Author: Stretford End

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Picture it now. May 2002. United’s last game resulted in a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal and the recently dethroned champs host Charlton Athletic. Today, is the final Manchester United fixture for a legend of the game, Sir Alex Ferguson, who has won an amazing seven League titles and European Cup in his time at the club – a superb achievement that no one will match again.

United end a disappointing season with a 0-0 draw, however many Reds are looking forward to new manager Sven Goran Ericksson taking over after the World Cup finals and injecting some new ideas. He has a lot to live upto, but a manager of his calibre should be able to pick up where the previous manager left off.

Thankfully, this didn’t happen and here we look at ‘the butterfly effect’ of what would have happened had Sir Alex not be persuade by his wife to stay at the Old Trafford helm. We, as always, welcome your feedback and suggestions

August 2002 – New boss gets off to a flyer against WBA

January 2003 – Arsenal sign Ronaldo in January transfer window

April 2003 – Arsenal end United’s title push

September 2004 – Sven sacked, Keano in!

January 2005 – Troubled United bring in Anelka

May 2005 – United humbled at home to Chelsea and Wayne Rooney

May 2006 – Arsenal lift European Cup

May 2008 – Chelsea lift European Cup

January 2009 – ITV pundit Fergie has a pop at Benitez

May 2009 – Liverpool make it 19

January 2011 – Virgin arena and The Red Pirates are born

Thanks God for Cathy Ferguson who changed Sir Alex’s mind!

Guest Author: Daniel

As we are all very aware, November 6th marks the 25th anniversary of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign at Old Trafford. We’ve lived through his achievements and witnessed the superb sides he has assembled over that period. Daniel Burdett, a key writer for the football blog The Faithful (on Twitter), has put together the following account on Sir Alex and his will to win.

You can following Daniel on Twitter.

November 2011 marks a special celebration for Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United and all its supporters, with it being the 25th anniversary of Ferguson becoming United’s manager. It has been a truly remarkable time having him as our manager, and we have achieved unbelievable success with him. This anniversary means a lot to me personally as well as, at the start of this season, it was my 25th Anniversary of supporting Manchester United home and away at matches – so I am extremely proud to have witnessed what Fergie has done for our club right from the start.
When I started going to matches at the start of the 1986-87 season, United were struggling on the pitch, under manager Ron Atkinson, and had not won a league title since 1967. The pressure was on Atkinson and by November 1986, following a shocking 4-1 League Cup defeat away at Southampton, the club decided to sack him. I remember being told this news as I finished school and was surprised about that. Atkinson’s replacement was soon announced as Aberdeen manager Alex Ferguson. Fergie had enjoyed huge success at Aberdeen, winning league titles, domestic cups and even a European Cup Winners’ Cup, breaking the dominance of Rangers and Celtic up there. In addition, he had been in charge of the Scotland team at the Mexico 1986 World Cup, following Jock Stein’s shock death. I particularly remember Fergie at that World Cup, as I remember watching him in Mexico visiting victims of the 1985 Mexico City earthquake. It really impressed me that he was taking time out to do that. Fergie wanted a fresh challenge at Manchester United, trying to restore the club back to greatness again and he would soon realise what a challenge he would be taking on with this. At Fergie’s 1st home match against QPR on 22nd November, he was presented to the fans, directors and club officials on the pitch before the match. That was the 1st time that I became aware of what a special person he was. As the directors and club officials went up to congratulate him – patting him on the back and shaking his hand, Fergie immediately backed away from this, clearly saying ‘don’t congratulate me on anything yet, this is just the beginning for me here.’ This action by Fergie really stood out for me and I remember it clearly to this day.

Right from the start, Fergie set about addressing every area of the club and how it needed to be improved and the benefits of all this would be felt for many years to come. Fergie clearly saw himself as the club manager and not just the 1st team manager, which would prove to be hugely beneficial. His workrate during his early years at the club were truly remarkable and set the scene for how he still continues now. As well as rebuilding his 1st team squad in those early years with great signings like Brian McClair and Steve Bruce, Fergie completely transformed the clubs scouting and youth system too. Had Fergie not done that, it is questionable how many of the likes of Giggs, the Nevilles, Beckham, Butt and Scholes would have made it to United’s first team like they did. On the pitch, it was a difficult time for Fergie and United for the rest of the 1980s. They finished 11th in 1986-87, having been in the relegation zone when Atkinson was still manager that season. In 1987-88 the club finished 2nd, a big improvement, but not enough for Fergie who stated at the end of that season ‘This club should not be accepting 2nd best’ – a statement he has instilled in the club ever since. In 1988-89 the club finished in 11th and in 1989-90 finished 13th. Until 1990, the club had not gone on any decent cup runs either, which put added pressure on the manager. Losing 5-1 to Manchester City in September 1989 was the lowest point for United fans at the time. However, things would change and it was good riddance to the 1980s for Manchester United.

United’s 1990 FA Cup run was the real start of the special times for United and Fergie. I was fortunate to be able to go to all those FA Cup matches that year and it was a truly great experience. Right from the start of his time at the club, Fergie had stated the importance of United’s support and always made time for the supporters, particularly in his early years at the club. During that cup run, United and Fergie had an amazing support behind them. In each round they were drawn away from home and at each of these games we took a great following to the games. Nottingham Forest away in the 3rd Round was a very tough match, as they had a great cup side back then, managed by Brian Clough. It has been said many times that had United lost that match then it is likely Fergie would have got the sack – we’ll probably never know. Jimmy Hill, working for the BBC that day famously said on TV before this match that United looked like a beaten side – how wrong he was to be. From there, United went on to beat Hereford, Newcastle and Sheffield United in the following rounds. At Sheffield United, particularly our support was magnificent and Fergie identified this too, making sure that every player went over to applaud our fans at the end of the match. The semi-final against Oldham was a great match, as they took us to a replay at Maine Road. It was the same in the final against Crystal Palace as they took us to a replay too, which we won 1-0. That win marked the start of an incredible run of success in the 1990s and proved that the club had been right in backing Fergie. The FA Cup Final replay also showed Fergie’s confidence in making difficult decisions for the team to succeed, as he dropped the out of form Jim Leighton, in favour of Les Sealey who would have one of the matches of his life. Since then, Fergie has had to make numerous difficult selections and leave players out, but to his credit these decisions usually work out for the best.

