End of an Era

As if there haven't been enough column inches written today online and the more that will be written in print tomorrow, I though I would add my poorly chosen words to talk about Sir Alex Ferguson who announced his retirement at 09:25 this morning.

There have been discussions about whether he was or wasn't the best manager of all time, or at least the best manager from these isles. For my money he is worth twice the money of any other manager, including Herbert Chapman, who won three league titles with both Huddersfield and Arsenal in the 1930s. As for the modern game, no manager has won a quarter what Sir Alex did.

Just for the record, here is a list of the honours won at Old Trafford since 1986:

Premier League: 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013;
FA Cup: 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004;
League Cup: 1992, 2006, 2009, 2010;
Uefa Champions League: 1999, 2008;
Fifa Club World Cup: 2008;
Uefa Super Cup: 1992;
Uefa Cup Winners Cup: 1991;
Inter-Continental Cup: 1999;
FA Charity/Community Shield: 1990 (shared), 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011.

That's quite a list. And yet, I believe his greatest achievement is the reorganisation of Manchester United in the first year he was in charge. The new training facilities, revamping the scouting network, both of which reaped huge rewards less than a decade later with the title winning team of 1996; You never win anything with kids. Oh, Fergie can.

And did.

And then there is the adaptations he made: to go from an old school gaffer to the ringleader of the overpaid Premier League prima-donnas. He was able to cope with it all. And keep winning. Anyone who did not toe the line he set, they were cast out, with no regrets. Only on the part of the now ex-Manchester United players.

So, was he the greatest? Without doubt, and we will never see another like him, a manager given so much power and delivered so much success.