Sir Alex Ferguson: The World's Greatest

Sir Alex Ferguson. A member of the English Hall of Fame. Winner of 13 League Titles, 5 FA Cups, 4 League Cups, 2 Champions League Titles and numerous other trophies. Sir Alex has changed Manchester United Football Club, and has a place in the heart of many, all around the world - including myself.

Ferguson achieved so much for the club, making some brilliant signings, such as Cristiano Ronaldo for just £12.5 million, Edwin Van Der Sar for just £2 million, and current captain Nemanja Vidic for only £7 million. However, transfers haven't been his only success. 1999 was a season everyone will remember. The year United did the treble. The Scot has been everywhere with the club, and achieved almost everything possible, most recently helping United reach 20 Premier League titles, and overtaking Liverpool's record the previous season.

Even at 71, Sir Alex seemed to have still been going strong. He has bought in a lot of young players who are able to develop, Wilfried Zaha, Alexandr Buttner, Nick Powell. He has developed club legends such as David Beckham, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and even Ryan Giggs. I believe Ferguson still has enough in him to make more.

Following the recent success of winning the 20th Premier League title with Manchester United, Fergie decided to make the inevitable decision. With the team on a high, Ferguson felt this was the right time to call it a day - leaving Manchester United with a world-class side, numerous honours, and history. This may be the end of the Fergie Era, but certainly isn't the end of the Manchester Era, and that's the red side of Manchester.

Ferguson has been up there at the club with the likes of Matt Busby, becoming one of the greatest managers ever at Manchester United, and even in football. He has created history, and has also created 'Squeaky Bum Time'. What happens next though?

He is taking up the role of the directors he previously spoke about, saying he wants to still be part of the club, but who takes over next? David Moyes? Jose Mourinho? Jurgen Klopp? Ole Gunnar Solskjaer? Who knows at the moment. But I, and all Manchester United fans, know that Ferguson is a genius. A tactical mastermind, topped off with the managerial brilliance and the endless supply of chewing gum, who will never be forgotten.

Personally, I'm truly gutted he's going, he's a legend and has done so much for the club. I never wanted to see him go, and felt he couldn't have stayed longer, maybe become champions of Europe one more time. Nevertheless, Fergie has done more than enough for the team, and deserves everything he gets.

I feel Ferguson can never be replaced, and football managing has now lost a football father. For a long time now, Manchester United will be like a James Bond film, but without James Bond.

On behalf of all Manchester United fans, and fans worldwide - Thank you Sir Alex.

Manchester United have to announce whether Fergie will leave or not because they are floated on the New York Stock Exchange and the club has to abide by the laws of being listed on this stock exchange which means they have to tell the world whether he will go or not and do this very soon.

I admire this man so much! He has been an amazing manger and tactician. He's brought in world class players at a young age and developed them, hes brought in players that are established and made them better and very rarely does he make a mistake. A few transfers never worked out but there are more managers out there who have failed completely.

There are very few people who can say he is the best manager in the world and those that do not think that are very deluded. Hes managed one club for so many years and kept them at the very top in the footballing world, perhaps one of his few regrets not winning more champions league trophies but in an era with teams such as the galacticos and Barcelona playing the way they have (until this season) it was of course unbelievably difficult.

After seeing on twitter from Sky News that he may be stepping down and reading that he has scheduled surgery for the end of the summer makes it all the more likely that he will. He could have had surgery as soon as this season finishes and bookmakers have slashed the odds on Moyes taking over at United.

Moyes has worked wonders at Everton. Just yesterday I read an article on the Financial Times about them and how they have coped with such limited funds in comparison to teams like Liverpool in the league. I think hes an outstanding manager that demands the very best and has built a sort of legacy at everton. (the article if anyone wants to read it http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/2fa7ef1e-b2c0-11e2-8540-00144feabdc0.html#slide0). I would not hate it if Moyes took over as I think he would be able to accomplish a lot more at a club like United who would back him with the funds and he would already have a world class squad at his disposal.

There is also talk of Mourinho taking over and this is a bit 50-50. He has a great relationship with Fergie and has said before he would like to manage the red devils. He's on the verge of leaving Real Madrid and everyone thinks he could go to Chelsea but if the Chairman at United works a bit of magic we could see him at United and I think he has the ability to win trophies at United but I see the style of play changing because he plays his teams differently compared to Ferguson. There would be a lot of confidence if Mourinho came but hes never really been able to find a long term club since Chelsea and that could be the case at United - he may leave after winning a few trophies and that would lead us to finding a new maanger.

