Alex Ferguson attempts to clarify “World class” comments

We're sorry, Fergie, but you may have officially jumped the shark at this point.

Yes, Alex Ferguson is arguably a genius and possibly the best football manager ever. However, he's not God or omnipotent and his judgement is open to question the same as any other person. His claims that he only managed four world class players during his time at Old Trafford, Ryan Giggs, Eric Cantona, Paul Scholes and Cristiano Ronaldo, caused a stir last week. Many felt players such as Roy Keane, Peter Schmeichel and Ruud van Nistelrooy were worthy of being regarded as world class. Especially as, in 2002, Ferguson said: "There is no more influential player in the World today in any team than Roy Keane," when including the former United captain, and Schmeichel, in an all-time dream team. Ferguson has tried to clear-up his comments about world class players in an interview with SiriusXM FC, saying that while he coached a lot of great players, the quartet he selected stood out because they had that bit extra."Well that's the area in which the press have not given it the proper publication," Ferguson said about the debate over the comments in his latest book.

The proper reason for saying this (is) if you look at the time I was at for United for 27 years, I had some fantastic players, some great players. I never said those players were not great, they were fantastic. But in the context in my opinion, it was a qualified opinion, that some players make a difference, and that’s what I judged. Eric Cantona, when he came into the club in 1993 he made a difference. Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs played for 20 years in the Premier League, that made a difference to us. And of course, Cristiano Ronaldo's performances, he is a world-class player as everyone knows. Him and [Lionel] Messi the two world-class players. So I never said any player was rubbish. I said they were all great players. And most importantly, those four players didn't win the leagues alone, or the cups alone, It was the squad who won the cups, all the teams, they did that perfectly, and I was so proud of them. The thing about my own take on players, ever since I was a little kid, I was always attracted by the attacking players, centre-forwards, wingers and creative players in the game. And that’s why in the book, I've stressed the importance of creative players. If you look at the Ballon d’Or winners for the last 50 years, only two defensive players have won it. And I question one of those because one was Franz Beckenbauer, I’m not sure he was a defensive player, I think he was more of a creative player. The other was an Italian, [Fabio] Cannavaro, in 2006. So, I think the general consensus of what great players are, usually falls on the mantle of the creative players who win games. And that’s where the take on those four players come into it, no criticism of any of my players, because you couldn't criticise those players, they were fantastic."

Ferguson seems to be suggesting that, unless a player is an attacking, creative footballer, he can't be regarded as world class. Sorry Fergie, but that seems like nonsense.