United, on their return to Europe in the 1990-91 season won the European Cup Winners’ Cup beating Barcelona in Rotterdam, which was another massive boost to the club. Confidence was growing and Fergie was starting to assemble his 1st great side. He had been forced to let players like Paul McGrath and Norman Whiteside go, but was bringing in quality replacements. He spent big amounts on players like Paul Ince, Gary Pallister and Mark Hughes, but at the same time found some true bargains in Lee Sharpe, Andrei Kanchelskis, Denis Irwin and Peter Schmeichel. These were some of his greatest signings, along with snatching Ryan Giggs from under Manchester City’s noses, and meant that in the 1991-92 season the club could realistically challenge for the title again. In the end, that season would end in severe heartache as United, faced with a huge fixture pile up due to great domestic cup form, lost the title to Leeds United – following defeats to Nottingham Forest, West Ham United and Liverpool in the space of a week. To his credit, after the defeat at Anfield, Fergie came out and congratulated Leeds on the title win, even though he was hurting so badly at the time, like our supporters. This only served to make United stronger, especially Fergie, as he would prove on so many occasions in the following seasons. The 1992-93 season was a landmark season, especially with the signing of Eric Cantona for a bargain £1.2 million in November 1992 from Leeds United, as United won their 1st League title since 1967. The atmosphere and scenes at Old Trafford as we were presented with the trophy in May 1993 were amongst the best ever seen there that night. It really was like a tremendous weight had been lifted off the club’s shoulders by Fergie and his players. It would get even better the following season, as United, with new signing Roy Keane, went on to win the club’s 1st ever domestic double. Not only was it a successful season, but also Fergie’s side played such entertaining and attacking football. The 1994 side is seen as one of Fergie’s best ever sides by supporters everywhere.

Focus for Fergie and the club then also turned to the European Cup, or Champions League as it became known. The 1st attempt in 1993-94 was a disappointment as United lost on away goals in a controversial 2nd round match against Galatasaray in Istanbul. The 1994-95 season was also frustrating for United in their 1st season competing in the Champions League group stages form. Hampered by the rules of the time limiting the number of foreign players in the side, United suffered bad defeats to Barcelona in the Nou Camp and to Gothenburg in the Ullevi Stadium, which meant that they did not get past the group stages. In the Premier League, United failed to lift the title, losing out to Blackburn on the final day of the season as we drew at West Ham United. We also lost to Everton in the FA Cup Final. The situation was not helped by Eric Cantona’s lengthy ban for his kung fu kick of a Crystal Palace supporter who had given him severe abuse in January 1995. At the end of that season, Fergie decided it was time to make some big decisions for the long term benefit of the team. He decided to allow Paul Ince and Mark Hughes to leave, followed in controversial circumstances by Andrei Kanchelskis. In their place, along with Andy Cole, who was signed in January 1995, Fergie had decided to give home grown players a real chance in the team. Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Phil Neville, Gary Neville and Nicky Butt had been given some 1st team opportunities prior to this, but now they would be 1st team regulars for all matches. This proved to be another inspired decision by Fergie, although at the start of the season it was questioned, especially after losing to Aston Villa, which prompted Alan Hansen’s ‘You’ll win nothing with kids’ quote on TV that night. Fergie again knew best, as these home grown players, together with the returning Eric Cantona and established players like Schmeichel, Pallister, Irwin, Keane and Giggs, helped United win a domestic double again in May 1996. Clinching this with a 1-0 victory over hated rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup Final proved to be the perfect ending to the season.

For the 1996-97 Season, Fergie strengthened his side with some overseas signings – some of whom failed to make an impact such as Karel Poborsky and Jordi Cruyff, while others, especially Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would prove to be hugely successful. United again won the league in 1996-97 but the Champions League campaign ended in frustration with semi final defeats to Borussia Dortmund. This season also marked the end of Eric Cantona’s hugely successful time with United. He will always be remembered as an iconic player for United and Fergie’s way of managing him to the best possible effect played a huge part in this. 1997-98 season, with Teddy Sheringham replacing Eric Cantona, was another frustrating one as Arsenal won the domestic double and we were knocked out in the quarter finals of the Champions League. However, this disappointment proved to be yet another example of making Fergie and United much stronger and more determined to avenge this.

The 1998-99 season would prove to be a truly historic season for United as the club achieved the historic treble of the League, the FA Cup and the Champions League. Fergie strengthened the side with some excellent new signings with the likes of Jaap Stam, Dwight Yorke and Jesper Blomqvist which added the finishing touch to what was needed for his side. He also successfully managed to rotate his squad meaning we could compete in all 3 competitions. Not only did Fergie land these 3 trophies but he was also rewarded with a very well deserved knighthood in June 1999, becoming Sir Alex Ferguson. That 1999 squad is another that is seen as one of Fergie’s best ever sides.

United would retain the Premier League in the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 seasons, plus they won the Inter-Continental World Club title in November 1999. However, they were knocked out in the quarter finals of the Champions League in both seasons by Real Madrid and then Bayern Munich. However, the biggest shock was when Sir Alex made the announcement that the 2001-02 season would be his last as United manager, as he had decided that he would retire then. There was lots of speculation as to who would replace Sir Alex but in February 2002 he made another announcement that he would be staying on as manager, which was a huge relief to our supporters. Despite the signing of big money players like Juan Sebastian Veron and Ruud van Nistelrooy, it was a frustrating season, as Arsenal won another domestic double, whilst we also went out in the Champions League semi finals to Bayer Leverkusen. That season also saw the controversial departure of Jaap Stam early on in the season, which was questioned by so many people, as Stam was a hugely popular player at the club. United bounced back winning the league the following season, but again lost out to Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter finals. The summer of 2003 also saw the shock departure of David Beckham, following the breakdown in the relationship between David Beckham and Sir Alex. In addition, United let Fabien Barthez leave, as the problems finding a successor to Peter Schmeichel continued.

Seasons 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 are probably best described as transitional seasons for Sir Alex and United. The club won the FA Cup Final in 2004 and was severely unlucky not to retain it in 2005 as we lost to Arsenal on penalties in the most one sided FA Cup Final for years. We also won the League Cup in 2006, but we did not win the League or Champions League. There were some big name departures over this period including Ruud van Nistelrooy and Roy Keane. Keane’s departure was quite dramatic, following a very open and honest interview Keane did for MUTV in 2005 which was subsequently never shown, as it caused huge conflict between Keane and Fergie’s backroom staff. The real positives during this time have to be the signings of hugely talented teenagers in 2003 of Cristiano Ronaldo and in 2004 of Wayne Rooney. These 2 would go on to play a huge part in United’s future success and prove to be 2 of Sir Alex’s best ever signings. In addition, Sir Alex signed some great players without paying too much in Edwin van der Sar, Park Ji-Sung, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra.

Season 2006-07 saw United return to form winning the Premier League and reaching the FA Cup Final where we narrowly lost to Chelsea. It was the following season, with the addition of players like Nani, Anderson and Carlos Tevez, that United would reach the top level again. We retained the league and won another Champions League Final beating Chelsea on penalties in the final on a truly amazing night in Moscow. That trip to Moscow is one that will stay clear in my mind forever more – it truly was an emotional rollercoaster – something which we have seen so much over the years under Sir Alex’s management of United. The 2008 side is seen as another of Sir Alex’s greatest teams, alongside the 1994 and 1999 sides and it creates a lot of debate amongst supporters. To build 3 truly great sides like that is lasting proof of what an incredible manager Sir Alex Ferguson really is.

