Fergie´s former pupils failing to be Premier League masters

They may have ruled the roost when they played for Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United but thus far his former players have failed to translate that as Premiership managers.

Paul Ince’s departure as Blackburn Rovers manager on Tuesday follows that shortly after his fellow former snarling midfielder and United team-mate Roy Keane quit Sunderland – the latter taking the unusual route of resigning by text message.

Mark Hughes – who was replaced at Rovers by Ince in the summer – cannot be sitting too easily either as the richest club in the world Manchester City are fourth from bottom and that only on better goal difference than Sunderland.

The chances are, though, that Hughes – who guided Rovers to seventh last season – will survive and be given huge funds by the Abu Dhabi consortium who own City in the January transfer window.

Ironically, Ince’s exit came on the back of a 3-0 defeat to Wigan Athletic, managed by former United team-mate and centreback Steve Bruce, who should be given a large pat on the back given the limited money he has had but sees his side lying in ninth.

Ince, who had cut his teeth in the managerial ladder with Macclesfield and then MK Dons, paid the price for just three wins in 17 Premiership matches, though earlier this month he had made a spirited defence of keeping him in the job.

In fact he made a pertinent point to the Daily Telegraph of how close his mentor Ferguson had come to seeing his reign at United come to an early end.

“Everybody needs time,” said the 41-year-old, who was the first British black manager of a Premiership club.

“Sir Alex Ferguson was in a situation in 1990 against Nottingham Forest where, had Mark Robins not scored the winner, he would have lost his job.

“He got backed by the board and now he’s the best manager there was and ever will be.”

Ince hinted at the time that it was because of his and Keane’s fearsome reputations when they controlled the United midfield – Ince gaining the nickname ‘The Guv’nor’ – that they had attracted such withering and as he saw it unfair criticism.

“I believe there are people out to get us.

“People look at me and Keane and look back to our Manchester United days and think we are snarling horrible people.

“But we are not like that. We are nice guys, family men.”

Ferguson, who has also seen his managerial genius fail to rub off on previous assistants Carlos Queiroz, Steve McClaren and Brian Kidd, was certainly sympathetic to Ince’s predicament at the time.

“Paul has taken over a club that doesn’t have the financial backing of a few years ago, so therefore its a difficult job now.

“I think Mark Hughes chose the right time to leave. Paul needs time to reshape the club. I certainly hope he gets time.”

While Ince will eye a return to management even after such a bruising experience, there are doubts that Keane will be quite so enthusiastic about it with Ferguson especially doubting that the Irishman will want to do so.

“It’s difficult to say whether he will want to come back into management or not,” commented Ferguson.

“But there are very few managers that last more than 3-4 years at a club nowadays and the lifespan of a manager at a club is getting shorter and shorter.

“They can move on to different challenges, but it’s a very precarious industry nowadays and a very emotional game.”