Sir Alex Ferguson – The Greatest Manager in History

In his 26 years at Old Trafford, Sir Alex Ferguson has won a total of 38 trophies, including 13 league titles, 2 Champions league as well as 5 FA cups and 4 league cups including a ground breaking treble winning season. As a 20 year old Manchester United I have never known United without Fergie and people even as old as 30 are likely not to remember a time before him and many people never imagined that the day would come to that he was no longer in charge of the club.

Ferguson is known not for simply just being a manager who just picks a team at the weekend but he is involved in the day to day running of the whole club.  He involves himself in every aspect of the running of the club; Ryan Giggs often tells the story about Ferguson turning up at his Mum’s house to convince him to sign a youth contract for United. Ferguson also became more than the manager he became some form of talismanic figure, standing on the sideline, screaming and shouting pushing his team to play at the standards at which he expected.

Ferguson not only has success at Old Trafford, before moving down to Manchester he had success at East Stirlingshire and St Mirren but especially at Aberdeen were he broke the dominance of the Old Firm and won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1983 beating the might Real Madrid in the final. Part of Fergusons success as a manager in all forms of the game was his passion and his drive, in his time at United he battled for dominance against many different opponents, when he first started he had to beat the dominant force of Liverpool in the 1980’s, he then beat the Arsenal team on the 1990’s and the turn of the century and in the last 10 years he has beat both Chelsea and most recently Manchester City to do this he has changed the team around 4 or 5 times; yet maintaining the strong base of home grown players, such as Giggs, Scholes and the Neville brothers.

After the announcement of his retirement on Wednesday morning there where flood of messages from both in and outside the football world. It is a sign of how great Sir Alex is that many of his former players still call him ‘Gaffer’.  This is some of the things which people had to say about the great man:

• David Beckham, Former Man United Player, called Ferguson a “Father Figure” and said "I am truly honoured to have been guided by the greatest manager in football and to have had the career that I had under him,"..."Without him, I would never have achieved what I have done."
• Bryan Robson, Former United and England Captain, said “he has to be the greatest club manager of all time” and then said “you don’t think of him as Sir Alex its always been the Boss”
• Paul Ince, former Man United player and current blackpool manager said “"The man was immense and he got the best out of me that's for sure. The way he treated me was like a son."
• Ron Atkinson, the man who Ferguson replaced said “this will never be repeated”
• Alan Shearer, all time Premiership leading scorer, said “there have been some amazing mangers over the years...but Sir Alex has been king of them all”
• Mark Lawrence said he has been amazed that “no one has ever been bigger than the club, Sir Alex has never been bigger than Manchester United”
• Even the self appointed ‘Special One’, Jose Mourinho calls Ferguson “the Boss”
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What next for United?

One thing is that is for sure is that whoever becomes the next Manchester United manager has got a huge job ahead of them, not only are they in for one of the biggest jobs in football but they are also taking over from the greatest manager of all time. On twitter for virtually the whole of the day trending on twitter was Moyes or Mourinho, the 2 favourites for the job. David Gill, Chief Executive at Manchester United has said that some of the things that United were looking for in the man that replaced Ferguson were Premier league experience, loyalty and that no one is bigger than the club. Both these managers have Premier League experience; however Moyes has shown much more loyalty to Everton than Mourinho has to any of his clubs, also Moyes does not bring the media circus to United which Mourinho ever would. This seems to be why Moyes is now generally known to be appointed as the next manager of Manchester United. However Moyes has problems of never having won a trophy and has little European experience, despite this it is known that Moyes shares a lot of his footballing believes with Ferguson and he is seen as a much more secure long term successor to Ferguson. He has announced that he wants to leave Everton at the end of the season in order to join United however nothing has been confirmed yet however it looks more and more likely that he will become the next manager of United next season; Alan Shearer and Alan Hansen have both argued that Moyes is the perfect predecessor to Ferguson and he can be the man to continue this success. There could be a lot a change at United, both Ferguson and Gill are leaving the club, the 2 men who were the architects to Man United’s success in recent years.

The future of Manchester United aside, as a Manchester United fan myself yesterday was the darkest day I have had supporting United, in the past we have lost games, lost finals and lost players however we always knew that Ferguson has been there to lead the team.

Sir Alex Ferguson will always be the Greatest.

The Sporting Summer

The end of the football season often brings months of boredom for football fans, especially when there is no World Cup or European Championships. Last year the Olympics eased this pain and united the nation as not only the countries but the world eyes were fixed on London. So it seems like this summer might be building up to be a very boring summer for sports fans; however do not despair , I am here to tell that this is not the case and there is a huge summer of sport ahead.

U21s Euro 2013 (5-18 June)

Firstly, to ease the fixing for football fans is the Under-21’s Euros, this is a chance to see Europe’s best young talent go head to head, holders and favourites Spain will be looking to retain their title with a good group of young players who will be fighting to show their skills and gain a place in an ageing Spain team. It will not be easy for Spain with other countries including the Netherlands, Germany and England all hoping to knock Spain of their perch and take their trophy home.

