"When the world seems to go at pace we can’t keep up with, we often wish we could just hit the pause button for a moment. Kevin Bernard writes about how in times like these, he attempts to emulate Alex Ferguson’s sheer grit and “never say die” attitude in life because a draw, was never really an option to settle for in the first place."
by Kevin Bernard
“I’ve never played for a draw in my life” -Alex Ferguson-
When I think of Sir Alex, this particular quote of his always comes to mind. This one statement, for me, perfectly encapsulates not only his approach when it comes to football matches, but also how he tackles life in general.
There are many things to love about Sir Alex.
Of them, the 38 trophies he’s won over his career certainly stands out.
Still, a lot of people talk about the fighting spirit he instilled in his team, the never say die attitude that was the hallmark of every Ferguson-led Manchester United team throughout his 26 years at the club, while many refer to his locker room antics behind the cameras with a chuckle.
Everything above is symptomatic of a deeper truth.
Alex Ferguson, in my opinion, achieved everything he has with nothing more than will and determination in his arsenal.
I think it’s a stretch to say that Sir Alex was a football prodigy, though he did manage a respectable 171 goals in 317 matches for various clubs in his 16-year career.
Yet, even the most ardent Ferguson fans would hesitate to call him a tactical mastermind like many of his peers.
What he did have was an endless supply of grit and the never say die attitude that earned him everything he has achieved in his career.
From his early struggles at Manchester to the constant rebuilding and setbacks, Ferguson showed that although the names on the team sheets changed, the man behind all those millionaire superstars was a constant.
His attitude enforced everything he did, from recruitment of staff and talent, to the delivery of the end product on the field.
Eventually, it became so ingrained in the club that Manchester United was synonymous with Alex Ferguson.
Ferguson certainly drew from his working man roots in this regard. Growing up surrounded by the shipbuilding industry in Govan, Scotland, followed by an apprenticeship at a toolmaker factory in Hillington had exposed Ferguson to the realities most of us face daily - that there is no substitute for hard work, and that those who strive, succeed.
This ethos was reflected in everything he did at Manchester United. Ferguson was notorious in the type of individuals he hired into his backroom and on-field.
Glamorous and yet highly rated talent was often eschewed for hard workers, the type not afraid to roll up their sleeves and dig in when the going got tough.
More often than not, the players who let him down the most were the high profile signings – Juan Sebastian Veron immediately springs to mind.
Just looking at his, arguably, most successful side – the treble winning side of 1999 – and one would be hard pressed to find a single player in that squad you would describe as a world beater. Instead, Ferguson took a group of players without individual finesse and turned them into a side that very few would bet against.
"Just looking at the midfield of Keane, Scholes, Giggs and Beckham and you can see that their strongest collective attitude was grit and the trademark United fighting spirit. Every lost ball was clawed back and every match was infamously played down to the last minute."
This everyman approach to football wasn’t something new but when paired with the raw purpose of Ferguson, it transformed a team into the European champions.
The fact that this success was replicated year after year, squad after squad from Eric Cantona, all the way to Christiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, is testament to the age-old adage – hard work and persistence pays off.
My Life
This is something that has always stuck with me and a personality trait that I’ve noticed in every person who is considered a success in their respective fields.
"Raw talent nearly always takes a back seat to hard work and discipline. Nothing gives you a better night’s sleep than knowing you’ve put in a good shift that day, and I’m very sure Ferguson slept more soundly than most."
Life, as in football, will always offer the shortcut.
The chance to compromise a little on effort in exchange for a smaller reward.
Individually these instances might not mean much, but collectively is where I believe you see the difference between the greats and the also-rans.
These lessons have also shown themselves to be true in my own experience. Like most people, at the start of my career as a software programmer, I had no idea the long-lasting effects these basic practices and principles could have on my own personal growth.
All of us have faced days when it seems easier to just turn the world off, when quitting becomes the right answer instead of putting on your boots and fighting.
At times like these I try – and admittedly sometimes fail – to emulate the attitudes of the greats. I have learned to tackle my problems head on, to face a challenge and look forward to the day when I can look back and see it behind me.
This attitude also carries me through my personal challenges. As a husband and father of three, I understand why some people give up – a successful marriage is nothing more than two people working hard for each other day in and day out.
Raising a child is realising that your priorities have shifted, that you are now working for someone else and giving them the ability to achieve their dreams and goals.
Professionally and personally, the attitude of relishing a challenge, persisting in your beliefs and fighting hard every single day has brought me nothing but success.
Coupled with a dose of humility in believing that there is something bigger than me is the winning combination.
It is a proven formula, one that teaches me every day that I do not live for personal gratification, but to achieve my purpose and potential that God has set out for me, as a professional and as a son, husband and father.
With those factors, settling is never an option. I won’t fail because I can’t afford to. Not when the ones I would be failing are those I care about the most. Fundamentally, I know that we all face this same choice every day.
The next time you face one of yours, ask yourself, “Would Sir Alex Ferguson have settled for the draw?”.
*As pointed out by one of our readers, Sir Alex served his apprenticeship at Remington Rand, a typewriter manufacturer where they both worked together for a time. Also, amazing that one of our readers knew Sir Alex personally!
by Kevin Bernard
About the Author :
Kevin Bernard is a husband and father to three lovely boys. When not keeping the peace, he works as the Chief Technology Officer for a multinational payroll services company based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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