Since that night in Moscow, United have remained hugely competitive for the top honours. We retained the league in 2008-09 and again reached the Champions League Final in Rome, where we lost to Barcelona. In addition we won the World Club Championship in December 2008. In 2009-10 we narrowly lost out to Chelsea in the league on the final day of the season, whilst we were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter finals by Bayern Munich. We also won back to back League Cups in 2009 and 2010. In 2010-11 we won a record 19th League title, overtaking Liverpool’s 18 titles – a truly remarkable achievement, especially for Sir Alex Ferguson who famously demonstrated his hunger and determination to match and surpass Liverpool’s league title haul by declaring that he wanted to ‘knock them off their f****** perch’. He certainly succeeded. We lost to Barcelona again in the Champions League Final at Wembley, which was a frustrating night, but hopefully will again be something which makes Sir Alex and United more determined to make amends for. The signings of young players like Javier Hernandez, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, plus chances being given to players like Tom Cleverley points to an encouraging future for the club again.

The challenge of winning more silverware and building another great United side still clearly remains very strong for Sir Alex Ferguson and there is no sign of him retiring any time soon. At almost 70 years old he has the energy and enthusiasm for life that would put people half his age to shame. In his 25 years in charge of United – the world of football has changed immensely, but he has kept up with these changes and adapted accordingly. He has built up a strong back room staff at the club who always give him the support he needs. He has had a number of assistants at his side – Archie Knox, Brian Kidd, Steve McClaren, Carlos Queiroz, Mike Phelan, Rene Meulensteen and briefly Walter Smith – some of whom have gone to manage teams themselves, with mixed success. It is also clear that Sir Alex’s management had an effect on his players as so many of them have gone on to become managers – like Strachan, Bruce, Hughes, Ince, Keane and Robson. Whenever Sir Alex talks to the media it is always big news. His books that he has written, especially Managing my Life in 1999, are compelling reading and I look forward to his next book that he writes, probably to be released in line with when he retires. Sir Alex will be remembered for many reasons for what he has achieved and it goes way beyond the trophies that he’s won, for me. I admire his work ethic, his determination, him giving youngsters a chance at the club, the way he has always been accessible to our supporters and his knowledge of the club and its history. It really has been an honour to have supported United over the last 25 years with Sir Alex in charge.

Daniel with the great man himself

Author: Bricki

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After what was another stirring ‘El Classico’ in the Camp Nou last week we are reflecting now not on a superb game of football, instead the headlines are about the mass brawl and touchline troubles that ended the game.

For two such extremely talented teams to resort to violence and intimidation after producing two fantastic encounters is sad. The fact that Real Madrid have now had 6 players sent off in 6 games against Barcelona coupled with Mourinho being dismissed and mass brawls on the pitch and touchline, does not suggest a manager fully in control of the situation he has created.

Long have we heard the rumours that Mourinhos next job is taking on what many people feel will be the hardest task of all, following in the steps of Sir Alex Ferguson.

After his antics of recent months in Spain however is he the right man for the job and can he manage with the principles of how United fans expect their teams to play?

The El Classico games are the most anticipated in Europe right now, with Madrid attempting to catch up and replicate the success that Barcelona have enjoyed in the last 3/4 years in Spain and the Champions League.

Its a huge task to try and catch up then overtake a team in Barcelona that is currently head and shoulders above the rest of Europe. If you were to suggest one man that would take on this challenge and have the ‘grapes’ to complete it then it is Mourinho. After enjoying success in Portugal, England and then Italy, the expectation was of more of the same in Spain. Tackling a team such as Barcelona who are playing argurably the greatest football of their history is different however to the jobs he has done previously.

If you look at the success he achieved elsewhere he has not had such a rival prepared to push him and his team so far.
In Portugal he had a team in Porto that were much stronger than most rivals and he was able to use spending power to widen the gap at the top.
In England United, Arsenal and Liverpool were in transitional periods that coupled with the vast spending power of Roman Ambramovich allowed him to take a strong team left by Claudio Ranieri to a title that was there for the taking.
The match rigging scandal that engulfed Italian football destroyed the major fighters for the league title, leaving an already strong Inter with few genuine challengers to the crown.

Not to suggest that Mourinho is anymore a lucky manager than other successful managers tend to be but its a valid point that the Real Madrid job is the first he has taken that gives him a genuine rival that he has to aspire to beat.

‘The Special One’ as he referred to himself in England has had a relative easy ride in terms of challenges at domestic level, having teams that were usually far too strong for the majority of competitors and coincided with many being in transition.

On the European level he has also enjoyed the luck that ‘good’ managers get, an offside goal for Porto against Man United, the ash cloud debacle for Barcelona and teams in both finals that were weaker than many other teams in both years competitions.

That is not to be critical of Mourinho for these reasons, you play the hand you’re dealt and Jose has called peoples’ bluffs on many occasions but now he’s at a poker table with a high roller he can’t easily intimidate.

The battles with Barcelona have asked new questions of Mourinho as a manager and coach…

Can he build a new team with a new style of play and be successful?

Can he work under as a coach under a management struture that doesn’t give him total control?

Can he win over the media and fans in a country where his support is minimal?

The demands of Real Madrid fans were much different to those of Chelsea and Inter. With Chelsea he was expected to make the club compete for the title after being 3rd/4th/5th place competitors previously and at Inter he was expected to win a league that had few challengers and make the club compete in Europe. At Real Madrid he is expected to overhaul Barcelona and league/Euro success has to happen rather than hope it will happen.

Mourinhos’ teams have always been built on a balance of skill and power. At Chelsea the forward 3 of Robben, Drogba and Duff offered pace and power backed up in midfield by the strength of Makelele, Essien and Lampard. The same thing occurred at Inter with the strength of Eto’o, Milito and the guile of Sneidjer backed up by a solid 3 in the midfield of Stankovic, Zanetti and Cambiasso.

At Real Madrid he has attempted to replicate this with a strong front man of either Higuain or Benzema flanked by Ronaldo and Di Maria. The power in the midfield is not as obvious as previous clubs with either Khedira or Diarra providing a steel flanked by Alonso and Ozil to create.

The style of play in Spain is much more technical than in England and Italy at this time requiring a smarter way to play other than ‘bullying’ teams to victory in the way Chelsea and Inter did. The evidence of Mourinhos failure to find a solution to this against Barcelona was evident in the 5-0 trouncing early in the season and that the subsequent games at the end of the season descended into Real Madrid players kicking Barcelona off the park when they could catch them.

Barcelona are the first team Mourinho has faced where he hasn’t found the solution to the problems they present. Ok, no team has yet found the solution to Barcelona however the different responses to defeat presented by Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson highlight the difference in the men and why Mourinho may not be suited to following Ferguson once he calls it a day.

After being comprehensively outplayed at Wembley in May, Ferguson complimented Barcelona on the style of play and dominance, suggesting that they are the goal to reach and he will do what he can to attempt to reach them.

Mourinhos’ childish response to defeat last week was to label Barcelona a ‘small club’ and poke a coach in the eye after one of his players had lunged into Fabregas causing a huge bust up involving the players and touchline staff.

Make of that reaction what you will…

The way that Mourinho has approached the challenge of Barcelona has appeared to be to wind them up until they make an error and capitalise on it. This approach smacks of a man who does not believe in his own tools, feeling the need to stifle the opposition rather than make them worry about you.

