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🚨 Sir Alex Ferguson on Manchester United appointing Mauricio Pochettino: “I'm pleased with the decision to bring Mauricio Pochettino to Manchester United, but I want to make one thing very clear: the board must be prepared to back him properly. You cannot appoint a manager with big ambitions for this football club and then leave him to fight battles on his own. Mauricio is an experienced manager. He understands the demands of elite football, knows how to develop players and has shown throughout his career that he can build competitive teams. But reputation alone will not guarantee success at Manchester United. He needs the right environment, the right players and, most importantly, the full support of the people running this club. The board must sit down with him and understand exactly what he wants to build. If he needs a particular centre-back, go and get him. If he wants a midfielder who can control games, provide that player. If he believes the team needs a proper goalscorer, then the club must make that investment. Do not give him players simply because they are available or because they represent a good financial opportunity. Sign players because they fit his football philosophy. Manchester United cannot continue making the same mistakes. We have seen managers arrive with ideas, ambitions and plans, only for those plans to be compromised because they weren't given the players they needed. That cycle has to end. When I was manager here, I understood that building a successful team required more than just good coaching. It required a relationship between the manager, the board, the recruitment department and the players. Everybody had to understand the direction we were going in. You cannot have five different people making five different decisions and expect one manager to take responsibility when things go wrong. I want Pochettino to have a genuine say in recruitment. If he identifies players who can transform this team, the board must make every reasonable effort to bring them in. And if certain players are not suited to his plans, the club must be prepared to make difficult decisions. Sentiment cannot come before the future of Manchester United. But backing the manager is not just about spending money. It is also about giving him time, protecting the long-term project and allowing him to establish his philosophy. There will be difficult periods. There will be defeats, criticism and moments when supporters question his decisions. That is football. The board must not panic at the first sign of trouble. I also expect the players to understand what this appointment means. Wearing the Manchester United shirt comes with enormous responsibility. Every player must be prepared to work, fight, listen and sacrifice for the team. No manager can succeed when his players are unwilling to give everything for the badge. Pochettino must be allowed to build a team that reflects his ideas, not a team assembled by several different managers with completely different philosophies. Manchester United need stability, proper planning and a clear footballing direction. I have seen what happens when everything comes together at this football club. We have the history, the supporters and the resources to compete with the very best again. But that will only happen when everyone starts pulling in the same direction. My message to the Manchester United board is simple: if you believe Mauricio Pochettino is the man to take this club forward, then prove it. Give him the players he asks for, support his decisions and give him the time to build something special. Do not appoint him just to abandon him when things become difficult. Back him properly, or do not make the appointment in the first place. Manchester United must return to winning major trophies. That should be the ambition, and everybody at this club must be prepared to give everything to make it happen.”