Alex Ferguson the director of the orchestra

In yesterday's Guardian, BBC's political editor, Nick Robinson, wrote a piece on Sir Alex Ferguson.

On Wednesday's BBC 'Today' programme Robinson told John Humphrys that 'Sir Alex Ferguson is the greatest living Briton'.

In The Guardian article Robinson quoted from a talk Ferguson gave at the Harvard Business School: "I have never been to a classical concert in my life. But I am watching this and thinking about the co-ordination and the teamwork - one starts and one stops, just fantastic. So I spoke to my players about the orchestra - how they are a perfect team".

Later in the piece Robinson writes: " What Ferguson understood is the need to channel the anger of the players away from self destruction and towards their shared goal - victory on the pitch."

Priests are no Manchester United players. Bishops and provincials are no Alex Fergusons. But what it would mean if bishops and provincials read Nick Robinson's piece and might ask themselves the relationships they have with their priests.