Man uWhen all is said and done there really was only one star at Manchester United for the last 25 years, Sir Alex Ferguson. On Sunday the 6th of November 2011 after 1409 matches in charge of the club Ferguson will celebrate 25 years at the helm of the one of the world’s greatest soccer clubs.
He succeeded Ron Atkinson on November 6th, in 1986 and as he has been quoted recently as saying,” 'It is a bit of a fairytale to last so long!”
The list of outstanding players who shaped and moulded United into the team it is to-day under his stewardship reads like a “who’s Who”.
Bryan Robson, Norman Whiteside, Brian McClair, Mark Hughes, Paul Ince, Roy Keane, Eric Cantona, David Beckman, just to name but a few. All were fantastic players under the often ruthless regime that Ferguson runs at United. Whilst many became household names and many more became huge international starts in their own right, the only real star at United was and still is to-day, Sir Alex Ferguson.
Love him or loath the man the 69-year-old has been the instrument of success at United for many years. Many commentators say it’s based on a relentless hunger and desire that keeps him going even now. And where did this come from, well, most likely it came from his own upbringing on the working-class streets of Glasgow where he probably learned the willingness to embrace change no matter what it took.
A quick look at some of the highlights of his career to date sum up the amazing achievements of Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United’s manager now for 25 years!
Fergusons 5 major achievements at United
1990 – His first trophy by beating Crystal Palace in a replay to lift the FA Cup
1993 - His first title, winning the Premier League title by 10 points from Aston Villa.
1996 – His first Double, just scraping past Newcastle to win the league title and overcoming Liverpool in the FA Cup final.
1999 – His first treble, reclaiming the league title from Arsenal, dumping Newcastle in the FA Cup final and finally pulling off the coup of the century by beating Bayern Munich in a stunning last-gasp victory in the Champions League final.
2008 – His first second European Cup, this time by the skin of his teeth, by beating Chelsea on penalties in the final of the Champions League in Moscow.
I wonder will British soccer will never see another manager like him again.