However much criticism Ferguson takes from the media, fans and opposition fans, he will always look to make the opponent worry about his team rather than stifle them. The whole idea is essentially an admittance that Mourinho doesn’t have a ‘football’ answer to the problem different from the style he employed at previous clubs.

Manchester United fans demand attractive, attacking football from their teams. It is something that has been with every generation of fan and is a must for any new manager that comes in. The chant of ‘Attack, Attack, Attack’ is a regular on the terraces emphasising that it is not just about winning for the fans.

The early signs in Madrid this season is that Mourinho has been able to alter the Madrid team slightly to make them less pragmatic and more pleasing on the eye but underneath that is still the visible anger and aggression as proven at the end of the game when the melee ensued.

Could we see any current manager in England behave in the way Mourinho did, basically gouging at a coaches eye? The answer is no without a doubt, for all the complaints and unhappiness with the English FA they would not allow such behaviour to go unpunished.

The reaction of Mourinho suggests a man who is struggling to control himself and his feelings as he attempts to get Madrid to a level to compete with Barcelona. So what would happen should a similar situation occur in a derby match or against Liverpool for example? Its becoming clearer that Mourinho has become too much of a law unto himself in the last 18 months. The illusion of grandeur fed to him through the media and the ‘Special One’ tag has created a man who doesnt believe the rules apply to him, he do things his own way and to hell with everyone else.

Sir Alex Ferguson has been punished for times he has crossed the line and rightly so. He has however always defended his team in the right way and given credit where it is due. As the head and leader of such a big club it is important that a balance is struck between doing all you can for your club and then going too far. Mourinho does not have that balance and it seems he basks in the spotlight and ignomy he causes with the bad behaviour just as much as he craves the spotlight of success.

As people such as Sir Bobby Charlton sit in the stand at United and show the ideals the club strives for, can we have a manager in the digout who appears to be out for himself and doesn’t give a damn about the headlines he creates or the disrespect he shows to others?

Football is about winning of that there is no doubt but a line needs to drawn somewhere and the thought of Mourinho bringing through a United side that could behave in ways his Real Madrid team and Mourinho himself has leaves a very nervous feeling in the stomach…

Clubs still stand for something in society and with a leader such as the current Mourinho at the head of our club it could harm the very name of Manchester United.

AUTHOR: – The Mancunian Red (Guest Blogger)

The question of who is the greatest manager to have managed in Britain has been a question which has been discussed but never properly analysed. It obviously has countless problems as it isn’t possible to compare many of the factors like for like. The criteria which I use to assess the managers obviously cannot be based purely on the number of trophies won, we also need to assess the resources and problems and longevity of success. I will begin with a brief explanation of the managers career then analyse some of the best and worst aspects of his career!

After much thought I narrowed the list to Clough, Busby, Fergie and Paisley. Leaving out the likes of Shankly, Herbert Chapman (the self proclaimed special one) and Sir Alf Ramsay was not easy and I will be happy to debate the pros and cons of my analysis should anyone desire. The case for Chapman is probably strongest and I should note I do feel at unease by his omission.

Sir Matt Busby

Busby managed just one club his entire career and that was in the top division. He took over United immediately after the 2nd World war had ended, there had been no top class football played in England for 6 years, all clubs struggled to get themselves organised and of course players were a long long way from being fit or having adequate diet. United were not one of the major forces in English football, far from it they weren’t even the major force in Manchester.

Old Trafford had been bombed and had to take their neighbour’s generous approach to use Maine Road. Busby had strong beliefs on how football should be played and was an innovator, he famously played with a five man attack which brought the crowds flocking to watch them play and United managed to finish 2nd three times on the run and win the FA cup in 1948 for only the 2nd time in their history a thirty nine years after the first success.

Busby had arrived and got United noticed, however he wanted more much more and with the help of Jimmy Murphy the assistant manager and coach went looking for the brightest young talents throughout the British Isles. This was ground breaking, teams in the past had never been created with so much emphasis on youth and inexperience.
Duncan Edwards was amazingly snatched out of the hands of his home town club the great Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bobby Charlton from Newcastle, Liam Whelan from Ireland and Mark Jones from Barnsley. These are just a few of many examples. Furthermore Busby went against the tide of football thinking in the day and gave youth en masse its chance and while it would be a mistake to believe all were young and developed talent, a sufficient number was to be recognised as the Busby Babes.

United won the title in 1951/52, 1956/7 and 1957/8 as the babes were introduced to the first team. At this point nearly all football fans loved Manchester United they combined entertainment with winners and looked set to dominate the league for another decade or more. They had come very close to winning the domestic double but for a goalkeeping injury and no substitutes and looked as if they would be fighting it out with Real Madrid for the European Cup.

In but a few short years Busby had transformed United from a mediocre club that couldn’t even use its own ground to one of the most talked about and admired clubs in Europe and this looked to be just the start. Unfortunately Munich was to end much of this. United’s team was devastated; even some of the players who continued were never the same.

Once again Busby was determined to build another great team, his third but was determined as always to do so playing attractive cavalier football, it took many years to rebuild the club and not just the team, the effect of Munich on everyone at the club can never be underestimated, even the new players coming through were obviously on to a loser – “they are no Duncan Edwards” “there will never be another set of lads like the babes” made it all the more difficult for the next crop.

Busby’s last great team started off by winning the FA Cup in 63 followed by 2 titles in 1964/5 and 1966/7 and the first English team to win the European Cup in 1968 after Busby had gone against the wishes of the governing body to enter United in the European Cup in 1956.

The Best, Law and Charlton era excited fans throughout the world, and Busby had once again re-enforced Manchester United as the biggest name in British football and one of the biggest in Europe. His legacy gave United their world-wide fan base and massive support throughout the British isles, London alone in the late 1960s had a 10,000 supporters club. These were also hardened fans and saw United through the bad times, which were to follow and keep the name of United in the headlines.

Other managers may have won more but to understand how great a manager he was we need to understand the point at which he started, the number of great teams he created, and what might have been had it not been for Munich. During his time at United he didn’t spend excessively. There wasn’t a top 4 or even top 10 or 20 any club was capable of winning the title and did. Competition in other words was much stiffer and more difficult to win trophies. He had the ability to spot good players and get the players to want to play for him.

Sir Matt Busby did not buy any players between 1953-57. Moreover he always wanted his sides to entertain. “Go out and enjoy yourselves” was his usual last words before the players left the dressing room. Busby was a top class manager for 20 years, all you need to do is think of all the number of top class decisions he had to make in that time. Moreover he was ahead of his time in developing youth and taking United in to the European Cup against the wishes and recommendations of the governing body.

Criticism of Busby has been made in several ways, because we were 3rd and unlikely to win the title before the Munich crash it has been argued that United would not have dominated either the English or European scene as much as some have predicted. Also it has been said that while he was an excellent judge of players, his coaching and tactics were either weak on nonexistent and one of the reasons he never had a United team which dominated in the way Liverpool or Fergie’s teams did later on. With the likes of Best, Charlton, Law, Crerand and Stiles et al United should have won much more.

