THE influence of Sir Alex Ferguson on young Scottish managers through his achievements alone is immeasurable, but it is in speaking to them that the class of the stricken former Aberdeen and Manchester United legend – who is in intensive care after suffering a brain haemorrhage on Saturday - is revealed.
There can hardly be a young Scottish boss who doesn’t have a story about being offered counsel from Sir Alex as they made their way in the game, and Alex Neil is no different. As he was making the leap from Hamilton Academical to Norwich City as a 32-year-old back in 2015, Ferguson reached out to offer words of encouragement, and after earning promotion to the Premier League he again made contact to offer congratulations.
Read more: Rangers should be embarrassed if they don't beat us to second, says Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes
These gestures humbled Neil, and he is hoping that one day he may be able to reach out to the ‘Godfather’ figure once more.
“It was just a well done and some advice about going forward in the Premier League,” Neil said.
“It’s always a nice touch because he didn’t need to take time out of his busy schedule to speak to me. The fact I didn’t know him up until that point was excellent for me.
“He’s the Godfather of English football. Everything down there is linked through him in some sort of way. Any coaches, whether they are going through good times or bad, he’s the one you go to for advice.”
Neil was back on his old stomping ground at New Douglas Park yesterday to open Hamilton’s new ‘Cruyff Court’, a six-aside pitch that was funded by the Johan Cruyff Foundation in partnership with The Hamilton Academical Community Trust.
He has been keeping a keen eye on Scottish football while working wonders at Preston North End, and he was disappointed by the way in which his former Norwich colleague, Graeme Murty, was treated towards the end of his time at Rangers.
“The past week or so is where that sympathy has come from,” he said. “Up until that point, he’d been given an unbelievable opportunity. As an under 20s coach, probably by his own admission, he wasn’t ready.
“I think how he got dealt with towards the end for me was probably what left a bitter taste in most people’s mouths. I thought the statement that came out totally undermined him before a big match. I thought that was really poor. After that, the club suspending two players – as a manager, if players are getting suspended, it should be by you. When a club makes the decision that weakens your position again. Also, to add insult to injury, to stop you talking to the press, that again made him look really weak. For Graeme, that was really harsh.”
Neil will now reflect on how his Preston side can go one better than this season, when just missing out on the play-offs despite a financial disadvantage to the majority of their competitors. His strategy to overcome that involves the polishing of some rough diamonds, and so it was that former Motherwell striker Louis Moult found himself heading to Deepdale in January.
After having such a talismanic influence on the Lanarkshire side, Moult has found first-team opportunities harder to come by since his move south. But Neil is certain that the former jewel in the Fir Park crown will soon be ready to shine.
“He didn’t really get as much game time as he would have liked, or I would have liked to have given him,” said Neil.
“In the limited bits he did do, he actually got a couple of goals so there was a contribution from him. But this pre-season, building into next year, he’ll be hoping for a lot more game time and we’ll be looking for the best version of Louis Moult for next year.
“Louis went from being a big fish at Motherwell – the main man - to joining another group of very good players. Sometimes, psychologically, that can have an effect. You’ve got to come in and prove yourself to your team-mates, the coaches, the fans and the club.
“Sometimes that can take a little bit of time. But he’s certainly got the determination and the will to go on and make a success of himself.”
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