I know we've seen interviews of Fergie praising Queiroz, however recently I've been reading his autobiography and there's more to share. The level of admiration he has for him is really impressive, and to all the people who still doubt CQ qualifications and accomplishments this should put it to bed. Fergie is the most successful manager in football history to ever grace the game.
I typed up the passage from the book about Queiroz:
Carlos Queiroz, another of my No. 2s was brilliant. Just brilliant. Outstanding. An intelligent, meticulous man. The recommendation to hire him came from Andy Roxburgh, at a time when we were looking to at more southern hemisphere players and perhaps needed a coach from beyond the European nations, and one who could speak another language or two. Andy was quite clear. Carlos was outstanding. He had coached South Africa, so I called in Quinton Fortune for his opinion. 'Fantastic,' said Quinton. 'To what level do you think?' 'Any,' said Quinton. 'Well,' I thought, 'that will do me.'
When Carlos came over to England in 2002 to speak to us, I was waiting for him in my tracksuit. Carlos was immaculately dressed. He has that suaveness about him. He was so impressive that I offered him the job right away. He was the closest you could be to being Manchester United manager without actually holding the title. He took responsbility for a lot of issues that he didn't have to get involved in.
'I need to talk to you.' Carlos had rung me one day in 2003 as I was holidaying in the south of France. What could it be? Who was after him? 'I just need to talk to you,' he repeated. So he flew into Nice and I took a taxi to Nice Airport, where we found a quiet corner.
'I've been offered the Real Madrid job,' he said.
'I'm going to say two things to you. One, you can't turn it down. Two, you're leaving a really good club. You may not last more than a year at Real Madrid. You could be at Man United for a lifetime.'
'I know,' Carlos said. 'I just feel it's such a challenge.'
'Carlos, I can't talk to you out of that one. Because if I do, and in a years time Real Madrid are winning the European Cup, you'll be saying - I could have been there. But I'm just telling you, it's a nightmare job.'
Three months later, he was wanting to quit Madrid. I told him he couldn't. I flew out to Spain to meet him at his apartment and we had lunch. My message was: you can't quit, see it through and rejoin me next year. That season I didn't take an assistant because I was sure Carlos would come back. I co-opted Jim Ryan and Mike Phelan, two good men, but I didn't want to dive into an appointment, knowing Carlos might be returning. I had interviewed Martin Jol, a week or so before Carlos called to say it wasn't working out in Madrid. Martin had been impressive and I was inclined to give him to the job, but then came the call from Carlos, which obliged me to go back to Martin and say: 'Look I'm going to leave it for the time being.' I couldn't tell him why.
Assistant manager at Man United is a high profile position. It's a platform within the game. When Carlos left the second time in 2008, his homeland was pulling on his heartstring, so I could understand him wanting to go back to Portugal. But he was smashing, Carlos. He had most of the qualities to be the next Manchester United manager. He could be an emotional man. But of all the ones who worked beside me, he was the best, no doubt about that. He was totally straight. He would walk in and tell you directly, I'm not happy with this, or that.
He was good for me. He was a Rottweiler. He'd stride into my office and tell me we needed to get something done. He would sketch things out on the board. 'Right, OK, Carlos, yeah' I would say, thinking. 'I'm busy here.' But it's a good quality to have, that urge to get things done.
I typed up the passage from the book about Queiroz:
Carlos Queiroz, another of my No. 2s was brilliant. Just brilliant. Outstanding. An intelligent, meticulous man. The recommendation to hire him came from Andy Roxburgh, at a time when we were looking to at more southern hemisphere players and perhaps needed a coach from beyond the European nations, and one who could speak another language or two. Andy was quite clear. Carlos was outstanding. He had coached South Africa, so I called in Quinton Fortune for his opinion. 'Fantastic,' said Quinton. 'To what level do you think?' 'Any,' said Quinton. 'Well,' I thought, 'that will do me.'
When Carlos came over to England in 2002 to speak to us, I was waiting for him in my tracksuit. Carlos was immaculately dressed. He has that suaveness about him. He was so impressive that I offered him the job right away. He was the closest you could be to being Manchester United manager without actually holding the title. He took responsbility for a lot of issues that he didn't have to get involved in.
'I need to talk to you.' Carlos had rung me one day in 2003 as I was holidaying in the south of France. What could it be? Who was after him? 'I just need to talk to you,' he repeated. So he flew into Nice and I took a taxi to Nice Airport, where we found a quiet corner.
'I've been offered the Real Madrid job,' he said.
'I'm going to say two things to you. One, you can't turn it down. Two, you're leaving a really good club. You may not last more than a year at Real Madrid. You could be at Man United for a lifetime.'
'I know,' Carlos said. 'I just feel it's such a challenge.'
'Carlos, I can't talk to you out of that one. Because if I do, and in a years time Real Madrid are winning the European Cup, you'll be saying - I could have been there. But I'm just telling you, it's a nightmare job.'
Three months later, he was wanting to quit Madrid. I told him he couldn't. I flew out to Spain to meet him at his apartment and we had lunch. My message was: you can't quit, see it through and rejoin me next year. That season I didn't take an assistant because I was sure Carlos would come back. I co-opted Jim Ryan and Mike Phelan, two good men, but I didn't want to dive into an appointment, knowing Carlos might be returning. I had interviewed Martin Jol, a week or so before Carlos called to say it wasn't working out in Madrid. Martin had been impressive and I was inclined to give him to the job, but then came the call from Carlos, which obliged me to go back to Martin and say: 'Look I'm going to leave it for the time being.' I couldn't tell him why.
Assistant manager at Man United is a high profile position. It's a platform within the game. When Carlos left the second time in 2008, his homeland was pulling on his heartstring, so I could understand him wanting to go back to Portugal. But he was smashing, Carlos. He had most of the qualities to be the next Manchester United manager. He could be an emotional man. But of all the ones who worked beside me, he was the best, no doubt about that. He was totally straight. He would walk in and tell you directly, I'm not happy with this, or that.
He was good for me. He was a Rottweiler. He'd stride into my office and tell me we needed to get something done. He would sketch things out on the board. 'Right, OK, Carlos, yeah' I would say, thinking. 'I'm busy here.' But it's a good quality to have, that urge to get things done.
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