The work of a team should always embrace a great player, but the great player must always work.
Alex FergusonRead
Sometimes in football you have to hold your hand up and say, yeah, they're better than us.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Acknowledging the superiority of the opposition is a sign of humility and sportsmanship.
In this quote, Alex Ferguson emphasizes the importance of recognizing when an opponent outperforms your team. It highlights the value of humility, acceptance, and the understanding that sometimes, despite your best efforts, you may face a better competitor. This acknowledgment does not equate to defeat but rather serves as an opportunity for growth and learning in both sports and life.
Themes
SportsHumilityCompetitionAcceptanceGrowth
In practice
Example use cases
In a post-match interview after a disappointing loss, a coach could use this quote to exemplify sportsmanship.
More from Alex Ferguson
All quotes →I remember the first time I saw him. He was 13 and just floated over the ground like a cockier spaniel chasing a piece of silver paper in the wind.
Alex FergusonRead
David Beckham is Britain's finest striker of a football not because of God-given talent but because he practises with a relentless application that the vast majority of less gifted players wouldn't contemplate.
Alex FergusonRead
I think Rafael Benítez was an angry man. He must have been disturbed for some reason. I think you have got to cut through the venom of it and hopefully he'll reflect and understand what he said was absolutely ridiculous.
Alex FergusonRead
I can't believe it. I can't believe it. Football. Bloody hell.
Alex FergusonRead
To not apologize for the behavior of the players to another manager is unthinkable. It's a disgrace, but I don't expect Wenger to ever apologize...he's that type of person.
Alex FergusonRead
Similar quotes
Whether a player has played one match or a hundred, we should give him respect for what he has achieved and leave it at that.
Ms DhoniRead
You can't score if you're turning it over. It's like a punt. If you go out and you punt 12 times, you're not scoring points. That's not good. So, when you turn the ball over and throw interceptions, you're giving the other team more opportunities and your team less opportunities.
Tom BradyRead
The Olympic Games belong to the athletes and not to the politicians.
Avery BrundageRead
In the Olympic Oath, I ask for only one thing: sporting loyalty.
Pierre De CoubertinRead
I think permitting the game to become too physical takes away a little bit of the beauty.
John WoodenRead
You rarely come across the complete footballer, but Scholes is as close to it as you can get. One of my regrets is that the opportunity to play alongside him never presented itself during my career.
Zinedine ZidaneRead