Ferguson fires angry shot at Magnier

AFTER months of sabre-rattling, Sir Alex Ferguson has fired the first proper shot in anger across the bows of John Magnier.

In Manchester, fans can scarcely believe it: conventional wisdom had it that somehow a deal would be struck to avoid the hell of courtroom war. Even now, there are those inside Old Trafford who think that yesterday's submission of papers to the High Court may simply be the last act of brinkmanship from the Fergie camp in order to force a better settlement offer from Coolmore. But they are in a minority.

A Manchester United official sighed on the telephone yesterday: "We just have to accept that Ferguson and Magnier are both proud men who stand by their principles. What can be done?"

Perhaps that is a question best put to United chief executive David Gill.

Publicly, as Gill himself reiterated at United's AGM last Friday, the official club stance is that this court case is a private matter with no implications for the plc, although Gill did concede that they "are monitoring the situation".

Privately, however, United's men in suits are whispering a different tune. It is understood that a variety of 'war game' scenarios have been played out and that a nuclear option remains to offer Ferguson a 'them-or-us' ultimatum.

That is to say that Fergie either pursues his retirement fund millions from the Irish or he accepts United's forthcoming generous new contract offer.

However, he can't expect to have both. This ultimatum is said to be some way off yet, but you can tell that it is being considered because of United's strange reluctance to talk up the Ferguson contract talks.

Fergie himself said 10 days ago that he expected a deal to be done and dusted within days, but at the AGM the board could barely bring themselves even to admit that talks were ongoing.

Clearly, one doesn't have to be a conspiracy theorist to suggest that the issues of the new contract and the horse case are linked.

So far, not one single United official has expressed the belief that this court action will be anything other than bad news for both Ferguson and the running of the club.

It is, of course, absurd to maintain that there are no implications for United in the case. Leave aside the fact that no-one knows what dirt might emerge in the courtroom; what about the time and energy Ferguson will have to devote to such a high profile battle at the expense of his employers?

And what of the incredibly embarrassing situation that a 'mere' employee will be taking on the men who, de facto, run United and who certainly hold the future of both Ferguson's professional future and the club's corporate development within their hands?

Ferguson also has the problem of dealing with the new post-Kenyon environment in the club's boardroom.

Gill and his close friend Martin Edwards are both far more wary about Fergie than ex-chief executive Kenyon was; furthermore, both men have been cited on the record as having particular problems with Ferguson's aggressive attitude towards his own financial situation.

Furthermore, the fact remains that Cubic Expression are showing no signs of going anywhere for the time being. While they do not have representation on the board per se, and also do not have any day-to-day input into how United is run, nevertheless only the most naive could believe that Gill would feel able to carry on running United without paying very close attention to what Cubic may want.

And meanwhile Ferguson, football's great gambler, is risking everything he has ever earned on a long-shot for the chance of a few more millions.

lRichard Kurt is the deputy editor of Red Issue magazine.