Farewell Sir Alex
Saw the news last night on social media networks that Sir Alex Ferguson was retiring at the end of the season. I took the news with a pinch of salt and as wishful thinking. But the news broke this morning and I have to say that as a Liverpool supporter I am very happy that he has decided to retire.
I wish he had done it a few years ago to be honest but glad this day has finally come and I’m sure a few people around the country will celebrate this news. The response of his retiring has a similar reaction to Maggie Thatcher’s passing.
OK so envy and jealousy of Fergie’s success and his achievement of knocking Liverpool of their perch as United have overtaken our haul of 18 League titles under his reign has made me long for this day. But as joyous as the day is it must be gut wrenching for the supporters of Manchester United supporters as their “Sir” announces his retirement.
United fans knew the day would come but dreaded thinking about it. Now is that day and although they have a great squad of players and are current Premiership Champions, the future remains uncertain. It doesn’t matter if you are a supporter of Manchester United or Rochdale whenever there is a change of manager the future is unclear, and after the success enjoyed under the leadership of Fergie his successor will have a very difficult task of continuing his great work.
Candidates of his successor have already been mentioned and the top two at this time of writing are Jose Mourinho and Davie Moyes.
Mourinho is a tremendous manager and I think he would sit comfortably on Fergie’s throne and achieve more success for United. I think Mourinho would also lure Ronaldo back to Old Trafford.
Moyes is a great manager in his own right and he has done a marvellous job at Everton over the years on a shoe string budget and he has shown great loyalty to Everton, but for Moyes to get the opportunity to manage Manchester United it would be very difficult for him to decline the chance.
It would be a totally different challenge for Moyes at United with expectations so much higher than at Everton. Moyes is also lacking in European experience which would be needed at United.
So personally I hope United choose Moyes for Fergie’s successor as I think it could be too different a job from what he’s used to at Everton, and I think he would struggle.
But I remain happy at the fact that there is change at long last at Old Trafford after constant domination over the last 20 years which Liverpool enjoyed during the 70’s and 80’s. Liverpool had more managers during that time but it was men who knew the club inside out, Shankly, Paisley, Fagan, Dalglish.
United have relied on one man’s great managerial qualities for a very long time, just like they did with Matt Busby and when he left they struggled. Football seems to work in cycles and I’m hoping a new cycle is beginning in the way it did when Busby left and United don’t win another title for another 20 or so years.
I never liked Fergie as a manager, like I said earlier I was envy and jealous of the success he brought to United, but I didn’t like the way he constantly berated officials and very rarely showed respect to his opponents after a defeat. His collection of silverware is second to none but he lacks the class of Shankly, Paisley and Matt Busby in the way he conducts himself compared to them.
But at the end of the day his style of management, love him or hate him, has won him countless trophies and you can’t take that away from him. So in a mark of respect from a Liverpool supporter to Sir Alex Ferguson, I wish you a happy retirement but I am glad to see you go.
The Kopite View 
Good riddance to the biggest cheat in football. A true blight on football. Howard Webb reported to be devastated,”I will miss him like hell. We won so much together”.
Cheat! Cheat! Cheat!
2 european cups in 27 1/2 years,what a manager?
I’m not ashamed to admit I respect the man for his achievements and the fact he never forgot where he came from. There’s a reason Carra chose Fergie when asked what footy related person he’d want to invite for dinner.
Agreed. Time to stop living on our past glories as well and look to what hopefully is a bright future for Liverpool Fc,hopefully now there is a changing of the guard down the east lancs road we can take advantage of a new dawn.
Good riddance to a bad egg
i just want to ask what kind of kopite r u when u call HIM sir. good riddance to ol’red nose i say n to that other jock over the park. he has been a blight on english football with his whinging n moaning n terrorising other managers and clubs alike, not to mention havin the fa and referees associations in his pocket. we may not be what we were but at least we didnt stoop the low tactics and intimidation he did. thank god he’s gone. YNWA JFT96