in the past remained that way. Nothing about his potential successor Jose Mourinho not getting the job, or Ferguson’s infamous eight year boycott of the BBC.

Instead, the reader is given detailed and cut-throat character assassinations of former Old Trafford favourites Roy Keane and David Beckham. You can essentially sum up Sir Alex’s views in this book in one sentence: “I was right, they were wrong”.

Maybe he wants to wait a few years for the body to go cold before he gets down to the nitty gritty of his untouchable career. I just felt that this offering really missed a step or five on its way to becoming a must read.

A stocking filler for one of the fellas in your life, maybe, but the classic inside story of the great man this book is not.