Wanderer5

Predictable praise for Sir Alex Ferguson appears in the media, to mark his 25 years as manager of Manchester Utd.

David Beckham talks of it being an "honour" to play under him - no hard feelings about his injury, following Sir Alex kicking a boot at him

I once saw Sir Alex at an after match press conference: his Man Utd side thrashed the local team I used to support (too embarrassed to say who it was). in a pre-season friendly. I thought he offered crumbs of comfort, and words of encouragement to 'our team'.

On the other hand, Quentin Letts lists Sir Alex as one of the 50 People Who Buggered Up Britain (published by Constable, London, 2008).

Comments like Sir Alex making "chewing gum look aggressive" and ""what a horrible man he is" lead on to claims that he is an "egotist" who "couldn't give a stuff about the lower reaches of the game"

Sir Alex - Saint or Sinner?

iaink

Not a saint, not a sinner. Just a truly remarkable manager, but not one to suffer fools gladly is my impression. Hes going to be very hard to replace when the time comes.

Just because he has this fantastic ability to motivate and organise and regenerate teams doesnt mean he has any obligations to anyone outside of Old Trafford, why should he be obliged to give a stuff about the lower reaches of the game, its not his responsibility.

Benenden

....so I take it thats at least one person not buying Quentin Letts' book then...?

Uncle Ebenezer

... cnut, imo.

ededed

And you're very welcome to it....

Captain Cheesestick

He confuses me. He has almost dominated domestic football since the Premier League began. He's won it all with completely different teams. That record is better than anyone else has come close to. Kudos to him. And people tend to forget he has done at at three teams if you include the two prior in Scotland. Seriously - Aberdeen winning the European Cup? That's insane.

On the other hand the phrase, "playing shit and winning" epitomizes his teams. Last year's championship team played garbage football. Both Arsenal and Chelsea's winning teams were much better than his. I know people used to sing, "boring boring Arsenal" but last year beat that hands down. I'm not sure how you can evaluate the fact that his midfield core that came through the youth were better than everyone else either. Giggs, Beckham and Scholes could have played for anyone and still could have last year. Did they make his legacy better or did his management (and his coaches) make them better? Add there have been all kinds of times when it's been suggested that tactically he has no idea what he's doing. Amusingly he went on and won the league in spite of it. The last two Champions League finals versus Barca are a case in point. But then you don't get to the final that often by luck. I love his blind twattery at lambasting Chelsea for paying good money for talent, and then blowing all that money on shit like Carrick. Or stuffing Berbatov on the bench because **** him. His stubbornness and arseholery is legendary. Refusing to talk to the BBC for that long when they were actually right is a case in point. I'm not sure whether to stand and applaud him or think he's a prick for immediately chucking anyone - no matter how amazing - out the door the moment they criticize him. Getting rid of Jaap Stam in his prime being one. Add, he insisted on playing dirge in his good teams just because other people told him he was nuts. Hence Eric Djemba-Djemba and Quinton Fortune. Mind ou take 50% of his current team and put them in another team and they'd be shit-to-average.

He is above and beyond the best manager in English football. Which actually makes what Mourinho has done in three different countries (and nearly a fourth in Spain too) even more impressive because he didn't have any leverage and has done it in under half the time.

He's still an utter twat though.

ededed

Would Chelsea and Arsenal have won the league last season if he had been manager? I think they would have done better than they did. When United were behind or playing poorly, I used to love half-time, as they would come out a different team. That doesn't seem to happen any more - and with a few notable exceptions (Rooney, Hernandez, Evra) this current side is very, very average - yet still 2nd (a distant 2nd, mind you). And that has been the case for a while now. Still - winning the league 4 times in 5 years isn't a bad return for an average team, but the football we're playing isn't what it was, or what it should be for a team that has spent that kind of money, or has had that kind of stability.

Mourinho seems destined to be the next United manager - I think it may happen sooner than later. SAF as chairman? I know Busby got it wrong - and maybe JM wouldn't stand for it...?

iaink

Dont forget, it took him a few years to impose his will upon Old Trafford, so the answer is probably a resounding "No"

Uncle Ebenezer

What drives this 70 year old alcoholic, with high blood pressure, to continue?

I think he wants to have a massive coronary, at Old Trafford on live TV, just to make sure he's never forgotten. Next to Rooney's new hair, it would be the most entertaining thing to come out of that stadium for a good while.