[Archived] Fergie Set To Retire?

[DE.]

Not sure if Moyes is the answer for United. He's done a steady enough job with Everton but his record against top clubs is pretty atrocious and he has very little European experience.

Fergie thinks he's the right man, but he also though Kleberson, Djemba-Djemba, Liam Miller, Bebe and so on were the right men so his judgement is far from perfect.

Moyes may bring "stability", but a club like Man Utd need more than that.

[Giant]

When is someone in the media going to put their head above the parapet and say that Ferguson is a bully boy, who intimidated refs, the FA, Premier League etc. His behaviour towards officials set an appalling example, Fergie time etc etc. Toys out of the pram for years in not giving interviews to the BBC. I'm glad to see the back of him, because I think he has been bad for football.

[Amo]

I guess this means Fergie's a shoe-in for the Manager of the Year Award now... which rightfully should be Laudrup's.

[booth]

We can only hope it's a tremendous cock up of an appointment. I hope so anyway.

[Ianrally]

Whoever gets the job, I'm not sure it will be helpful to have Fergie looking over their shoulder. He struggled at the start of his reign with Matt Busby in the background, as did all five managers prior to Fergies arrival.

[K-Hod]

I think it will end up being a case of trial and error to begin with.

They'll hire someone that will end up being bad, then they'll have to fire him, then they'll have to start again. Ferguson saying he'll have no input into the recruitment process is complete horse dung as well, he'll be massively influential in the selection process.

All this is my opinion of course!!

[Mike E]

I guess this means Fergie's a shoe-in for the Manager of the Year Award now... which rightfully should be Laudrup's.

I'd even put Steve Clarke in the MOTY hat this season before Fergie.

[CWD65]

Thatcher dies and Ferguson retires. Somewhere there is a scouser with a lamp and one wish left.

It goes without saying that the lamp no doubt belongs to somebody else though…

[Rover_Shaun]

http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/hawksbee-and-jacobs/130508/hilarious-manchester-united-fan-cries-after-hearing-fergies-retirement-197157

At 43 seconds

And Crerand is such a gimp

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2321289/Sir-Alex-Ferguson-retires-Manchester-United-fan-sent-home-tears-Paddy-Crerand-rages-rumours-announcement.html

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Christ! A footballing behemoth makes a seismic change almost seamlessly. Throws the 'efforts' of our utterly useless administrators into sharp focus.

Nice one!

A truly great man manager indeed but one who has always had the boardroom people,money and top players at his disposal to achieve what he has done in the game.

[Guest Norbert]

Popped up on BBC that as we all knew, Moyes would take over. I do wonder if Ferguson/Man Utd had a word a while ago and that was why Moyes was stalling on a new contract.

Moyes' teams are usually led by a powerful, energetic midfield and a pretty solid defence. Man Utd in the last few years have needed a bit of that in their game to add to their great attacking options. I think one or more of Baines/Jagielka/Fellaini may also join Moyes at Old Trafford.

[Mike E]

Nice one!

A truly great man manager indeed but one who has always had the boardroom people,money and top players at his disposal to achieve what he has done in the game.

Let's not forget that Fergie has rebuilt whole 3 whole generations of players in his time. By my reckoning, around 1/5th of the truly great Utd players in the last 25years came through their academy. Remember that first wave of youth? Giggs, Beckham, Scholes, Butt and the Nevilles. Absolutely formidable. Imo, he's spent far less money than he could have and has achieved more than anyone could've imagined with it.

[Stuart]

Seaman was the keeper during two of Wenger's successful title campaigns.

I seem to recall Wenger advising the club to buy Bergkamp not long before he arrived, when Rioch was in charge?

[T4E]

Nice one!

A truly great man manager indeed but one who has always had the boardroom people,money and top players at his disposal to achieve what he has done in the game.

This is a guy who got Aberdeen to beat Real Madrid in the final of a European competition. There's way more to him than the above.

[roverandout]

i hear a hard-working scotsman has applied for the job, he has a bald head by the way

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Let's not forget that Fergie has rebuilt whole 3 whole generations of players in his time. By my reckoning, around 1/5th of the truly great Utd players in the last 25years came through their academy. Remember that first wave of youth? Giggs, Beckham, Scholes, Butt and the Nevilles. Absolutely formidable. Imo, he's spent far less money than he could have and has achieved more than anyone could've imagined with it.[/quote

It's a bit of a myth Utd bringing though scores of great players. Take out the one tranche of players that everybody refers to ( Giggs , Beckham etc ) and how many other great players have they brought into the game through their youth team ? You've got to bear in mind they have the pick of the young footballers in the area, I wouldn't say they were that successful.

[Blue blood]

Moyes will hopefully start the decline.

At Eveton he has spent millions on millions (despite trying to blank it from the history books with his contstant pleas of poverty) and in that time he is still languishing behind even Joe Royle in terms of winning things.

Souness, McClaren, McCleish, Redknapp and Laudrup have all won trophies at supposed smaller clubs with smaller budgets.

Absolutely - some of the fees he spent on players clubs like Rovers could only dream of spending. How much was Yakubu, Fellani (sp). No money my arse.

I guess this means Fergie's a shoe-in for the Manager of the Year Award now... which rightfully should be Laudrup's.

Agree. After all they fluffed a decent chance at a treble. Granted the Champs League was a bit out of their hands with the red card, but even so, not a vintage season from manure despite the premiership.

Comparing resources Laudrup has been streets ahead this year.

[BlueMonday]

Great football manager. But did he cure cancer and perfect heart transplant procedures while I wasn't looking

because the media are going over fecking board imo.

