Sir Alex Ferguson retires at Manchester United

One more shot at the big one, but no way Jose at United

Sir Alex Ferguson will retire at the end of the season. May 19th will see Fergie manage United for the last time against WBA, 26 and a half years after taking over from Ron Atkinson in November 1986.

But he's not leaving the building. He'll become a club director and ambassador. Where that fits in with his successor remains to be seen.

United have planned for this. Believe me, this hasn't caught them on the hop. This has been on the cards for a decade. The new manager will be unveiled in the coming days as soon as he's resigned his current post.

When Sir Alex announced his retirement TWELVE years ago, it was an orchestrated procession lasting an excruciating whole season. The countdown to it reduced United from treble-winners and perennial champions to 3rd placed also-rans – 3 times in 4 seasons in fact.

Fergie's extraordinary volto-face all those years ago, signalled continued, uninterrupted success right up to now. He's just claimed his thirteenth Premier League title.

But his decision to carry on wasn't about his own private concerns about dying soon after stepping away from the limelight. His own father passed away shortly after retiring. It was about moves afoot on the United board which he couldn't abide.

Then chief executive Peter Kenyon went out on a limb to get then England manager, Sven-Goran Eriksson without buy-in from the rest of the board.

And when Sir Alex found out he said, "He's not going to inherit my bloody team!". Fergie stayed.

That’s why all talk of his retirement this time has been reduced to wee news conference nuggets – about carrying on as long as his good health allowed it – or I’ll go in two or three years time.

David Gill, 10 years United’s chief executive, who privately said he’d never quit while Sir Alex remained manager did just that. He goes in June. The idea being his departure wouldn’t overshadow the great man’s own announcement when it came.

David Moyes, for many the lead successor to Fergie is thought to be in the frame.

But even though the stand out candidate, Everton's manager doesn’t entirely fit the United board’s criterion to be manager. Substantial Champions League experience is missing from his CV. Privately, Moyes expressed reservations about succeeding Fergie immediately anyway.

Given the immense job of replacing such a huge character, United's choice of successor is tough one. Everton's chairman Bill Kenwright said he'd personally drive Moyes to Old Trafford to succeed Sir Alex. (I bloody wouldn't).

So the surprise is after all the talk and posturing over many years, as the United job becomes available, Jose Mourinho's not in the frame, despite all the years he coveted it.

Retirement talk leaves United and Fergie at odds

It's the truth that daren't speak its name at Old Trafford. When is Sir Alex Ferguson going to retire?

 

It's a question being asked of The Govanator more and more frequently - and his answer is always along the lines of "it's not on the horizon".

It's the measure of true greatness

Seasoned Fergie Watchers know why. Firstly, way way back in 2001, when he announced his retirement with a year's notice, the lap of honour descended into indiscipline, no trophies for nearly three seasons, home defeats by Middlesbrough and three third-placed finishes in four seasons.

Secondly, everyone knows Fergie is deeply affected by the death of his own father soon after his retirement. "Such talk is for the young", and "without work, there's nothing else". If there's one thing uniting Fergie with Arsene Wenger, it's on wearing carpet slippers after 60-years-old.

And since establishing that mentality, doesn't Sir Alex look well and in command? It's a long way from the mid-nineties when he looked vulnerable. His face was blotchy, his hairdryers were powered by Sellafield.



Utd ledge now ex-City journeyman. No chance Sparky.

It's even rumoured that Bryan Robson was packed off to Middlesbrough as player-manager because a poll in the Manchester Evening News had Captain Marvel ahead of Fergie as the fan's choice for manager. How insane does that look now?

Now even his glasses look modern and he's learned not to throw his chewy on the floor at the full-time whistle!

Football, bloody 'ell.

Well, this is all fine and dandy for Fergie - but it's not particularly helpful for the raging multinational, multi-income streamed business model that he helped create.

As time draws on, Manchester United's board and owners will need to defend their market position against the likes of Barcelona, Milan and the Noisy Neighbours with a bloodless succession.

But how can they deny Fergie when he keeps winning? As he nudges 70, isn't this a niggling issue at Old Trafford? Would the board be cynical enough to sack him if United went on a hideous run of results or after a catalogue of player indiscipline?

But who for the toughest act to follow in football? comically, it's been on the news agenda for over a decade and thrown up some names, which in hindsight, look absolutely ridiculous.

Can Jose's reputation outlast Fergietime?

Serious candidates have come and gone: even Roy Keane, Steve Bruce and Mark McGhee were talked of. More recently it was Steve McClaren, Sven-Goran Eriksson (that nearly did happen) and Martin O'Neill. Then Mark Hughes and David Moyes.

Now we're left with Jose Mourinho, who's long expressed the desire to return to the Premier League with United. Trouble is, his tenure at Real Madrid may be exposed to the Latin winds of change far quicker than Ferguson's desire to step aside here.

