It was once said of England?s rugby World Cup winning coach, Sir Clive Woodward, that he became aware of the impressive job he was doing.
That he and his coaching team began to believe there was little ? if anything ? they could learn from others.
That they stopped trying to improve, that they simply assumed their methods could not be topped.
This kind of criticism could not be levelled at Sir Alex Ferguson. If ever there was a man who did not rest on his laurels, then the Glaswegian (currently celebrating 25 years at the Old Trafford helm) is it.
The modus operandi Ferguson has employed over that quarter of a century, under continually changing conditions, to counter a vast variety of opposition and challenges, has been one of steady yet certain evolution and one that reflects the transformation of English and European football during that time.
Ferguson has had unparalleled vision. He has learned from his mistakes, taken gambles when necessary and consistently sought to improve a winning side.
On winning his first European Cup he said in his autobiography: ?After giving the last of my preparatory team-talks for the 1999 [Champions League] final at lunchtime on the Wednesday, I found myself sitting on the veranda of my hotel room in Sitges, looking out over the sea and wondering if perhaps this was one piece of silver destined to stay forever beyond my reach. If it did, I would still have reason to be satisfied with a career in management that had begun 25 years earlier.?
The key word here is ?satisfied?. Not overjoyed, delighted or ecstatic just satisfaction. Satisfied with, to that point, 21 major trophies ? more if you include the then Charity Shield or European Super Cup ? in 25 years, a total almost any manager in the world would sell their soul to even get close to.
United?s success has stemmed from this insatiable pursuit of glory. The winning mentalities of Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane are rightly lauded but it is the man on the sidelines who made their careers the glittering, trophy laden years they were.
If the greatest challenge to a club as successful as United is to avoid the complacency that comes with such regular triumph, then it can be safely assumed that, for Ferguson, climbing Mount Everest would be akin to an afternoon amble. This is a man who revels in adversity.
One of the greatest signings of Ferguson?s career was Peter Schmeichel. The Dane was outstanding for the Red Devils for the best part of a decade and the hole he left in the United side upon his departure in 1999 took six years to fill. A succession of fine keepers came and went as Ferguson looked to find the perfect man to replace the ?Great Dane?. Eventually Edwin van der Sar arrived from Fulham on a Bosman and Fergie had the reliability he had spent so long looking to find.
Having learned from that previous error, and knowing Van der Sar?s career was coming to a close at the end of the 2010-11 season, Ferguson began the search for the Dutchman?s successor while he was still being lauded as one of the finest keepers in the Premier League.
The former Aberdeen boss spent an entire season, if not more, monitoring David de Gea, Manuel Neuer and Hugo Lloris and took his time before deciding that the young Spaniard was the most suitable replacement.
Another mistake Ferguson has admitted to was not having a suitable replacement for Jaap Stam when he was sold to Lazio in 2001. With Rio Ferdinand possibly past his peak and Nemanja Vidic becoming more injury-prone Ferguson has moved quickly to bring in Phil Jones and Chris Smalling to take over from Ferdinand and Vidic, giving them time to learn from the experience centre-backs before replacing them.
Ferguson?s folly in selling Stam was not merely that he had no ready made replacement but that he, wrongly, assumed Stam was past his best. This stands out as a unique case, as
Ferguson has so often proved himself to be the master of the art of knowing the right time to move players on. Mark Hughes, David Beckham and Ruud van Nistelrooy - huge contributors to Ferguson?s success over the years - were sold shortly before they began to decline as players. The Scot?s shrewdness and eye for a player has become legendary.
In his years at Old Trafford, Ferguson has had to overcome the challenges posed by club politics, fierce managerial competitors, wealthy foreign owners and having to motivate players who are millionaires before they?ve even pulled on the famous red jersey.
That he continues to learn, to conquer these challenges and to adapt within the ever-changing nature of the game is one of the many marks of his greatness.
Others come and go but Ferguson alone remains at the very top after a quarter of a century and, as things stand, he?ll be there a while longer.
Follow Declan Warrington on Twitter @decwarrington
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