Can it not also be said that Louis van Gaal's predecessor Sir Alex Ferguson had an inflated view of his own talent or importance? We think so, anyway. During his time in charge of Manchester United, Sir Alex reigned supreme, and no man dared question his authority such was his stranglehold on the club. Referees wilted under his presence on the touchline, David Beckham took a boot to the head when he lost his rag and threw a strop after an FA Cup defeat to Arsenal, rival managers got sucked into his "mind games" that boiled down to petty squabbles and, such were his inflated levels of importance at Old Trafford, he was even allowed to hand-pick his own replacement when he eventually retired from management. No other company in the world would allow a former employee to choose their replacement, yet Manchester United afforded him that luxury last summer when he stepped down for the game, and let him put David Moyes in charge. And we all know how well THAT turned out. Sir Alex Ferguson quite possibly had the biggest ego in the history of football during his time in charge, and though United's bulging trophy cabinet will suggest he had a right to be arrogant, you cannot deny he was a bit of a diva.
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
