United fans will identify with the title of this blog as in 1989 fan Pete Molyneux held up a banner saying '3 years of excuses and it's still crap TA RA FERGIE'.
Well Fergie has indeed said 'Ta Ra'.......24 years after the banner was unveiled and with enough memories to last a lifetime.
Yesterday scenes at Old Trafford were emotional and special, if you weren't touched by them then in my opinion you are not a true football fan.
Britain's greatest ever football manager took his leave and the gratitude of millions of United fans with him in a special day for the Govan guvnor.
It was a fitting tribute for a man who has ruled the roost for 26 years – yes he berated referees, yes he played mind games, yes at times he could be unpleasant but above it all Fergie is a winner.
13 league titles in 21 Premier League seasons is phenomenal, but the fact United have always faced the challenge of a new team winning 'their' trophy but then dismantled them is Fergie's biggest achievement in my opinion.
Remember 1995? Blackburn Rovers won it on the final day and we heard how United's domination of the league would be over? Where are they now?
In 98,2002,04 – it was Arsenal who took the trophy away, again United had reached the end and so had Fergie – he even 'retired' one season but had to make a U-turn!
When Jose came to Chelsea and won two titles, United were finished, especially when Carlo Ancelotti continued taking the trophy down south.
But today, Arsenal face a fight just to finish fourth and are more than 20 points behind the champions while Chelsea have had more managers in the last four years than United have in almost 40!
The very fact that the next longest serving manager, one A.Wenger, is 10 years of service behind shows just how well Sir Alex has done.
Football has not got a sacking culture, it's now a disease. You can now be sacked if your face does not fit with new owners or you are just above the relegation zone.
Or if you are Roberto Mancini, and lose a FA Cup Final to end the season without a trophy despite having won the club's first league title in more than 40 years just 12 months before......
Fergie has been close to the door a few times, but eternal credit must go to the United board, firstly for standing by him in the late 90s and through the blips they endured in the next two decades.
Sky's Martin Tyler said we might not see another Fergie again and sadly in this case 'The Voice is right' – loyalty is a dirty word in football nowadays.
Congratulations on a fine career Sir Alex, I spent years hating you but I was wrong, you can never despise a winner.
No comments:
Post a Comment