The FA Women’s Super League

For the first time the English FA has changed the women’s league to a summer season in an attempt to improve the audience size. Women’s football is the fastest growing sport in the UK and is increasing worldwide, and with standards improving this can help ease the pain for bored football fans this summer. And after the success of Team GB at London 2012 the female game will hope to continue this rise.

For non-football fans there is still a huge amount of sport on this summer.

Ashes (10 July – 25 August) and ICC champions Trophy (6-23 June)

This year is a huge year of Cricket, the Ashes will reignite one of the biggest rivalries in all of sport with Australia coming over to face holders England. The two teams will go head to head over five 5-day test matches this summer at Trent Bridge, Lord's, Old Trafford, Chester-le-Street and The Oval. England have won the last two ashes series and are favourites to win this summer, but it is guaranteed that Australia will not go down without a fight.

And for all those who find the 5 day game boring there is the much shorter 50 over game, the ICC Champions Trophy will be hosted by England this summer which will feature the top eight one-day sides in World Cricket. This is likely to be the final time this tournament is held with is likely being scrapped for a new World Test Championships, so teams will be desperate to write the names in history.

US Open (13-16 June) and British Open (18-21 July)

There are golf tournament on throughout the summer with the 2 jewels in the crown being the US Open at Merion in Pennsylvania and the British Open at Muirfield in East Lothian, Scotland. These two tournaments will be very different tests for the World’s top golfers as everyone is out to capture one of the four majors a year. The main talk this summer will be about the battle between the returning Tiger Woods and the young star Rory McIlroy, as they battle for not only for the majors but also who is the World Number 1.

British lions (1 June- 6 July)

The British and Irish Lions unite the best players of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, this all star team only tour once every 4 years taking it in turn between  Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. This time the team will be touring Australia, for the first time since 2001, playing nine games including three tests against the Australian national team.

Super league and the Rugby League World Cup (26 October – 30 November)

Although not as popular as the 15 man game, Rugby League is the quicker version of Rugby Union with more tries being scored. There is the regular Super League season on throughout the summer, ending with the Rugby League World Cup in England at the end of the season. Although the World Cup is not in the summer the whole Rugby league season will be building up to this tournament, with the main battle being between the three powerhouses of the game between England, New Zealand and holders Australia.

Anniversary Games (26-28 July) and Athletic World Championships (10 – 18 August)

After the excitement of the Olympic Games, Athletics will once again be the forefront of the sporting world twice this summer. The world best Olympic and Paralympics Athletes will once again descend on London this summer to compete in the Olympic stadium one year on from London 2012. Attention will then move to Moscow for the 14^th Athletic World Championships, this is the first major tournament since the Olympics and the world stars will all be together to win arguably the second most important medals in their sports.

The French Open (26 May –9 June), Wimbledon (24 June – 7 July) and the US Open (26 August – 8 September)

Three out of the four of the biggest events in the tennis world will be decided this summer; all three events are competed on different surfaces, the French Open on clay, Wimbledon on Grass and the US open on hard courts. We are arguably in the best era of men’s tennis currently so these three tournaments will be hugely competitive; with British hopes resting on Andy Murray who will be hoping to continue his form from 2012.

Tour de France (29 June- 21 July)

The Tour de France is one of the hardest and most gruelling events in the world, taking place over 3 weeks this year’s event is the hardest in recent years as the organisers wanted a extra special event for the 100^th year of the Tour. Sir Bradley Wiggins was the first British winner of the event and however has been replaced as the team leader as Chris Froome is considered a better climber, however Wiggins is still going to be highly competitive. And Mark Cavendish will be hoping to win the Sprinters jersey after the ‘Manx Missile’ give up his chance to win the jersey last year in order to help Wiggins win the overall competition.

American sports

For those people who like to watch sport in the early hours of the night, there is a whole range of sport going on in America. There are currently NHL playoffs, see Euan Simpon’s article for a preview to this; and the NBA playoffs which will continue on into June. Throughout the summer there will also be MLB season with games on everyday there is always something to watch.

This is only the tip of the iceberg of the sport on this summer. Surely, this has changed your mind that there is no sport to look forward to this summer and hopefully you are as excited as I am for the summer to begin.

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Preview

So that’s that, an NHL ‘regular’ season is over and the playoffs will begin this week. While teams only played 48 games this season compared the usual 82 the 2012-2013 half season has yielded just as much drama and great hockey as the seasons before them. In this preview, we will be looking at each team and how they have been playing and how I think they will get on in the post-season.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

Pittsburgh Penguins (36-12-0) – Winners of East Conference & Atlantic Division

The Pittsburgh Penguins have had an extremely strong season and finished 1^st in the east conference this year. They managed to secure a perfect March with a 15 game win streak which highlighted the strength of their team. However due to the star player Sidney Crosby missing a quarter of the season due to a broken jaw the Penguins entered a slight slump in April losing more games than they would have liked to. Luckily for the Penguins Crosby looks set to return for the postseason. The Penguins’ first game is against the New York Islanders which they currently hold a 4-1 record against the Islanders and are favorites to progress.

