SANCHEZ ON ATTACK AGAINST ‘PHENOMENAL’ FERGUSON
Lawrie Sanchez insists Fulham will go on the offensive against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday, but he has the upmost respect for his opposite man – long-serving manager Sir Alex Ferguson. And he’s looking forward to pitting his wits against one of the best teams in the land.
Ferguson’s side are unbeaten in seven games at home in the league, and have conceded one solitary goal in the process. But the former Northern Ireland coach is planning to go out all guns blazing.
Despite Fulham not winning away in the Premier League this campaign, their manager believes playing for a draw would be pointless. "United have a terrific home record, but if you don't go there with some ambition then you tend to leave with very little,” Sanchez suggested.
"If you sit back against United then you are likely to get what you deserve. You have to go and make a game of it.
“You want to test yourself against the best and United are one of the best in this country - it is a great challenge.
Sanchez called 65-year-old Ferguson’s 21 years at United – during which time he has captured 27 trophies, including nine Premier League titles – “a phenomenal achievement”.
However he questioned whether managers nowadays would be afforded the trust and time needed to build a solid foundation, and bemoaned the fact that already six Premier League managers have been handed their P45s in the first four months of the season.
Sanchez continued: “For Ferguson to spend that amount of time at a top club is a heck of a long time. It is no coincidence that the second longest serving manager in the Premier League is (Arsenal’s manager) Arsene Wenger.
“The rest of us are playing week to week, it doesn’t make for cohesion in team-building. It’s a very difficult time to manage at this moment in time and it’s driven by the money - everybody wants some of the Premier League gold.
“But the average lifespan of a manager is about a year and there’s no stability. Managers want to plan for the longer term and get some time under our belts but there seems increasingly less time to sort that out.”
Lawrie Sanchez insists Fulham will go on the offensive against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday, but he has the upmost respect for his opposite man – long-serving manager Sir Alex Ferguson. And he’s looking forward to pitting his wits against one of the best teams in the land.
Ferguson’s side are unbeaten in seven games at home in the league, and have conceded one solitary goal in the process. But the former Northern Ireland coach is planning to go out all guns blazing.
Despite Fulham not winning away in the Premier League this campaign, their manager believes playing for a draw would be pointless. "United have a terrific home record, but if you don't go there with some ambition then you tend to leave with very little,” Sanchez suggested.
"If you sit back against United then you are likely to get what you deserve. You have to go and make a game of it.
“You want to test yourself against the best and United are one of the best in this country - it is a great challenge.
Sanchez called 65-year-old Ferguson’s 21 years at United – during which time he has captured 27 trophies, including nine Premier League titles – “a phenomenal achievement”.
However he questioned whether managers nowadays would be afforded the trust and time needed to build a solid foundation, and bemoaned the fact that already six Premier League managers have been handed their P45s in the first four months of the season.
Sanchez continued: “For Ferguson to spend that amount of time at a top club is a heck of a long time. It is no coincidence that the second longest serving manager in the Premier League is (Arsenal’s manager) Arsene Wenger.
“The rest of us are playing week to week, it doesn’t make for cohesion in team-building. It’s a very difficult time to manage at this moment in time and it’s driven by the money - everybody wants some of the Premier League gold.
“But the average lifespan of a manager is about a year and there’s no stability. Managers want to plan for the longer term and get some time under our belts but there seems increasingly less time to sort that out.”
Labels: football, Fulham, Lawrie Sanchez, Manchester United, Premier League, Sir Alex Ferguson