Sky are creaming their pants.

[Baz]

Fergies real success has been in the transfer market. Only c90 players signed since start of premier league, so an average of around 4 per season, including kids.

http://www.transferleague.co.uk/premiership-transfers/manchester-united-transfers.html

Mainly 1 or 2 proven quality and a couple of gambles (ie Josh King, Mame Diouf, Solksjaer, Hernandez)

Compare that with anyone elses record.

[Majiball]

1. Alex Ferguson

http://footballpantheon.com/2011/07/the-50-greatest-managers-of-all-time/6/

Nationality Scottish

To properly put a list of achievements as lengthy as Alex Ferguson’s
into context, it’s possibly best to illustrate the other careers that
his own encompasses.

First of all, he did a Brian Clough by breaking the Old Firm’s
dominance of Scotland with Aberdeen and even winning a Cup Winners Cup
with them. The Real Madrid side he beat in the final had reached the
same stage of the European Cup just two years before.

Secondly, he emulated Matt Busby and Bill Shankly by transforming
Manchester United from a faded giant to a modern super-club. For those
that cavil at the resources Ferguson has enjoyed in contrast to those
past masters, it’s worth reflecting that he helped create them.

Finally, he has long surpassed the likes of Bob Paisley, Giovanni
Trapattoni and Miguel Munoz as a thoroughly relentless trophy winner.

Indeed, there’s an interesting parallel between Ferguson’s time at United and that of Liverpool’s two giants.

Collectively, Shankly and Paisley were at Liverpool for 24 years. In
that time, they won three European Cups, nine domestic titles, two Uefa
Cups, two FA Cups and three league cups.

By comparison, Ferguson has been at Old Trafford for 25 years. In
that time, he’s won two Champions Leagues, 12 domestic titles, a Cup
Winners Cup, five FA Cups and four league cups. If anything, it
illustrates the astonishing breadth of Ferguson’s career.

Paisley, of course, has that extra European Cup that Ferguson
doesn’t. And it’s that continental record that has always been the one
major caveat to his CV. But, when pointed out, it’s also usually a
caveat devoid of proper context.

After all, Ferguson has still won as many European trophies in total
as any other manager. What’s more, the exact length of his career has
thrown up an unprecedented number of challenges. Having finally overcome
the hangover from the Heysel ban, Ferguson then created his greatest
teams during the most competitive period of the Champions League’s
history. As barely needs repeating, no club has retained the trophy
since Ferguson first entered the competition. They days of racking up
rallies are long gone.

And yet, still, Ferguson might have forged the European Cup’s
greatest record had it not been for the rise of one its greatest teams. A
brilliant Barcelona have now denied him twice. How Ferguson reacts to
that challenge is going to be revealing.

Because, so far, his career has been characterised by eventually beating off all-comers: the Old Firm, Kenny Dalglish’s
Blackburn, Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle, Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal, Jose
Mourinho’s Chelsea, Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea. He’s won almost every
trophy possible in almost every way possible: with adventure, with
caution, by romping home, by just making it over the line, with power,
with poise. No other has proved as durable, as adaptable, as dogged or –
ultimately – as successful. The fact he’s still competing for the
game’s top prizes three decades after winning his first is the ultimate
evidence of that. And the caveat that he’s not finished yet makes it all
the more formidable.

Career East Sterlingshire 1974; St Mirren 1974-78; Aberdeen 1978-86; Scotland 1985-86; Manchester United 1986-2013

Trophies 2 Champions Leagues; 2 Cup Winners Cups; 15 domestic titles (12 England, 3 Scotland); 14 domestic cups

[blueboy3333]

Fergies real success has been in the transfer market. Only c90 players signed since start of premier league, so an average of around 4 per season, including kids.

http://www.transferleague.co.uk/premiership-transfers/manchester-united-transfers.html

Mainly 1 or 2 proven quality and a couple of gambles (ie Josh King, Mame Diouf, Solksjaer, Hernandez)

Compare that with anyone elses record.

Which is fine if you can spend £30m on Rio Ferdinand and another £30m on Rooney etc. No other manager could have spent that kind of money at the time he signed them. If he'd have signed ferdinand from WHU he would have got him for £15m or whateevr Leeds paid. Fergie always had the luxury of seeing how promising players did at other clubs before signing them. Take valencia, Wigan got him for £3m-ish, Fergie buys him for £17m a couple of years later. I wouldn't call that a success. He's signed some real @#/? as well in his time. My favourite was that Italian keeper he spent millions on who was shockingly bad.

[Majiball]

Martinez to everton then?

[blueboy3333]

Martinez to everton then?

good call, as long as he doesn't take gary caldwell with him i'm sure Martinez would do very well there.

[Mike E]

Which is fine if you can spend £30m on Rio Ferdinand and another £30m on Rooney etc. No other manager could have spent that kind of money at the time he signed them. If he'd have signed ferdinand from WHU he would have got him for £15m or whateevr Leeds paid. Fergie always had the luxury of seeing how promising players did at other clubs before signing them. Take valencia, Wigan got him for £3m-ish, Fergie buys him for £17m a couple of years later. I wouldn't call that a success. He's signed some real @#/? as well in his time. My favourite was that Italian keeper he spent millions on who was shockingly bad.

Taibi? There was also that spaniard keeper called Ricardo I think.

[blueboy3333]

Taibi? There was also that spaniard keeper called Ricardo I think.

Thats him! He was excellent at watching the ball roll very slowly through his legs and into the net. Scmeichel wasn't bad though!