Whoever takes over will need maybe a season to get in to the job, adapting to the team and the team adapting to the new manager. Personally I would prefer Moyes to take over because I can see him in the job longer than Mourinho and we would be able to see how Moyes would do with the financial backing he has longed for. He was one of the first managers to implement the use of statistical data in signing a player and in terms of assessing an opposing team and this is something he has benefited from greatly (of course other teams do this as well but Moyes has his statisticians in an office right opposite his whereas other teams use companies that have their own buildings)

Nobody wants to see Ferguson leave, even rivals and rival fans because in reality they appreciate what the man has done for the game but his time will come one day and its something we have to accept. The question to who will replace him sees me of the opinion that it will be Moyes and I wouldn't be disappointed to see Moyes in the role. Mourinho at the moment is more like a glamour appointment to the job and I do not see him staying at the club for more than 3 or 4 seasons. He will look for a new challenge but there is always the possibility that since he has left Chelsea he was just waiting for the day Fergie retired so that he could build his own legacy at Old Trafford. Chelsea fans would hate to see him at Manchester United but it is still a real possibility that he could join. But like I said I think more than any other manager, it will be David Moyes and he will be given a bedding in period at the club before any real judgement is taken and made. That is one thing Man Utd did with Fergie when he joined and they would be fools to not give the new manager the same support. I think if Fergie steps down there is no way he would leave the club altogether. After his surgery I expect him to be back in a Director role after he has recovered.

I believe he will win the Champions League in the next few years then retire.

2013-05-08 11:02#98698 Toon : I believe he will win the Champions League in the next few years then retire.

If only...

Fergie has been United manager since before I was born. It feels crazy that he's retiring...

Just to say, I will be updating this soon due to the news of his retirement.

EDIT: Updated

Even as a Leeds fan, although his moaning annoyed me, he has been one of the biggest characters in football for many years, best manager to have lived IMO

2013-05-08 16:52#98776 JL00 : Even as a Leeds fan, although his moaning annoyed me, he has been one of the biggest characters in football for many years, best manager to have lived IMO

You make it sound as if he is dead. Which he will be soon

To be fair lads, people are saying "best manager of all time."

Let's get some perspective here, you can't say that, you can say "best manager of my lifetime.", but to assume that managers that are beyond the boundaries of your football knowledge aren't as good is a little hypocritical.

For example, there may be a manager in the late 1800s or 1900s that has met similar accomplishments yet is not ranked as high in most peoples books.

To my knowledge he is the best, but that's my knowledge that doesn't span much further back than the premier league, to be honest.

2013-05-08 21:19#98825 Toon : To be fair lads, people are saying "best manager of all time."

Let's get some perspective here, you can't say that, you can say "best manager of my lifetime.", but to assume that managers that are beyond the boundaries of your football knowledge aren't as good is a little hypocritical.

For example, there may be a manager in the late 1800s or 1900s that has met similar accomplishments yet is not ranked as high in most peoples books.

To my knowledge he is the best, but that's my knowledge that doesn't span much further back than the premier league, to be honest.

They aren't beyond the boundaries of our football knowledge, we have records of who did what since the formation of the league. George Ramsay of Aston Villa in the 1800s-1900s would come the closest to fulfilling your objection, and should be considered in the same breath top managers such as Busby and Paisley, but he is still behind Fergie. In the most obvious ways of looking at it, Fergie is far and away the most successfull. In terms of the four major competitions:

Premier League
Fergie has won twice as many league titles as anyone else since the inception of the league. He has also finished second or third a huge number of times, and the sustained standards are unrivalled in the history of English football.

FA Cup
Fergie is in joint second, with five wins, only one behind George Ramsay of Aston Villa's success in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

League Cup
Fergie is joint first with Brian Clough on four wins.

Champions League
Fergie is joint second, winning twice and being runner up twice. Not to mention the consistency that means failing to emerge from the group stage is seen as a travesty.

Even that doesn't fully show how much of a great manager he has been. The tactical side of football is hugely complex in the modern game, and he has been able to triumph through two decades of tactical innovation. Motivationally, he has had to deal with an unprecedented change in the lives of players, as they have become international celebrities and millionaires. Tactically and as a man manager, he's at the very least up there with everyone else.

However, I see two legitimate arguments against saying he's the greatest of all time.

First, I think you should always say the greatest manager in british football. Other leagues are at completely different levels with different philosophies, managers from other leagues may in fact have won more, but there's no real way to compare (especially across time).

The other is that I completely disagree with everyone saying "it will never happen again", so I would say "so far". Many of the aspects of Fergie's success can be replicated. Given enough time in a job, a manager with faith in youth, a fair eye in the transfer market, the ability to roll with the times in terms of tactics, and the strength of personality to motivate players and backroom staff could replicate his success. It'll take a special manager, but they exist; people can see the success Fergie brought and try to emulate him.

2013-05-08 18:19#98825 Toon : To be fair lads, people are saying "best manager of all time."

Let's get some perspective here, you can't say that, you can say "best manager of my lifetime.", but to assume that managers that are beyond the boundaries of your football knowledge aren't as good is a little hypocritical.

For example, there may be a manager in the late 1800s or 1900s that has met similar accomplishments yet is not ranked as high in most peoples books.

To my knowledge he is the best, but that's my knowledge that doesn't span much further back than the premier league, to be honest.

I suppose but football was different back then

Sir Alex Ferguson.Can only say is a legendary coach. His achievement is indelible. His contribution to United's great. He created the united:http://www.wysjg.com/manchester-united-c-1_92/.

Sir Alex is a brilliant person as well as a great football coach .Always a wise mind despite difficult situations that always can occur .Incredibly strong self belief & discipline .Unique role model for younger coaches .