More criticism has been labelled at the state in which he left United in, the players had grown old and the youth at the club was in a pretty poor state. From 1964-72 United bought only 3 players, Ian Ure, Alex Stepney and Willie Morgan, and one of those was bought by Wilf McGuinness – Ian Ure in his short stay as manager at the club. Also Busby only managed one club and in one division, his skills would almost certainly have been tested further and knowledge of the game if he would have managed other clubs and in other divisions with players perhaps less reluctant to join the club. Also players were in those days virtually owned by the club and had little power or say and had to toe the line or risk losing money that they just could not afford to lose. Motivating players in those days wasn’t a major issue. And lastly it should be pointed out Jimmy Murphy was by Busby’s side all the time he was a manager, Murphy’s influence is often vastly underestimated by fans and has been seen as an essential part of the Busby legend that should not be over looked. For example Clough never won a trophy without Taylor by his side, to underestimate Murphy’s role would be a mistake!

It should also be pointed out that while United were by no means the only club to do this, it is recognised that the club did offer large inducements to young players and their families to convince the player to sign for United. So while transfer money wasn’t a factor illegal inducements were.

Trophies won :
• First Division (5): 1951–52, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1964–65, 1966–67
• FA Cup (2): 1947–48, 1962–63
• FA Charity Shield (5): 1952, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1967
• European Cup (1): 1967–68

Sir Alex Ferguson

Alex Ferguson has enjoyed his first success as a manager with St Mirren (1974–78), taking the club from the Scottish second division to the Premier Division. He has succeeded at every level of football from the lower leagues of Scottish football to taking on and beating the Scottish giants before he moved South and took United to the title for the first time in 26 years and to dominate English football for a couple of decades. Not only has this meant he has had to get the best out of players at virtually every professional level he has done it over a time in World football where he would have had to change his style and knowledge considerably.

The modern day professional is a multi millionaire before many are out of their teens, when Fergie managed the player daren’t cross the line as he would lose his place in the side and win bonuses meant a lot and not to just the lower level pros. In the 70s and 80s professional players who didn’t find work in the game often struggled to make a decent living, therefore motivation wasn’t as telling a factor as it has become today.

Furthermore the game has changed so much, the top sides for many seasons only had to concern themselves with first team players and a couple of backups, but today great teams aren’t enough squad and squad rotation is critical, managing players who have to be left out is a skill in it’s own right as is buying these players and explaining the situation.

Of course football teams have changed so much in their make up for the majority of his career all he would have needed to know was Scottish footballers. Managers today need to have an understanding of players from all over the world and of course a scouting network to match. How much easier must it have been when all you needed to judge was the best of British available? Then of course there is managing multi national players, rarely have we seen Fergie have problems that other managers have.

The list goes of the training methods, systems, diet etc these have changed radically in Fergie’s years of management and he has had to keep on top of these changes. Managers such as Paisley, Clough, Shankly who are true greats in their own right cannot compare to the numerous variables Fergie has had to contend with. Busby a brilliant manager never had to manage at all the different levels or adapt to the modern game. And we all know how unlucky he was with the great Munich side but still Busby only managed less than half of Fergie’s trophies at United alone.

Moreover, Fergie had to contend with the problems of history and United’s glamour when he came to United. The glamour meant teams lifted their game when they played against us while the combination of history and glamour meant many big time players couldn’t cope with the Old Trafford stage Birtles Davenport Brazil et al. When Fergie has built great teams he has built them to last and not for the odd season or two. He had little money at any of his clubs in Scotland but at United he was given funds, although to understand his position you have to understand that much of Fergie’s money has been created by his success, which created the wealth.

Criticism of Fergie can be labelled in several ways, he has made poor buys at times such as Veron, Taibi, Kleberson, Forlan, Djemba Djemba et al and in his time at United while he has dominated the English scene he has failed to dominate Europe in the same way. Although it should be pointed out he was hampered with the non English players rule for several seasons and no club has managed to win back to back Champions League trophies. Moreover, does the Premiership and its lack of Christmas/New Year break make it more difficult to win the Champions League? The Premiership has always been easier to win compared to division one in the 50s, 60s, 70s and the spending under Fergie has been higher, even in real terms than all the other top managers discussed. Although it can be said Fergie has earned his transfer budged primarily through success.

In his early years he had to buy from the lower divisions and sell as well as make the big transfer, which was very similar to the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle et al. However, unlike Busby’s day the number of clubs capable of winning the Premiership was only a fraction compared to today’s football. However it could again be argued that this was because Busby’s United never dominated football.

Trophies won :

St. Mirren
• Scottish First Division (1): 1976–77
Aberdeen
• Scottish Premier Division (3): 1979–80, 1983–84, 1984–85
• Scottish Cup (4): 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86
• Scottish League Cup (1): 1985–86
• UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup (1): 1982–83
• UEFA Super Cup (1): 1983
Manchester United
• Premier League (11): 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
• FA Cup (5): 1989–90, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04
• League Cup (4): 1991–92, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10
• FA Charity/Community Shield (9): 1990*, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010 (* shared)
• UEFA Champions League (2): 1998–99, 2007–08
• UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup (1): 1990–91
• UEFA Super Cup (1): 1991
• Intercontinental Cup (1): 1999
• FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008

Brian Clough

We now turn our attentions to Clough a career in management that began in 1965 to 1993.

To win the league with two different clubs is a remarkable feat, to do it with two teams that were in the second division when he first took over is a remarkable achievement and unsurpassed in English football.
Neither Derby nor Forest were recognised as large clubs. United, Liverpool, City, Arsenal, Leeds, Everton, Spurs, Villa, Newcastle and Sunderland to name but a few were much bigger clubs. Not only did he conquer the English league but managed to also conquer Europe winning the European Cup twice with Forest. Although never winning the FA cup he won the League cup. His teams always played wonderful attractive football and respected referees.
Unfortunately towards the end of his career he like Busby lost the plot to an even greater degree and Forest were relegated. He had fallen out with his great partner and friend a number of years earlier, Peter Taylor, and he never won any major trophy without him by his side (he won the League Cup but never the European Cup FA Cup or League). Clough failed at Leeds and Brighton, although some say he was never given a chance many argued that he should have been given the England job.

Clough’s reign at Derby was ended with a dispute with directors and chairman, which resulted in him being replaced he predicted that Derby could carry on for a few years without him but then it would fall apart. His prediction was true – Derby won the league again under the new management but shortly afterwards fell into a demise which to be truthful they have never fully come out of. It is probably slightly unfair to say that the manager who replaced Clough had no impact; he did after all manage the team when they won it.

Clough’s style although obviously extremely successful at times has to be questioned, he failed to hold down a top job with a big club lasting only 44 days with Leeds and he was never given the England job which brings in to question his style. Clough, although at times extremely successful has not managed it continuously over many years to match some of his compatriots.

Clough did remarkable things with Taylor at Derby and Forest but he could of and should have won a lot more trophies with the money at Forest. He created the wealth but failed to buy well with the results. Fashanu, Hartford, Wallace and Ward are just some of the players that failed to produce the goods for him when he could have won more; he also failed at Brighton and Leeds.

