Darren Fletcher recently reached out to Sir Alex Ferguson to seek his endorsement before stepping into the role of Manchester United’s caretaker manager. However, he faces difficulty connecting with Ruben Amorim, the outgoing manager.
Upon Amorim’s dismissal on Monday, Fletcher made a point to consult Ferguson, wanting the legendary manager’s approval before accepting the interim position. Fletcher has always valued Ferguson’s guidance, both during and after his playing days at the club.
Fletcher explained, “I prefer not to make significant decisions without consulting Sir Alex. This has been my approach since my time at Manchester United. His opinion holds great weight for me.”
Fletcher added that Ferguson was supportive, resonating with Fletcher’s belief in prioritizing the club’s best interests. Ferguson reiterated a principle Fletcher holds dear: as a club employee, one’s duty is to do what is best for Manchester United.
“Hearing those words from him was reassuring,” Fletcher noted, emphasizing the significance of Ferguson’s endorsement.
Darren Fletcher has addressed whether criticism from some of his former Manchester United team-mates makes life harder for the current squad, after being named caretaker boss
He will temporarily take charge of Manchester United in the wake of Ruben Amorim’s sacking
In contrast, Fletcher has encountered challenges in reaching Amorim. After Amorim’s tenure concluded following a meeting with chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox, Fletcher has been unable to connect with the former manager to discuss the transition.
‘I’ve reached out to him,’ said Fletcher, whose twin sons Jack and Tyler have both been included in recent match-day squads by Amorim.
‘I’ve not managed to make contact yet, but that’s understandable. He’s obviously got a lot on in his mind, and I’ve been really busy so I’ve not had the chance to.
‘I’d love to because I had a good relationship with Ruben. He was great with me and ultimately he’s the manager who gave my son (Jack) his debut as well. So as a father I’ve got a lot to thank him for, although the boys have gone and earned that themselves. He was the manager that did that.’
After Amorim referenced Gary Neville in what proved to be his final press conference at Leeds on Sunday, Fletcher was asked if the criticism from some of his former United teammates makes life harder for the current squad.
‘Outside noise, ex-players, it’s difficult to deal with,’ he said. ‘It’s not easy because those players have won everything. They’ve got success behind them, they’ve got trophies, so it’s hard to criticise them back because they’ve got their medals on the table.
‘What I look back on is, and I’m very lucky, we had Sir Alex, we had Roy Keane, we had the experience players of around us who protected us and helped us.
‘Fundamentally that’s not the case anymore because there will never be another Sir Alex. So it is difficult, but it’s the same in every club but Manchester United is the biggest club in the world so there’s scrutiny, expectation, standards.
Amorim referenced Gary Neville in what proved to be his final press conference at Leeds
Fletcher also revealed that he asked for legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s ‘blessing’ before taking the job (pictured together during a training session in 2003)
‘It’s there and it’s something that you have to deal with. You have to learn to deal with it. Some people it happens naturally, some people have to take time to get used to it. Slowly but surely you try and have to deal with that constantly.
‘So my thing is it’s there, learn to deal with it; find a way however best suits you and embrace the challenge of being at Manchester United. Be excited by it, but recognise that there is a lot of scrutiny and a lot of pressure and a lot of noise.
‘It’s about winning. People want to win football games, people want to be entertained, people have a standard of what Manchester United is and what Manchester United expects.
‘I think the fans, especially in Old Trafford, have been amazing in recent years, if I’m perfectly honest with you. I think there’s been a few moments here and there, but in general the support that the fans have given players, managers, their understanding of the situation, I think it could have been a lot worse inside the stadium.
‘I’ve probably experienced other stadiums where there has been a lot more pressure and hostile, so maybe the players have to deal with that noise more than actual stadium sort of pressure.’
