Jamie Jackson is the right man to tell the tale of replacing Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.
After all he is the Manchester football correspondent for the Guardian and Observer. He has been the source of breaking news since 2002, providing his readers with the biggest stories before anyone else. Jackson is so good that he wrote about the firing of David Moyes before Moyes even knew that he was being let go.
Jackson’s A Season in the Red: Managing Man Utd in the Shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson tells the story of three very different managers: Ferguson, Moyes, and Louis van Gaal.
The story of Sir Alex is well-known, having been the subject of numerous books over the years. He was a legend and model of consistency in Manchester; City had a revolving door of 14 managers while Ferguson was at the helm at United.
This book contains a lot of insight, just as much as would be revealed if the three managers wrote it themselves. Jackson approaches the issue from multiple perspectives: players, coaches, front office staff, pundits, and fellow journalists. The result is three thorough “books” in one, each shedding new light on the coaching legacy left at Man U. It helps you understand why Sir Alex is so legendary, why Moyes struggled in his new position, and why LVG now finds himself in a rather precarious position.
Jackson is at his best when he discusses the commercialization of Manchester United, a move that has seen the club experience unrivaled brand awareness from the U.S. to the Far East. Manchester United is more than a club; it’s a global brand that is backed by some of the most impressive sponsors found in sport.
Fans and supporters of Manchester United absolutely need to read this impressive text and the same goes for any fan of English football. It reveals so much about the state of the game in Manchester and across the UK. Like the club it features, this book is world-class in every regard.