Trophies won :

Derby County
Winner:
• First Division: 1971–72
• Second Division: 1968–69
• Watney Cup: 1970
Leeds United
Runner-up:
• FA Charity Shield: 1974
Nottingham Forest
Winner:
• First Division: 1977–78
• League Cup: 1977–78, 1978–79, 1988–89, 1989–90
• European Cup: 1978–79, 1979–80
• FA Charity Shield: 1978
• European Super Cup: 1979
Runner-up:
• League Championship: 1978–79
• FA Cup: 1990–91
• League Cup: 1979–80, 1991–92
• European Super Cup: 1980
• Intercontinental Cup: 1980

Bob Paisley

We now turn to Bob Paisley, who managed Liverpool from 1974 to 1983

In many ways Paisley is the most successful manager, three European Cups, 6 League championships and 2 league cups. The FA cup always eluded him but in just 9 years of management what an achievement. He has won more European Cups than any manager in Britain; he did so when the only means to qualify was to win either the league or the European cup unlike today when you can finish 4th and still qualify. In 1999 United would not have been able to win the European cup and the treble had those rules still have been in place.

While it is true that Paisley’s efforts have to be put into context of what Bill Shankly had achieved previously, it would be a major mistake to give undue credit to Shanks at the expense of Paisley: Shankly turned Liverpool from an average second division side into the best team in England and one of the best in Europe. He joined in 1959 and got them promoted and won the league in 1964, 1966 and 1973, the FA Cup in 1965, and 1974, and the UEFA Cup in 1973.

He also left the club in the excellent shape, Paisley had been Liverpool coach under Shankly for numerous years and had never been manager before or after he resigned the Liverpool job. He himself left the club in a fantastic condition for Fagan and then Dalglish to carry on both the Liverpool way and their success, which was orchestrated by Shankly such as the world renowned boot room and training and fitness regimes. One of the most interesting ‘tit bits’ I come across researching this article was that Paisley could work out just watching a player training if he was on the verge of being injured.

However, Paisley took Liverpool into unknown territory, his team ruled both British and European football simultaneously under his charge, and unlike the other managers had no dry spells to speak of, only the odd year. However, his limited experience only 9 years at the top level, managing just one club, which was perhaps the richest club in England at the time, being able to break the transfer record and bring in the likes of Dalglish for £440,000, his lack of experience and therefore success at lower level leaves question marks as to whether he could have built clubs up from comparatively poor starting points such as Fergie at Aberdeen, St Mirren and to a lesser degree United, and Busby both after his appointment and again in 1958, and Clough at Derby and Forest.

I leave it up to you to decide but in my opinion Fergie just edges it over Busby! I should say that my only reservation to this list is Herbert Chapman whose career had it been after the 2nd world war would have been in this list and very close to the top at worst. I should also say Sir Alf Ramsey and Shankly deserve special mentions as great managers too.

Trophies Won:

Liverpool
• First Division
• Champions: 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83
• Runners-up: 1974–75, 1977–78
• European Cup
• Winners: 1977, 1978, 1981
• UEFA Cup
• Winners: 1976
• FA Cup
• Runners-up: 1977
• Football League Cup
• Winners: 1981, 1982, 1983
• Runners-up: 1978
• European Super Cup
• Winners: 1977
• Runners-up: 1978
• FA Charity Shield
• Winners: 1976, 1979, 1980, 1982
• Shared: 1977

Based on success at different levels, longevity, the changing game, and continued success it is difficult to see beyond Fergie.

AUTHOR: – Bricki

Do you matter?

I mean you buy the shirt, you pay for your tickets (or tv subscription), you cheer the team on through good and bad… so do you matter?

I ask this question because in the last week we have lost two games that could define our season and approach a cup game against the team who are closest to stopping our title push… So why have we heard nothing from our manager?

Granted we heard from him straight after the Chelsea game but that was merely complaining about the referees performance. After the break we got with Rooney staying on the pitch against Wigan it was hard to take the complaints too seriously anyway.

Yet once charged for his comments post match we were denied the opportunity of the Friday morning press conference and any views we could take into the Liverpool game over the weekend. This resulted in the build up for the game being dominated by the journalists having to work with what they had… a silent Sir Alex and the percieved injustice done against the team.

I am not a fan of managers being interviewed moments after the game has finished so this is not a complaint that we didnt see anyone from the club as they left the pitch. To not have anyone attend a press conference before or after the game though is a fairly big message to the fans that they do not matter.

In the immediate aftermath of the game a managers emotions can still be very high, evidenced by the comments about the referee that Sir Alex made after the Chelsea game. A 20 – 30 minute break before sitting down with the press/tv would allow a manager to compose his thoughts, see any replays he may need on certain incidents and prepare himself for the questioning that is to follow.

After the poor results of the last week, down partly to decisions not going our way, poor performances and some general bad luck now is the time i want to hear Sir Alex on how the team will handle it and the approach to be taken.

The ‘siege’ mentality that the team takes on in times of ‘perceived’ injustices has proven useful in the past but to leave the fans out of this situation by even refusing to speak local or in house media is not going to help the fans get behind the team. To not give the fans any sort of comment or news out of the squad smacks of a child taking their ball home because they are not getting what they want.

Dont get me wrong i dont feel we had much ‘luck’ in the decisions of the last two games but we also got a big slice of luck in the Wigan game and in others over the season so to back a referee one week and slaughter one the week after doesnt help the team either.

I am more interested in the approach the manager takes in preparing for a game, the tactics, the style of play and the players who have been doing well or not in training. On his day Sir Alex is a joy to listen to and has many opinions on the game that are relevant but to not allow the fans access to this thought process will back fire in the long run as people tire of the ‘childish’ attitude he takes.

The amount of money, time and devotion that fans put into following and supporting the club should guarantee that we are given the time by the team management to hear their thoughts in the good and bad times.

To deny the the fans access to hearing from their own team/management is like taking a childs favourite toy away from them, eventually they will tire asking for it and move onto something else… Will the fans tire and look elsewhere? it may not happen overnight but its not impossible…

I raised an eyebrow when I read the Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was voted coach of the decade ahead of Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho. This doesn’t come from a person who doesn’t respect what Arsene Wenger has done for the North London club, but a sheer observation at how trophy shy the Emirates cabinet is compared to that of Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and the San Siro.

Wenger has helped improve English football and Arsenal massively whilst incorporating an impressive brand of football – but can a manager who hasn’t won anything since 2005 be considered manager of the decade?

