SoccerSir Alex must give the media its due

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Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is not talking to the media. (Getty Images)

He is the Godfather of modern day soccer. His achievements are unparalleled. His longevity is extraordinary in an industry where insecurity is the norm.

But is Sir Alex Ferguson just an overgrown bully?
 
He knows better. He's well aware of his responsibilities. The Manchester United boss has the same obligations as all other EPL managers, so why does he feel he can play by his own rules? Despite his legendary status, Ferguson is not above the law.
 
Part of his job is to communicate with the media. He doesn't enjoy it. Nor do the majority of the press corps assigned to follow him week in, week out. The relationship is distant based on Ferguson's frosty mistrust of those who ask the questions.
 
Ferguson embraces the media only when it suits him. His verbal mind games with rival managers have become regular features of his pre-match preparations for fixtures against Liverpool and Arsenal. He sees it as an opportunity to seize the mental edge before a ball is kicked.
 
No complaint from me. Ferguson is paid to get results any way he can. If he can use the media to gain a psychological advantage over an opponent, so be it. His team wins and so does the media. When Ferguson's in the mood, it's all good copy and sound bites.

A price to pay
 
Here's the thing. It works both ways. If the media is prepared to play his game, Ferguson must accept it is a two-way street. When his team doesn't win he has a duty to explain what went wrong. Owning a high profile has its perks, but there is a price to pay.
 
Ferguson's unilateral decision to ignore the media, including United's own TV station, both before and after the defeat at Liverpool is not only unacceptable - it's downright disrespectful. He is giving the finger to the people who put him and his sport on a pedestal.
 
There is a reason top soccer players live the good life. These talented athletes enjoy the trappings of success and, if their wealth is properly managed, they are financially secure for life by the time their playing careers come to an end.
 
Ferguson will remember a time when it wasn't so. In his own playing days, careers were shorter and players were owned by the clubs until they served no further useful purpose. For many, retirement meant retraining for a new job to pay the bills.
 
The advent of the English Premier League changed all that. Broadcasters were prepared to pay huge sums for exclusive rights. The contracts, allowing the media to dictate everything from kick-off times to player access, have mushroomed over the last 20 years.
 
Soccer's global appeal has never been higher. EPL games are shown all over the world earning millions in overseas rights and attracting corporate partners to invest with the league or individual clubs to get their brand messages across to huge audiences.
 
The media has paid its entrance fee many times over. It does not come cheap and will only get more expensive. The least it deserves is an audience, however brief, with a man who has proved himself to be a tactical genius and, on occasions, a very sore loser.  
 
Incurring his wrath is generally inadvisable. Ferguson hasn't spoken to the BBC in years due to an ongoing dispute. When Preston North End had the audacity to recently fire his son Darren, Ferguson Senior immediately recalled several United players then on loan at Deepdale.
 
Ferguson knows what he can and can't say when the cameras are rolling. Criticizing match officials in the heat of the moment is strictly off limits and can lead only to a fine and/or a touchline ban. The manager may have a valid point but referees are a protected species.
 
I have long been an advocate of officials explaining themselves. The media is quite within its rights to ask the referee for a post match interview when a controversial call has impacted a game. Equally, the referee has the choice to grant or deny such a request.
 
Lest we forget, the referee can only give what he sees. If neither he nor his assistants can be sure an infringement has occurred, the game must continue. All referees make mistakes at times as do players. It's simply a part of the sport and most of us accept it as such.

FA charge
 
Ferguson's fury, aimed at referee Martin Atkinson following the loss at Chelsea, was as predictable as it was unnecessary. The FA charge that followed will lead to a suspension from the dugout - merely the latest in a growing list of indiscretions.
 
The United manager will accept the punishment in the same dismissive way he generally treats the media. The whole point of censure is about respect. Every game must be controlled by a referee who, assuming he's up to the task, deserves respect from players and managers alike.
 
Football has given Sir Alex Ferguson a wonderful life. The fact the media has made the sport hugely popular and profitable, particularly in Europe, should not be overlooked. Soccer in North America remains on the periphery for many, principally because mainstream media focuses on other sports.
 
Sir Alex is the senior statesman of football management. His focus is solely on producing a winning team but perhaps it should extend to setting an example. The way he conducts himself is emulated by others, believing Ferguson's methods to be a template for success.
 
The authorities are not blameless. Disciplinary committees continue to slap the hands of those who transgress. The punishment must be a real deterrent to make the culprit think twice before repeating the offence when the red mist descends.
 
In the final analysis, we either trust referees or we let robots and cameras control the game. If we choose the former, we take the rough with the smooth and allow humans to arbitrate. We also have the decency to address the media and appreciate that it, too, has a job to do.

Follow Nigel Reed on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/#!/Nigel_Reed

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