Glory, Glory Man Utd. Harry Harris
an incredible situation.” Mancini won the battle of Manchester a year earlier to win the Premier League that included the historic 6 – 1 win at Old Trafford in 2011. That mattered little, nor did winning the league, as his failure in the Champions League has put his position as manager tinkering on the brink, the speculation that the decision to axe him had already been taken even ahead of the Cup Final.
Even so, despite concentrating on the Cup Final and concerning himself with his own future at the time, Mancini remarked, “In Europe, there are other good managers. I donʼt know if you can say Sir Alex is the best ever but he is the best in the last 27 years. A top club, a big club like United, you can change the manager. Sir Alex built this team but it is a big club with a big history and I donʼt think it will change something.”
James Milner believed that Sir Alexʼs departure will have no bearing on Cityʼs determination to reclaim the League title, “I donʼt think that affects us really. We concentrate on our business over here and itʼs obviously big news but all we are concentrating on us the FA Cup final. Itʼs not going to be any more open than it would have been if he was there next year. Heʼs been an amazing manager for them over the years, his record is ridiculous, unreal, but we are concerned on our side. We are bitterly disappointed how the League went this year, the main thing is that we win a piece of silverware at the weekend, do that and take the momentum of winning a trophy into next season and have a good league campaign.ʼ
Former City captain Paul Lake felt this could prove a ʼpivotal momentʼ in their battle for supremacy. “I would suggest everyone will see it as a chance to establish themselves. We are planning for next season at the same time as what weʼre doing now. Yes, Sir Alex is going to pass that mantle over to somebody. They will have a fantastic squad of players enriched with success and that mindset – these guys are going to feel 10-feet tall whoever comes in. But weʼve also experienced that and now know what it takes. Weʼve got that experience under our belts. It could be a very pivotal moment in the power struggle in Manchester but nothing is taken for granted. Weʼve got to bring in different players and there are those that are going to be offloaded. We are building now to regain that title so it could be pivotal but whoever takes that role will still have the guidance and that person to steer them that is one of the greatest managers ever. The challenge is ours but it could be a great moment for us to really turn the screw.ʼ
Lake added, “Iʼve got the utmost respect for Sir Alex Ferguson. I had my testimonial back in 1997. We had no – one to play a game and one of my committee members was talking to Sir Alex and he said ʼwhy havenʼt you asked me?ʼ He said ʼwell, youʼre Unitedʼ to which Sir Alex said well, ask me the questionʼ. He did and he responded ʼof course I will play for Paul and I will make sure David Beckham is there, Paul Scholes is there, the Nevilles are thereʼ. That is the measure of the man. He is an incredible man as well as an amazing manager. As a City fan, though, obviously there was a little kind of feeling that, wow, this is a real opportunity for us. It is an exciting moment and Iʼve seen on Twitter, Facebook and all the social media that it is party time for City fans. There again, there is somebody with a lot of experience that is going to come in with Sir Alexʼs guidance but Iʼve got to say there was a big part of me that had a huge smile for most of the day. We know his reign has finally come to an end and whoever takes it on has got a huge responsibility – imagine our expectations times 10 or times 100. That person has to fill those shoes, fill that gap and carry on as Sir Alex left off so it is a great moment for us and I personally am really excited by the prospect.”
One of Fergusonʼs biggest rivals in the past 20 years, Arsene Wenger, called the United managerʼs reign “immaculate”. They ʼenjoyedʼ many duels over the years, most notably challenging head – to – head for the Premier League title in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Wenger recognised Sir Alex left huge boots to fill. Wenger said, “It is difficult to imagine English football without him, but itʼs now a reality and a fact.”
Wenger, who will become the longest – serving manager in the country after taking charge at the Gunners in 1996, commented, “I would just like to pay tribute to an unbelievable achievement and a fantastic career. Basically the achievement is immaculate, when you look at the whole structure and consistency of the achievement. It is, of course, something exceptional. It is difficult to imagine English football without him, but itʼs now a reality and a fact. Of course the next manager has to fill in and show he has the dimension to do that. It is a big task for the guy who comes in.”
David Moyes was another long – serving boss, but Wenger anticipated a tough task for the former Everton boss, “What you can say still is that Manchester United are commercially and financially one of the strongest two or three clubs in the world, and that is still a good basis to start when you come in because you know the players are there, the team is there, and the potential is there. They have developed very well and they are in a very, very strong position to deal with the problem they face. But of course itʼs a great void to fill for Manchester United, because the charisma and personality disappears suddenly in a club which has been dominated by it for such a long time. Itʼs not an easy task to replace a person like that.”
David Moyes declined to talk directly about Manchester United when first asked by the media, but he was never evasive, akin to the way Sir Alex handled the press. Asked whether he had considered turning down Unitedʼs approach, Moyes said: “I have to be honest and say no. I wasnʼt planning on leaving. My contract was running out but we were planning for pre-season. All weʼve ever done is keep planning. Iʼve got everything ready for next season and the chairman and everyone knows the route we need to take next season. This is a club competing to be in Europe.”
Everton have only finished outside the top half of the table in two of Moyesʼ 10 full seasons in charge and are sixth in the table with two games of the current campaign remaining. He was proud of the progress the club had made over the past decade. “Iʼm disappointed to be leaving such a great club. The club has been such a great part of my life,” he added.
Moyesʼ appointment was seen by Stoke boss Tony Pullis as a positive step for young British managers, “David Moyes has come from bottom to the top, and for him to have this chance is brilliant. Itʼs great for all young, aspiring managers, because it shows that young British managers are given a chance at the very top.” Moyes has yet to win a major trophy but United captain Nemanja Vidic expected the new boss can continue the clubʼs success. “Iʼm looking forward to working with David and I believe I will have the same success I had with Sir Alex. David and Sir Alex share some similarities – they are very passionate, they are both winners and you can see the way they approach the games and how they run things.”
Harry Redknapp, the relegated QPR boss, first praised him, “Sir Alex has had a massive influence on so many managers. Heʼs achieved so much. Davey is a great boy, a top manager. Itʼs good that a British coach has got the top job.” Then, Redknapp spoke out about his undue influence on officials. “A lot of officials would be in awe of him and afraid to upset him. There was such an aura about him because he is a winner. I never had any doubts about that. If there was a bit of time to be added they would make sure they got it right because they did not want to upset him. When Man Utd were losing, they had an average of four minutes and 37 seconds added time, compared with three minutes and 18 seconds when they were winning. Especially young referees, and even one or two of the older ones, were a little bit afraid to upset him.”
When Liverpool manager, Rafa Benitez, shared that view. He said: “We know what happens every time we go to Old Trafford and the United staff They are always going man to man with the referees, especially at half – time when they walk close to the referees and they are talking and talking.”
As for the decision to quit, Redknapp added, “I think we all knew it would come suddenly. I thought he would go on for a couple of years yet. He has won the Premier League and maybe feels it is a good time to go out and enjoy his life. Maybe he wants a bit more time to do stuff away from football. He has put great teams together. He has known the right time to let people go and never been afraid to make the big decisions. Whether it was Roy Keane, David Beckham or Jaap Stam, all the great players have come and gone. He knows the game inside out.”
Moyes has not won a major trophy, but Redknapp believed he was the right choice, “It is great for British