It's left to speculation as to who might be regarded as a top or available boss in three years time! Moyes is the leading domestic name, although sources on Merseyside reckon he'd only want to be next but one boss at Old Trafford.

So when Fergie does go this time, I predict it'll be a coat and dagger affair. As discreet as United can be, he will go and a new manager will be unveiled - all in 24 hours and probably in June. I'm not even going to predict the year!

But I also believe Sir Alex needs to be remembered as much for the way he stepped down as for his phenomenal success. He owes it to both his successor and the club.

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Slingshot Drogba set for the World Cup?

Betting Preview » Blog Archive » Day 5 Lunchtime Update

The World Cup gets interesting today! Didier Drogba may take to the field for the Ivory Coast with his arm in a sling! Given Sven Goran Eriksson's track record of patching up star players and fielding them (remember Wayne Rooney's metatarsal in 2006?), the only thing that can stop the Drog is FIFA disqualifying him!

Andy Clarke's report includes Sven audio.

Sven says no to North Korea!

In a first notable act of ethical foreign policy, Sven-Goran Eriksson's rejected the chance to manage North Korea. A wise decision especially as his Korea is in fact going south (boom boom!)

But it's not to appease the Neocons and Hawks up Washington. Sven's decision to reject the Axis of Evil has more to do with his almost OCD approach to job offers. Soccermongery can exclusively reveal he's going through the alphabet accepting them!

Since leaving the FA, Sven's taken on Manchester City, Mexico, Notts County and er... North Korea? (no, it's on the previous page, Sven - but an easy mistake to make!).

You can therefore fully expect approaches to Nuneaton Town, Oxhey Jets, then Paraguay. STOP PRESS: Sweden have come calling!

Let's face it, Sven's snaffling up contracts coining it in off the back of being world famous in football. Remember the job he nearly accepted after the World Cup, Jamaica? no he left of his own accord!

Sven's got his eye on the money and doesn't give a hoot about where the job is - so long as the chances are he'll get paid!

And the more these old boys throw the dice in the autumn of their careers, the bigger the chance they'll get of grabbing a serious job sooner or later.

Don't believe me? journeyman Luiz Felipe Scolari got Chelsea after errant assignments at whothefcukin'ellaretheyclubs like Al Qadisiya, Criciúma, Grêmio and Júbilo Iwata. It seemed his only qualification was being in charge of teams who knocked England out of major tournaments every other year.

And he got found out!

Sven's a mere twelve months away from a possible return to Manchester City, the hotseat at Portsmouth or maybe Jose's replacement at Inter. North Korea's not good enough? Don't worry Svennis, like the buses another myopic club or country will be a long in fifteen minutes! STOP PRESS: Sweden haven't disappointed us. They've come calling for the old boy. Told you!

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The Capello Project is d-o-o-o-med if Premier League bosses don't respect him.

Low confidence, a lack of attacking adventure and only two-goals scored against low calibre Andorra - but it's hardly surprising Fabio Capello's England is misfiring.

He has little support from inside the English game. "We're All Doomed" if we're not in this together.

Capello's agitated by a perceived lack of respect from fellow managers in the Premier League. He was disappointed by Harry Redknapp's comments about England's performance in the friendly against the Czechs. After all, when Fabio watched Portsmouth, Fabio didn't pass comment on the way Pompey played up. Fabio kept it professional.

Capello's antennae are well-tuned. His intuition about a lack of respect is right. How are we going to forage through Europe without co-operation from the Home Front?

But unwelcome comments about his team from fellow managers are just the tip of the iceberg.

Premier League bosses think nothing of withholding their players citing spurious fitness concerns. "England needs that player?"... Tough!

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez saw this international window as the ideal chance to put Steven Gerrard under the surgeon's knife. The operation though necessary, didn't need doing now; better Gerrard misses a couple of games for England than for Liverpool, eh Rafa?

Gerrard's drive in midfield is sorely missed and England's best starting line-up is compromised by outside forces.

Capello's been highly-visible stadium-hopping to assess the form of his prospective squad, but he's not across another major issue; a meaningful dialogue with managers about the players he needs.

Sven recognised this and often resorted to the press to air his grievances with managers by using the backpages to put them under pressure.

He was a canny operator was Sven. Fergie and Co were often forced onto the backfoot when it came to making players available for England. Remember how Sven scooped an injured Rooney off to the 2006 World Cup against Fergie's wishes?

Capello has a more rigid mindset than Sven and frankly, he doesn't seem to have the Premier League with him so far.

There are FIFA rules about making players available for international duty, but there's no help more locally from the FA to steer Premier League managers to play ball on a more informal basis.

Until Capello grapples with his peers and starts winning these mini-battles with the clubs, Capello's England Project looks compromised - and ultimately doomed.

Listen to Fabio's post-match news conference courtesy of Football Audio.