Those who supported him, though, saw it for what it was - illogical and lacking much rational thought.
That started a satirical take on it - anything which went wrong could be blamed on Ferguson. It was ''Fergie's fault' the weather had turned bad and the British economy was in the toilet.
Ferguson was solely responsible for the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the mess in the Balkans. The poll tax - Fergie's idea.
This campaign just showed how much is blamed on a coach, or manager, who at the end of the day only has limited power off the court and very limited impact on the court.
Ferguson, though, had the last laugh. He rode out the rough times and went on to unprecedented glory.
Unfortunately, it seems like we are going through this ''fault'' syndrome again, and right here in New Zealand, also involving a round ball.
But it is not football - which has its own issues - but netball, where the woes of the last 12 to 18 months are apparently all the fault of Janine Southby.
Every single loss was down to her, it seems, and every single decision made in the entire sphere of netball which went wrong was attributed to her.
But come on. Like Ferguson, this is just wrong.
Sure, Southby made mistakes. We all do. But to blame her for all that is wrong with the national side is ill-thought-out and far too simplistic.
She hasn't just been thrown under the bus. She has been nailed to the road while a double-decker, travelling at 100kmh, heads in her direction.
The latest piece of logic in this blinkered netball world came from former captain Katrina Grant who sang the praises of new coach Noeline Taurua.
The trainings were intense under the new coach, everyone knew their role and the roles have been simplified, Grant said.
A player who has just lost the captaincy will naturally enough support the new coach but Grant is wayward with what she says.
Wasn't she the captain of the team under Southby? Surely she must have had a say in the trainings when she was captain?
Was it not a player-led regime under Southby? So Grant must have had a big say then. But now it is better because she knows her role and the coach is in charge.
But hang on, didn't the players just vote for the captain? That is hardly coach-in-charge stuff.
Intense trainings - as soon as it all goes wrong the coach will be called a bully.
This whole player-led team thing continues to baffle. Give the players power and if it goes badly then the players simply say it is the fault of the coach.
It is just no responsibilities and all the rights for the players. We would all love to live in that world. And if it is so great under Taurua, didn't the Silver Ferns just lose by a record margin to England?
Like every coach, Taurua is going to live and die by her players. She still by and large has the same mob Southby had except for returned veterans Laura Langman and Casey Kopua.
We got closer to Australia in the quad series last month but it is a newish Australian team.
Taurua is in a honeymoon period which all coaches get but the Silver Ferns play Australia four times this month. That honeymoon for Taurua may quickly be over.
-Janine Southby declined to comment yesterday.
