Sir Alex, football peer without peer

European

Sir Alex Ferguson celebrates Manchester United's win last night

Sir Alex Ferguson celebrates Manchester United's win last night

Match report and watch the penalty shootout

In Pictures: Champions League Final

Paul Ferguson in Moscow hails the Manchester United manager whose record of achievement - now including a second Champions League title - makes him the greatest manager of all time

Thursday, May 22, 2008

There can be no arguments now - Sir Alex Ferguson is the greatest manager of all time. Manchester United's victory over Chelsea last night in the Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow has immortalised the Govan man.

A second Champions League trophy has been secured.

Sixty six-year-old Sir Alex, you have no peers.

Liverpool fans will debate until they are blue in the face that their messiah Bob Paisley won three European Cups and until Ferguson achieves that feat he doesn't compare to the big Durham man.

But when you look at Sir Alex's stats in the cold light of day, his managerial record is simply sensational.

As a dear friend of mine would say: "If you put Sir Alex's medals and trophies on a table, the table would collapse."

Paisley, Sir Matt Busby, Bill Shankly and Brian Clough, all terrific managers - but they languish well behind.

For Ferguson started winning silverware as a manager way back in the late Seventies and early Eighties with Aberdeen.

It was Sir Alex who broke the Old Firm stranglehold on the Scottish League - a magnificent achievement in itself.

He brought three Scottish League titles, four Scottish Cups and one League Cup to Pittodrie. And he also stunned European football by guiding his team to Cup Winners' Cup success over mighty Real Madrid in 1983 and then the UEFA Super Cup in 1984.

Unsurprisingly, the call soon came, after a spell with the Scottish national side, to replace Ron Atkinson as Manchester United manager.

His mission - to bring the glory days back to Old Trafford with the league title a priority.

Success though didn't happen overnight at Old Trafford - Ferguson took years to impose his philosophies and ideas at the club.

Just like Sir Matt Busby many years before him he decided to rebuild a team just the way he wanted.

But this nearly backfired as United continued to struggle during his first three years in charge, and it was only a Mark Robbins winning goal against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup in 1990 that saved him his job.

From that moment, United became a success again.

The Red Devils won the FA Cup that year and the Cup Winners' Cup 12 months later was in the Old Trafford trophy cabinet.

What followed subsequently is quite astonishing - 10 League titles, five FA Cups, two League Cups, two Champions League crowns, one World Club Cup, one Super Cup and seven Community Shields.

Ferguson's ability to dismantle and build new teams without affecting results is a skill known only to him.

And as a tight Scotsman, boy does he spend money wisely.

Eric Cantona - £1million. Purchase of the century.

Cristiano Ronaldo - just over £10million. Real Madrid would match that at least 10 times over today.

Fergie's youth structure, just like the former Busby Babes, is the envy of coaches around the world.

Alan Hansen was, of course, left red-faced in 1994 when Mark Hughes, Paul Ince and Andre Kanchelskis were allowed to leave to make way for David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes.

"You'll never win anything with kids," he blasted.

Well a double sufficed most United fans that season.

Fergie's greatest hour before last night's double was undoubtedly the treble in 1999 and United winning the European Cup for the first time since 1968 - on what would have been Sir Matt Busby's 90th birthday no less.

Sir Alex had achieved his ultimate ambition.

But his wonderful drive to succeed meant he simply set himself new goals.

So does retirement beckon during the close season for Sir Alex Ferguson?

After all a "double" is a fine way to go out.

Absolutely not.

Sir Alex wouldn't dream of handing United's rivals an advantage next season!