Manager has to be king

SIR ALEX: MANAGER HAS TO BE KING

Sir Alex Ferguson has reiterated his long-held belief that nobody is more important than the manager at a football club.

The United boss, who is approaching a remarkable 25 years in his post, has praised both his Manchester City counterpart Roberto Mancini for his handling of the Carlos Tevez situation this week and also Saturday's opposite number Paul Lambert for his work at Norwich.

Although not wishing to be drawn on the Tevez saga, Sir Alex did state: "I can see Mancini is showing strength and character. Strength is important in today's management. We all experience our own difficulties in management and you cope with it the best you can. In my own experience, strong management is important. No-one is more important than the manager at a football club."

Paul Lambert is the latest fellow Scot to pit his wits against Sir Alex in the Barclays Premier League and the boss has been impressed with the former midfielder, a Champions League winner with Borussia Dortmund in 1997.

"I remember Paul as a kid at St Mirren and the next time he faced me, he was at Dortmund when we played the 1997 semi-final," said Sir Alex. "He's one of the few Scotsmen to win a European medal outside a Scottish team. He's started out well at Norwich, they're playing with a great sense of purpose and you can see progress every week. It's been a good move for the lad."