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Neville names Premier League's "unsackable" managers after Ferguson and Wenger

mirror.co.uk, 10 May 2021, 21:34
Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger enjoyed famously-long managerial spells with Manchester United and Arsenal respectively - and left their clubs on their own terms

Gary Neville believes there are two managers in the Premier League who have ascended to "unsackable" status in the mould of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.

Widely regarded as the two greatest managers of the Premier League era, Ferguson and Wenger spent a combined 48 years in the dugouts of Manchester United and Arsenal respectively.

Such lengthy tenures are scarcely seen these days, with club owners generally preferring to chop and change in search of immediate success rather than pursue long-term projects.

Nonetheless, Neville insists there are a pair of Premier League bosses who have the luxury of deciding when they will leave their current posts.

The former United and England defender told Sky Sports : "It's almost like the manager is unsackable, that feeling that you could never sack Sir Alex Ferguson, you could never sack Arsene Wenger. At Liverpool, Rafa Benitez was the man.

"Now at City, they're almost begging Pep Guardiola to stay. Liverpool would be begging Jurgen Klopp to stay. [ Chelsea boss Thomas] Tuchel is probably getting there.

"This idea that the manager has the authority and the control - and that comes from the personality - it is so important, because then you get time and stability and success.

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"It is where the manager is undermined, where the manager does not have that authority or actual time.

"Ultimately, we all make mistakes - I've been there - but generally you look at those two periods, there are great managers but they have been given periods of stability to build and they have won.

"You could never sack Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, you would have to come to a mutual consent sort of situation.

"Same with Arsene Wenger, same with Sir Alex Ferguson. They're unsackable, they're that big and they're that good."

Guardiola is on the cusp of a third Premier League title with City, while Klopp has led Liverpool to Champions League and Premier League glory.

Tuchel, meanwhile, was appointed Chelsea boss in January and has led the Blues to this season's FA Cup and Champions League finals.

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