In the Battle of the Bosses, we compare top managers from different eras across Europe on the basis of their individual qualities and attributes. The rules are simple: two managers go head-to-head in five key aspects and one must register at least three victories to win.
Sir Alex Ferguson and Bill Shankly hold legendary status at their respective clubs. Bill Shankly brought Liverpool out of the shadows of the second division and helped the club achieve unprecedented glory in the early 1960’s and 70’s.
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While with Manchester United, Sir Alex played a key role in knocking Liverpool off their perch in the 90’s and establishing an era of dominance in England that lasted over two decades.
#1 Early Impact
Sir Alex Ferguson
Sir Alex Ferguson was appointed as the manager of Manchester United in November 1986. The Red Devils were languishing in 21st position when Sir Alex took over from the charismatic Ron Atkinson, but the Scot had a strenuous first three years at Old Trafford.
He changed things around at the club and led them to finish 11th in the league. He revolutionised the club’s training and scouting systems, bringing in more discipline to the club and promoting youth.
Two years without any silverware brought the Scot under severe scrutiny in 1989-1990. Manchester United entered the new decade just one place off the relegation zone, which triggered a widespread demand for Fergie’s sacking from both fans as well as the media.
His first major trophy, the FA Cup, helped the United boss salvage the otherwise disappointing season and in turn, save his career in management. The Scot’s first league title with Manchester United came in the 1992-1993 season, six years after his appointment.
Bill Shankly
When William Shankly arrived at Liverpool FC in 1959, the club had been in the second division for five years. Under his command, the club climbed up the table and gained promotion within a couple of years, winning the Second Division championship in 1962.
The new Liverpool manager let go of 22 players within 18 months and didn’t hesitate in spending money, bringing in the likes of winger Ian Callaghan, strikers Roger Hunt and Ian St John, and center-half Ron Yeats. Replenished with fresh talent, the new Liverpool side went on to win their first league championship title under Shankly in 1963-64 season.
Within four years of his appointment, Bill Shankly helped Liverpool gain promotion and made them the best team in the English league. It’s fair to say that the Scotsman had an instant impact on the club that had been mouldering in the second division.
Winner of round 1: Bill Shankly
#2 Adaptability
Sir Alex Ferguson
Ferguson always believed in rebuilding his squad from time to time. Never relying too much on a single set of players, his more than efficient scouting and youth development systems produced world class talent more often than not.
He had a four-year squad revamp plan – if I might call it so – to keep the average age of his side in check and to make sure the club didn’t fall short when it came to integrating continental flair with home-grown talent.
Ferguson saw the league evolve as times changed. Over the course of 26 years he was in charge at Old Trafford, Ferguson overcame Blackburn Rovers’ big money, Liverpool’s heritage, Arsenal’s football purism and the relatively recent surge of Chelsea and Manchester City to consolidate Manchester United’s position among the European elite.
Bill Shankly
After initial success, Shankly stayed loyal to an ageing set of players in Yeats, St John and Hunt. Putting his faith in them cost Liverpool heavily as the club slumped into top-flight mediocrity.
Shankly’s successor Bob Paisley once said that Shanks should’ve been way more ruthless with players who were past their prime. It was only after Liverpool’s debacle against second division side Watford in the 1971 FA Cup final that Shankly set about rebuilding the club.
Towards the end of his management career, Shankly did sign a few outstanding talents in John Toshack, Ray Clemence and local youngster Phil Thompson, who later went on to achieve greatness under his successor Bob Paisley. Most significant was the acquisition of Kevin Keegan, who scored a century of goals for Liverpool.
Winner of round 2: Sir Alex Ferguson
#3 Resource Management
Sir Alex Ferguson
Sir Alex Ferguson spent about £679 million on signing players in his 26 years at Manchester United. ‘Fergie’ had strong faith in the club’s youth system and hence, often turned to the academy, recruiting budding talent in the first team.
Ferguson was also known for spotting and signing youngsters with continental flair at the right age, moulding them to be cogs in his winning system. Two examples of such players are Cristiano Ronaldo and David de Gea. He also didn’t succumb to players’ demands for ridiculously high wages. If Fergie felt that a player saw himself bigger than the club, he didn’t think twice before offloading.
Rather than chasing exotic wonder-kids or striving for signing big names, Ferguson bought players who fit right into his machinery.
Bill Shankly
Bill Shankly broke the transfer record in England twice during his tenure as Liverpool manager, and at both times his investments turned out to be nothing more than liabilities for the club.
Shankly brought in striker Roger Hateley from Chelsea and teenager Alun Evans from Wolverhampton Wanderers, shelling out £96,000 and £100,000 respectively in the process. Both these players were sold off after brief spells at Merseyside.
It is impossible to ignore the fact that rather than focusing on youth development and helping youngsters progress through the ranks, the Reds boss raised quite a few eyebrows by preferring to splash money around.
Winner of round 3: Sir Alex Ferguson
#4 Legacy
Sir Alex Ferguson
While at the helm of Manchester United, Sir Alex reconstructed and revived the youth system which was earlier in shambles. The academy has given rise to formidable talent in recent times, with the likes of Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and Tom Heaton donning their respective national colours at Euro 2016 in France.
Nearly four seasons have passed since Sir Alex called it a day. He chose erstwhile Everton manager David Moyes as his successor and left an ageing team behind. Yes, it might be a bit too early comment on Sir Alex Ferguson’s legacy, but one can’t help but notice United’s poor run of form since 2012-2013.
Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho have both tried their best to restore the club’s lost glory, but the fact still remains that Manchester United haven’t finished above 4th position since Sir Alex’s retirement from active management. The only major trophy the Devils have managed to win in the subsequent years is the FA Cup, in 2016.
Bill Shankly
Following Shankly’s surprise decision to retire from management in 1974, Bob Paisley was appointed as manager of Liverpool Football Club. Under Paisley, the club never finished below 2nd position, with the exception of the 1980-81 season, when the reds finished in fifth place.
Bob Paisley led the club to clinch three European cups in 1977, 1978 and 1981. No other manager achieved what Paisley did in Europe, until Carlo Ancelotti equalled this feat in 2014.
The team that Shankly left behind, put together with Paisley’s new signings went on to achieve unprecedented success in both England and Europe.
Winner of Round 4: Bill Shankly
#5 Consistency
Sir Alex Ferguson
Arguably one of the most consistent managers of his time, Sir Alex Ferguson won 38 trophies during his 26 years at Manchester United. During Ferguson’s era, the club never saw a trophy drought. Whenever the going seemed to get tough, the manager found a way out and delivered.
Fergie instilled in all of his players and staff at Manchester United that the side was supposed to win every game. He never set goals for seasons, never aimed for trophies either. His plan was simple: win every game.
In this way, the Glaswegian tackled one fixture at a time, making it easier for his department to remain focused.
Bill Shankly
In his early years at Merseyside, Bill Shankly took English football by the scruff of its neck. He had an instant impact, helping Liverpool storm into the first division and achieve top flight glory. Failure to adapt cost the Scotsman heavily. His side lost momentum in the late 1960s and endured a trophy drought which lasted seven years (1966-1973).
Upon failing in Europe, Shanks started losing the very ambition that had charged Liverpool up initially. Inability to replenish the squad was one of the few blunders that resulted in an overall slowdown in Liverpool’s march towards the super-club status that it once aspired to achieve.
Winner of Round 5: Sir Alex Ferguson
With a score of 3 rounds to 2, the winner of the first battle of the bosses is Sir Alex Ferguson!
