Glory, Glory Man Utd. Harry Harris
Moyes, I think he will be fantastic. It is a tough job. Moyes built a great team at Everton and Iʼm sure he will do a great job at Manchester United.”
Big Sam thought Moyes “the perfect candidate” anticipating an emotional atmosphere when he took the Hammers to Goodison Park for Moyesʼ final home game in charge. “I hope their crowd show their appreciation for him. You canʼt do anything but applaud him for what heʼs done in 11 years at Everton. Heʼll face the challenge head on. Itʼs one of the biggest jobs in club football.”
Meanwhile Sir Bobby Charlton was convinced the club made the right choice, “Heʼs maybe been a little bit in awe of everything that happens here – you canʼt help it when the club has become so big. The mere fact he thinks he can improve it is just fantastic.”
Of course there was a precedent at Old Trafford. In 1969 Sir Matt Busby retired but stayed on as general manager, with new boss Wilf McGuinness, promoted from First Team Coach, replaced a little over a year later. However Sir Bobby believed the club had learnt from that mistake. “Alex will help David Moyes. He wonʼt intrude, but he will help him. Like Alex, David has a work ethic and maybe thereʼs something the Scots know that we donʼt. Heʼs going to be quite happy. Heʼs a well – meaning lad. Heʼs very, very professional and I think he will be a big success at our club.”
Michael Carrick was “very excited” to be working with Moyes, “Iʼm very much looking forward to moving onto a new chapter with the club and personally in my career working under David. I think he has done an unbelievable job at Everton over a long period of time to keep them up there challenging for Europe. He hasnʼt had the money of the top four or five clubs to spend but he has always put a team out there that is challenging and Iʼve only heard good things about him from players that have played under him. Iʼm sure he is going to come here and have a successful time. Heʼs not going to have to change a great deal overnight because things have gone so well of late, but heʼs his own man and heʼs going to do his own things and we are all fully behind him as players.”
Carrick revealed how he and his team – mates were speechless when Ferguson told them of his decision, “our initial thoughts were we were really disappointed and quite gutted when the manager told us as a team. It was quite sad in the dressing room – that was the initial shock to it but, as time passes, you deal with it and move on. Heʼs arguably the best manager of all time so for him to be sitting in the same changing room telling us that itʼs his time to retire and giving us the reason, it was quite an emotional time and we were well aware of the importance of it. It was silent.
“What can you say after that? Everyone was digesting the news. It was well documented for a day or two in the media that was there was something coming, we werenʼt quite sure what. So when the boss pulled us together and told us, that was it. It was hard to take but we fully understand and appreciate everything he has done, not just for this football club but everything he has done for the world of football in the last 30 – 35 years.”
The United players wanted to give their retiring manager a suitable send – off from Old Trafford against Swansea, who had nothing to play for having already qualified for the Europa League having won the Capital One Cup. A full house of 76,000 had the privilege of the last chance to savour the most successful manager in British football history in charge at Old Trafford, and also to say farewell to a footballing legend as Paul Scholes announced his retirement for the second time just ahead of Sir Alexʼs big farewell. The outstanding England midfield star ended his career at the end of the 2010 – 11 season, but missed the game so much the 38 – year – old opting to resume his career in January 2012, so he signed a one – year deal and it was expected this would be his final, farewell season. His final game at Old Trafford couldnʼt have been much bigger, Sir Alexʼs emotional retirement, United presented with the Premier League trophy. Scholes contribution to Sir Alexʼs 13th title was limited to a handful of appearances as he suffered a knee injury in January.
The reclusive Scholes commented, “Playing football is all I have ever wanted to do, and to have had such a long and successful career at Manchester United, under the greatest manager of all time, has been an honour.” Sir Alex paid his own tribute, which made a change from everyone paying their tributes to him! He said: “Paul is a truly unbelievable player. He has always been fully committed to this club and it has been a real privilege to work with him for so many years. Paul will play at Old Trafford on Sunday against Swansea and will collect an unbelievable but well – deserved 11th Premier League medal.” Rio tweeted, “One of the best I played alongside also the most naturally gifted player too.”
Scholes was one of a vintage batch who graduated through the clubʼs youth system in 1992, alongside Beckham and Gary Neville, and made his debut in 1994. He is only the third United player to surpass 700 appearances, following Sir Bobby Charlton and Ryan Giggs. One of Franceʼs greatest ever legends Zinedine Zidane described Scholes as being “in a class of his own” while World Cup – winning Italian boss Marcelo Lippi said he was “one of the most important players for United under Sir Alex”.
The Greatest
SIR ALEXANDER CHAPMAN FERGUSON has finally left the Old Trafford dug out never to return but he will never be forgotten. How could he be with a stand bearing his name and a statue on the concourse outside, and a banner depicting his triumphs adorning the East Stand that is unlikely to be equalled by any football manager at any single football club in the future.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who played under Ferguson for six years from 2003, tweeted “thanks for everything, Boss” accompanied by a picture of the two together. Roy Hodgson, the England manager, viewed the announcement as “a sad day for English football”. Adding, “It marks the end of an era in football management. No one will be able to match his achievements, his dedication, his support for colleagues in need and his team building know – how.”
Sepp Blatter, FIFA president tweeted, “His achievements in the game place him without doubt as one of the ‘greatsʼ. It was an honour to present Sir Alex with an award at the 2011 Ballon DʼOr. Will his longevity at the top ever be repeated?” Michel Platini, Uefa president hailed Sir Alex as a “visionary” who “has made a massive contribution to football across Europe”.
Sir Alex now joins another knight of the realm Sir Bobby Charlton, who made more than 600 appearances for United between 1956 and 1973, on the United board. Sir Bobby said, “I am a director at United but I hardly need to worry about a thing because we are winning all the time and it is all down to Sir Alex Ferguson. He would get up in the middle of the night and travel 300 miles if he thought there was someone he could sign. He loves the game. He is such a fantastic manager. Everything he has done has been fantastic.”
So farewell Sir Alex. At the age of 71, it was time to go. Heʼd done it all, got the t – shirt and given us so many great teams and wonderfully gifted players, he left as the undisputed Greatest Of All Time.
We will miss you. Well, Manchester United fans will. Unitedʼs rivals might be glad to see the back of the laird of Old Trafford but even they must recognise his genius. The neutrals will most definitely miss him. The game will never be quite the same again.
We will miss his bright red nose, chewing gum in his dugout seat looking miserable as sin, the fury at any refereeing decision he doesnʼt like, Fergie time ie. looking at his watch incessantly as if demanding more over time from his time piece, complaining bitterly that insufficient time was handed down by the officials (only if his team needed it for a comeback, of course), his ruthless manipulation of the transfer market, his love of expensive red wine, inviting managers back to his office after games for a tipple (even those who he had fallen out with down the years such as Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish), banning the press from his media conferences when he took a dislike to something theyʼd written or said about him and of course that wonderful smile and jig of delight when his team scored yet another late, late winner.
United fans would dread the Fergie tombola, the almost random selection of players that seemed to get more erratic as the years went on but they would revel in his one – eyed dedication to the cause, the Lord Protector who would risk upsetting anybody and everything to get his way.
This