I think if there was an outright vote right now, Wenger would probably be placed behind Mourinho and Fergie, however the award was given on the basis of totaling up all of the votes from the past ten years – meaning that Wenger has been the most consistently placed manager since 2000. In this time Wenger has notched up the following trophies in comparison to Mourinho and Ferguson:

Wenger: 2002 Premier League, 2002 FA Cup, 2003 FA Cup, 2004 Premier League, 2005 FA Cup

Mourinho:2003 Portuguese Liga, 2003 Portuguese Cup, 2003 UEFA Cup, 2003 Portuguese Super Cup ,2004 Portugese Liga, 2004 Champions League, 2005 Premier League 2005 League Cup, 2006 Premier League, 2007 League Cup, 2007 FA Cup, 2009 Serie A, 2010 Serie A, 2010 Coppa Italia, 2010 Champions League

Ferguson: 2000 Premier League, 2001 Premier League, 2003 Premier League, 2004 FA Cup, 2006 League Cup, 2007 Premier League, 2008 Premier League, 2008 Champions League, 2009 League Cup, 2009 Premier League, 2010 League Cup

For all Wenger’s qualities as a coach and what he has done for Arsenal, in terms of trophies – both Ferguson and Mourinho have bettered the Frenchman. But is it all about trophies? Arsenal fans often speak of their net spend in comparison to United’s and Chelsea’s, which is far lower:

Source

I’m sure you’ve seen the graphic doing the rounds on the forums/blogs (RoM had a similar graph on there, although slightly inflated without the Ronaldo sale!), so I thought I would replicate it in this piece. United have spent, since the start of the Premier League £107million more than Arsenal, whilst Chelsea have spent £334million more than (stats up to 2010) Arsenal. It is something that UEFA president Michel Platini has spoken about in the past (talking about English clubs in 2008):

‘You can’t be buying players on credit and simply running up huge debts. Clubs are not competing on a level playing field and that is not right.’

Wenger has obviously had an impressive ROI on a number of players (including trophies) he bought for a fraction of the price (Anelka, Toure and Adebayor) and since moving to their new stadium has been quite cautious (although not as ‘tight’ as some might think with Vermaelen and Arshavin).

Now, in the past decade there have been some (as Danny Dyer may put it) some ‘right tear ups’ between United and Arsenal, with it coming to a head in the 2003/04 game at Old Trafford. The managers weren’t much better at times, which included a monumental row between the pair following the 2004/05 game at Old Trafford (where United ended Arsenal’s 49 game unbeaten domestic run). I do realise from doing blogs in the past (that mention Arsenal) that relations ‘aren’t too friendly’ – to put it mildly – but this honestly isn’t a dig at Wenger as a coach or his Arsenal team. He has developed a number of youngsters into superb players, whilst maintaining his footballing ethos. ‘Wenger is a gracious winner, but an awfully bad loser – which rubs off on some of his players at times’. I actually read that quote from physiologist (who works at Arsenal) who was talking to Champions magazine. I would generally agree with that and again that isn’t a criticism because if you think about it, who likes losing?

However, lets get to the real debate – is Wenger the coach of the decade? I think he has done a wonderful job at Arsenal (and couldn’t understand the fans calling for his head) on a tight budget and has overseen their move from Highbury to the Emirates. Having said that, football – at the end of the day – is about winning trophies. In terms of the big trophies, Ferguson has won one European Cup and six League Championships (in ten years) whilst Mourinho has won two Champions League trophies and won the League Championship in three different countries. Wenger has built an empire at Arsenal (and I do put the development of the new stadium down to his vision and ambition) and continues to promote good football – but does his two League Championships compare to that of Ferguson and Mourinho?

I’d like to think this is a balanced article that is generally offering an opportunity for a good old debate and I welcome all comments. Some of you may think that Mourinho and Ferguson have ‘bought’ their trophies, whereas some of you may claim that Wenger’s reluctance to spend is a mere excuse at the fact that his side hasn’t won anything since the 2005 FA Cup final. Tell you what, I reckon all comments should start with ‘[manager] is the coach of the decade because…..’ – I’ll go first.

Just for reference, here is the final result:

1. Arsene Wenger France 156
2. Sir Alex Ferguson Scotland 148
3. Jose Mourinho Portugal 135
4. Fabio Capello Italy 120
5. Guus Hiddink Holland 112
6. Carlo Ancelotti Italy 108
7. Luiz Scolari Brazil 101
Marcelo Bielsa Argentina 101
9. Rafael Benitez Spain 97
10. Marcello Lippi Italy 88

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he will not be buying anyone in the January transfer window, but has stated that Federico Macheda could well go out on loan following the successful stints of Welbeck and Diouf and Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers respectfully. Many Reds still believe that United are in need of a creative outlet from midfield if indeed the club are to challenge on both a domestic and European front.

When question about United bringing in some fresh faces come January the Scot snapped “Nope, not at all. Definitely not”. The obvious problem in signing a player in the January transfer window is that he will be ineligible for European competition. If of course the player hasn’t played in Europe this season, you would want to question why he hasn’t already been snapped up by a top European club in the first place. In the January of 2006, United were eliminated from European competition in the group stages and were able to purchase both Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic from Monaco and Spartak Moscow respectfully. Other players that have proved to be a success at their clubs having signed in January are:

Ashley Young (Watford to Aston Villa, £9.65m)
Emmanuel Adebayor (Monaco to Arsenal, £7m, 2006)
Christophe Dugarry (Bordeaux to Birmingham, free, 2003)
Brede Hangeland (FC Copenhagen to Fulham, £2.5m, 2008)

Fergie was more interested in discussing his fringe and younger players rather than any speculation about new signings:

“I had a chat with the boy. I think he’s in the same position as Welbeck and Mame Diouf. We have a clutch of young strikers at the club and that was the reason we let Danny and Mame Diouf out. They are young and they need games. Kiko comes into that category now. “

He went onto add:

“I didn’t want them to go, but seeing how the squad is shaping up with Michael Owen fit again now. Chicarito has progressed really well. We’ve brought in Bebe as well. He’ll be a striker. I can play Obertan in that position also. In the case of Danny Welbeck it’s proved a point that through consistent football he has progressed dramatically, fantastically well. In his two previous years he played in two cups finals. He played in the semi-final against Everton. In a consistent nature he didn’t have enough football to bring the progress we’re seeing now. He’s been fantastic at Sunderland. He must eventually get in the squad for England through his performances this season. That’s exactly what we wanted. When I had a chat with Kiko I explained to him the Welbeck situation. The experience of going to another club can pan out exactly the same for him.”

On behalf of Stretford-End, I would like to wish a very happy birthday to Manchester United’s longest-serving manager. Sir Alex Ferguson will celebrate his 69th birthday today. His appetite for success certainly hasn’t diminished with age as he continues to chase glory both domestically and in Europe. Sir Alex once said in an interview, “my greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their fucking perch.” Leading United to record 19th league title at the age of 69 would do exactly that.

A couple of weeks ago I thought I would take the wife away for the weekend as it was her birthday. One of her requests was that I didn’t mention United or football in general at all over the course of the trip – unfortunately (for her) I came across ‘Football – Bloody Hell!‘ by Patrick Barclay in a Tesco service station on the way there and ultimately let her down on my original promise. I read the book in a matter of days and found it compelling from start to finish. After I had finished with the book, I decided to try and get in touch with Patrick to see if he would do a small interview for the website and thankfully he accepted.

The questions put to Patrick are in bold, with answers underneath. You can purchase a copy of ‘Football – Bloody Hell!’ from here.

