God Bless Sir Alex Ferguson

MtP07 · May 6, 2007

Thank you Fergie for being the man. A true legend.

Jabinho · May 6, 2007

That's 9 Premiership titles for SAF.. A tenth would be a nice number..

leafdolfan · May 6, 2007

The True Special One

pgr17 · May 6, 2007

SIR Alex Ferguson has never been one to shirk a challenge.

As an apprentice toolmaker in the tough Clyde shipyards, he became a shop steward while still in his teens and persuaded his work-mates to go out on strike.

At St Mirren, where he sought to impress his own radical vision for the future of the club so vociferously that he was fired for swearing in the boardroom.

At Aberdeen, with whom he successfully challenged the traditional dominance of the Old Firm by leading the club to the Scottish Premier League title and, later, improbable European Cup Winners' Cup success.

Even at Manchester United, whom he slowly moulded into the all-conquering team of the 1990s in defiance of many who wanted to see him sacked for failing to make an immediate impression.

So when Roman Abramovich stormed into Stamford Bridge with a £500million promise to make Chelsea the biggest club in the world, Ferguson barely batted an eyelid.

Even as Jose Mourinho's emergence coincided with speculation about Ferguson's future, and the controversial departures of talismans Roy Keane, David Beckham and Ruud van Nistelrooy, he remained unperturbed.

"His comments don't bother me," said Ferguson in response to mischievous claims by the Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon, that the Londoners would surpass United as the world's biggest club by 2014.

Experience

"I am hardly going to start quaking and trembling about them. My only experience is that anywhere we go there always seems to be a mass of people crowding around the players all wearing shirts.

"There are all sorts of mythical tales about our club. All I know is that we have a great history and have all these supporters because we entertain. We will not change from that."

Ferguson was as good as his word. He painstakingly rebuilt United in a way which would have made the late Sir Matt Busby proud. His success is showcased in the destiny of this season's Barclays Premiership title.

None can doubt Ferguson's place in history now: his rise from earnest centre-forward for Queen's Park to the manager's dugout at East Stirlingshire, and ultimately right to the top of his sport.

He had proved his passion for greater things during his ill-fated tenure at Love Street, when he drove around Paisley with a loudspeaker in an attempt to boost attendances which succeeded spectacularly.

Having achieved a shift in Scotland's balance of power by taking Aberdeen to European success, he stepped in for a short spell managing his country in 1986 following the untimely death of Jock Stein.

Progress

Ferguson's first three years at Old Trafford were uncomfortable. He spent what was, at the time, big money without making much evident progress in ending the title drought. But when the change came it was emphatic.

As the Premiership came into being, Ferguson's nucleus of young stars came to the fore, and United seized their opportunity by launching an almost unprecedented period of dominance which yielded eight titles in 11 seasons.

Having captured the Cup Winners' Cup in 1991, the big one arrived in the most dramatic fashion imaginable in 1999, when two injury-time goals secured the Champions League title over Bayern Munich.

After all that it was little wonder than Ferguson should react in the only way he knew how when the latest threat to his dominance arrived in the shape of a cash-rich Siberian oligarch.

He left the superlatives to others and quietly got down to the task of creating another team oozing flair and finesse.

The year 2014 may still be seven years away. But it can be certain Ferguson's legacy will last even longer.
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sdotsom · May 6, 2007

The special one..

Devil500 · May 6, 2007

sdotsom said: ↑

The special one..
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The Really really really Special One

barthez4 · May 6, 2007

Sack Fergie!!!! Sell Giggs!!!!

Numquam Moribimur · May 6, 2007

Fergie > God ! .......

sdotsom · May 6, 2007

Kaka would smack you , NM.

lex fg · May 6, 2007

Sir Alex is the only person in the world who, whenever he opens his mouth to speak, I feel I am honoured to be listening to, and honoured to be living in the same lifetime as. Truly a living legend.

NINE times. NINE.

Achtung · May 6, 2007

Every single one of us...

lex fg · May 6, 2007

Achtung said: ↑

Every single one of us...
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loves Alex Ferguson

j.fisher · May 6, 2007

sitati_kituyi said: ↑

Sir Alex is the only person in the world who, whenever he opens his mouth to speak, I feel I am honoured to be listening to, and honoured to be living in the same lifetime as. Truly a living legend.

NINE times. NINE.
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Wow. That's..... just weird.

lex fg · May 6, 2007

Fisher™ said: ↑

Wow. That's..... just weird.
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Go stuff Mourinho's coat up your behind, I don't need you to relate to what I'm saying.

Sir Alex is a legend. If this game continues for another half millenium, his name will still be on the lips of those who know their football.

Motterman · May 6, 2007

sitati_kituyi said: ↑

Go stuff Mourinho's coat up your behind, I don't need you to relate to what I'm saying.

Sir Alex is a legend. If this game continues for another half millenium, his name will still be on the lips of those who know their football.
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Let's be nice to our visitors. Show them how it's done and all that.....

biro · May 6, 2007

And yet go on some other boards and you'll still find United 'fans' calling SAF and saying he had nothing to do with the title.

lex fg · May 6, 2007

Motterman said: ↑

Let's be nice to our visitors. Show them how it's done and all that.....
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Alright.

Kindly, sir Fisher, allow me to widthdraw my instruction for you to impregnate your uncharacteristically bidirectional receptacle with the said accouterment.

Reaper2004 · May 6, 2007

sitati_kituyi said: ↑

Alright.

Kindly, sir Fisher, allow me to widthdraw my instruction for you to impregnate your uncharacteristically bidirectional receptacle with the said accouterment.
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LOL WHAT!!??

haven · May 6, 2007

You don't get lucky 9 times. And, for the first time in years, he can really say that he won a title despite a vast discrepancy in resources - in another club's favor. Magnificent.

Reaper2004 · May 6, 2007

All we need now is the Champions League. Alex bring this elusive title home next season PLEASE!!!

j.fisher · May 6, 2007

sitati_kituyi said: ↑

Go stuff Mourinho's coat up your behind, I don't need you to relate to what I'm saying.

Sir Alex is a legend. If this game continues for another half millenium, his name will still be on the lips of those who know their football.
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Not denying his brilliance as a football manager. But speaking of him like he's a demi-god is not only weird, but pretty pathetic.

Reaper2004 · May 6, 2007

Funny I bet you and your comrades said the same thing when Jose won you the title 2 years in a row

lex fg · May 6, 2007

Fisher™ said: ↑

Not denying his brilliance as a football manager. But speaking of him like he's a demi-god is not only weird, but pretty pathetic.
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Thank you, come again.

caco794 · May 6, 2007

Fisher™ said: ↑

Not denying his brilliance as a football manager. But speaking of him like he's a demi-god is not only weird, but pretty pathetic.
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when ho-zay wins as much as fergie has and in the kinda same manner (ya know, the kids) then we'll talk.

JamesA · May 6, 2007

Here's a question for everyone.

How much does this championship, given the circumstances, add to the argument that SAF is the greatest British League manager in the history of the game?