Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was approached on at least three occasions for the England manager's job, claims Former FA executive director David Davies.The first approach to the our man boss came after Terry Venables' resignation in 1996. Ferguson is said to have been targeted again after the subsequent departures of Glenn Hoddle and Kevin Keegan but rejected all three attempts by the FA.
Speaking to The Herald, Davies said: "After Terry Venables, I wanted Fergie. I was absolutely clear he was the best person for the job. I was a personal friend of Sir Roland Smith, then chairman of Manchester United, and he didn't totally kick the idea into touch. I was vaguely encouraged.
Davies went on to admit he didn't expect Ferguson to take the post, adding: "I don't think he ever came near becoming the England manager. The idea of Alex leading England out at Hampden is somewhat far-fetched. He is a very, very proud Scot. He was, I think, tickled by the idea, though. When I recruited Keegan, I would have loved Ferguson to become manager. But the conversations were very brief."
If you ask me, the England managers job is tantamount to footballing suicide. The English media and the English fans have no loyalty unless you are winning. If you dare have a bad patch or get a bad result then don't expect any support or words of comfort, they will tear you apart and grind you down until the ob becomes impossible. The English have this strange mentality of expecting to lose, then they lose, then they get bitter because they lost.
Can anybody seriously imagine the England Prima Donnas being capable of listening to someone who does actually know more than them and is held in much, much higher regard than every single one of them ? I don't. They would all have spat the dummy out, hopped out the pram and gone home to sulk. Good decision Fergie.
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