1. Who is Fergie’s greatest signing since he took over in 1986?
Has to be Cantona. I’d love to be more imaginative – and there is an argument for Schmeichel – but, if you check the statistics, United averaged a goal a game before Cantona arrived from Leeds – and two a game thereafter on their progress to the first championship under Ferguson. On top of that, there’s the effect on young players of Eric’s attitude to training.

2. Jaap Stam’s exit is usually considered a mistake by Ferguson – is there another player that Fergie got it wrong with?
Inevitably, he’s made some bad buys, but the percentages help to explain why Ferguson has been so successful for so long. Even some of his relative flops, like Forlan, have gone on to prove themselves elsewhere. Veron was a crashing error. If we’re talking sales, Beckham was as badly judged as Stam in my opinion.

3. Fergie’s legendary temper is nothing surprising (quote from book – anger is his petrol), however some accounts from the book paint him as a quite ferocious man, who is very unfair at times. But do you think that this ruthlessness is needed to be in the job for so long?
Ruthlessness is necessary in any good manager; that’s true. But I do think Ferguson has been unfair to people who might have expected better, like Strachan and Kidd.

4. One of Fergie’s greatest assets is his ability to evolve and adapt to new football methods and surroundings – in this time who do you believe was Fergie’s greatest rival?
Ferguson’s greatest rival in England was Jose Mourinho. In fact Mourinho beat him. Where Ferguson got lucky was with the fall-out between Mourinho and Abramovich at Chelsea. Mind you, he didn’t half make the most of his luck in completing a hat-trick of titles! Wenger, of course, is his most durable rival. But the trophy gap has taken the heat out of their exchanges. In fact, they quite like each other.

5. What are your thoughts on foreign ownership in football and Ferguson’s defense of the Glazers?
I’d prefer controls on not only foreign ownership but all ownership. In Germany, no one can own more than 50 per cent of a club and that should be the rule here. Ferguson’s defence of the Glazers is natural. It was the shares held by Magnier and McManus, Ferguson’s erstwhile horse-racing friends, that enabled the Glazers to take control of United. Ferguson has done well to distance himself from this fact. And to get away with such enthusiastic support for the Glazers. While United keep thriving on the pitch, he can get away with anything.

6. For those fans who believe Ferguson is a genius – what would you say to them? (Patrick states that Fergie is not a genius in the book)
It depends how you define a genius. In Football – Bloody Hell!, I quote Carlyle, who defined genius as ”an infinite capacity for taking pains”. By that token Ferguson is a genius. But Brian Clough and Jose Mourinho have achieved success much more quickly and cheaply and – in Clough’s case – from a much lower base. Don’t forget that both Aberdeen and United finished second in their respective leagues under other people – Billy McNeill and Ron Atkinson respectively – in the clubs’ last full seasons before Ferguson came. Clough was unquestionably a genius in my mind. Ferguson has proved himself a superior manager – but maybe not a genius.

7. Carlos Queiroz was quite unpopular when he first joined United but left in 2008 with a reputation as a man who aided Ferguson tactically, which resulted in the 2008 European Cup – how important do you believe a good assistant is to Ferguson?
Quite important. But the value of an assistant is hard to quantify. Look at the people who dismiss the contribution of Micky Phelan, for example, without having a clue what it is.

8. Which team was more talented – 1994, 1999 or 2008?
My favourite was 1999. Great to watch, largely because of wing play and the telepathy of Yorke and Cole. Yorke was one of the best players of the Ferguson era, in my view. He could make them and take them – and he did everything in such style. Old Trafford or the Nou Camp – it was all the same to him. What a character. What a talent.

9. What do you think of United so far this season and how likely is a nineteenth title in May?
A fairly decent chance of that 19th title. No one else seems to want it. Except Liverpool, of course.

10. Who do you think will be United’s next manager and will Ferguson ‘move upstairs’ as Busby did?
I wish United would move Ferguson ”upstairs”, but not in the Busby way. Busby was in fact marginalised. Ferguson should become a sort of executive director, working hand-in-glove with Jose Mourinho or whoever United can get as his successor, so that there is no extra pressure on the new man. Mourinho would be ideal because he has proved himself at least as good a manager as Ferguson. But is he gettable? Time will tell.

24 years, 1 month, 14 days. Legend.

On behalf of Stretford-End and Manchester United fans everywhere, thank you for all of your dedication and loyalty to the club. The Stretty Rant writers penned their own personal tribute to the greatest manager in the history of the game.

YOLKIE :

Fergie is simply the greatest manager of all time. How can you argue with the achievements? To build 5 teams within one spell at the club – the first a European winning side, the second a domestic steamrollers, the Fledglings, the Liam Miller years and then the current incarnation (technically, post Ronaldo/Tevez, he’s moving on to the 6th) and have the majority of them taste success at the highest level of the game is a phenomenal achievement.

Only Mourinho and Guardiola in world football look like they’ll have careers anywhere near as illustrious, it says much about Fergie’s own achievements that the nearest worthwhile comparison in England has won around a quarter of what we have under him. The greatest thing he has done for the club in terms of the team isn’t necessarily getting us playing the “United way” – we played with a swagger under Big Ron! – but it’s the incredible amount of handwork and desire to win that you can see with most of the players, a character trait he is renowned for that is now stamped all over whichever eleven go out to play. It’s why we get moments like Eastlands last season. The desire to win and the belief it gives the supporters go hand in hand, it’s why you can watch a game with United and still – REALISTICALLY -  want them to get a result even if they’re 2-0 down with 10 minutes to go.

He has gotten much criticism personally in the last few years for his role since the takeover but I personally think he’s done an incredible job there, too. Faced with a choice, he did what he could to maintain the clubs success on the pitch, and let’s be fair, trophy wise it’s been the most successful spell in the clubs history. We all know that there will come a day when the trophies dry up; but when Sir Alex leaves, that will be far worse.

Thank you, Fergie.

DORON :

There’s not a lot I can say that people won’t already be thinking. I’ve never known United without Fergie and that goes hand in hand with me only ever knowing success associated with the club.

The man is all about hunger and desire – a want to better achievements in the past. Few people truly believed that in such a short space of time United would be able to hunt down Liverpool’s haul of 18 league titles but he did. What he’s achieved will never ever be replicated. It was nice to hear Ole say that at Molde he’s going to try and replicate everything Fergie has done, from the atmosphere in the club to going out to the local teams and letting their young players know that they have a chance with a big club if they impress.

Fergie’s influence and legacy will be felt forever. He encapsulates everything that is the club. His ability to constantly adapt to the changing game and often be ahead of it says a lot about his meticulous ways. Long after he’s gone from United people will forever talk about him as the greatest manager there ever was. I’m just lucky to be alive during this period so I can tell people about it one day.

Ferguson wasn’t made for United. Like Busby, United was made for him. Thank you Fergie.

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Premier League: 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
FA Cup: 1989–90, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04
League Cup: 1991–92, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10
FA Community Shield: 1990, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010
UEFA Champions League: 1998–99, 2007–08
UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup: 1990–91
UEFA Super Cup: 1991
Intercontinental Cup: 1999
FIFA Club World Cup: 2008