Montreal Canadians (29-14-5) – Winners of the Northeast Division

Last year the Canadians finished last in the east but now round of the season in 2^nd place.  Under new management and coaching they have turned things around very quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with. In April they did experience a slight slump in April after clinching a playoff spot by conceding 25 goals in 5 games. However, this team can play well when it needs to and is a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs. They play the Ottawa Senators in the first round, which they currently hold a 2-2 record. While the Canadians are favorites to progress this round could see 7 matches played.

Washington Capitals (27-18-3) – Winners of the Southeast Division

Under the leadership of ‘world’s worst smile’ Alex Ovechkin the Caps managed to clinch the southeast from the Winnipeg Jets. Ovechkin had a killer of a season finishing as the top goal scorer with 32 goals. He has pretty much dragged his team through the season and into the final and he is looking for glory. The Caps square up against the New York Rangers who the currently have a 1-2 record with.

Boston Bruins (28-14-6) – 2^nd Place Northeast Division

The Bruins have been looking dangerous this season with fierce competition between them and the Canadians lasting until the dying weeks.  Perhaps the most memorable scene of the Bruins season was the sell out game against the Buffalo Sabers only 2 nights after the marathon bombings. This scene was seen again on the Saturday only 14 hours after the city was on lockdown. Under the leadership of human giant Zdeno Chara they are a formidable team physically, not scared to take hits or give them. They play the Toronto Maples Leafs and hold a 3-1 record against them. However these victories were narrow and thus this fixture will be a close one.

Toronto Maple Leafs (26-17-5) – 3^rd Place Northeast Division

After a playoff drought extending since 2004 the Maple Leafs have finally made it to the post season. This makes them difficult to predict in race for the Stanley cup final. With a consistent team playing good hockey they are a team that could cause problems. While their record against Boston isn’t the best, they have been knows to give them a fight in every match this season making this playoff tie hard to predict.

New York Rangers (26-18-4) – 2^nd Place Atlantic Division

Last season the Rangers finished top of the east so this slight fall from grace is a slight disappointment. After a strong set of games in April the Rangers managed to clinch a playoff spot. With an extremely strong defense and a magnificent goaltender it is safe to say that they will not allow any easy goals to be scored against them. While they have a 2-1 record against the Caps this season the tie could go either way. We will see the Ranger defense come face to face with the Caps offense.

Ottawa Senators (25-17-6) – 4^th Place North East Division

The Senators have been plagued with injuries throughout the season and there was thoughts that they may not make it through to the playoffs. However this weakened team fought on and managed to make the cut. While the Senators are weak in the offense, being the weakest offensive team in the playoffs, they are solid defensively and have the best penalty killing team in league. They have some of their star players back from injury and are now more dangerous than they ever have been this season. With a 2-2 record against the Canadians this fixture will be close.

New York Islanders (24-17-7) – 3^rd Place Atlantic Division

It has been since 2007 that the Islanders have made the playoffs and they have been seen as the surprise team to make it. After a lackluster start to the season the Islanders picked it up with a nice balanced team with some solid goaltending and shooting. While it will be extremely difficult for them to beat the Penguins they will certainly give it a go and take the fight to them.

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

Chicago Blackhawks (37-7-5) – Winner’s of President’s Trophy, Western Division & Central Division

The Blackhawks started the season with a 21-0-3 point streak record which quickly set them up as the team to beat this season. While this streak was broken by the Colorado Avalanche they still managed to end the season with 77 points leading the league and taking the president’s trophy.  With a extremely strong team they are favorites to win the Stanley Cup. They meet Minnesota Wild in the first round and have a 2-1 record against them. However they are by far the favorites to progress into the next round.

Anaheim Ducks (30-12-6) – Winner of the Pacific Division

While the Blackhawks have been storming the West little attention has been given to the other teams. The Ducks have been also having a great season, coming close in overtaking the Blackhawks at one point but later slumping. The Ducks had a shocking April and will be hoping to bounce back in the post season. They play against the struggling Detroit Red Wings but they go into the game with a 1-2 record against them.

Vancouver Canucks (26-15-7) – Winner of the Northwest Division

This is the 5^th season in a row that the Canucks have won the Northwest division and have had a strong season so far. With the extremely strong Sedin twins they are a team to be reckoned with. However, they will have a hard time against the San Jose Sharks as they have lost every game against them this season (0-3) so they will need to take the fight to them.

St. Louis Blues (29-17-2) – 2^nd Place Central Division

St. Louis have been a pretty solid team this season. They have been disallowing other teams shooting chances but at the same time, severely lacking in the goal scoring area. However, they had a fantastic April losing only 2 of their 14 games thus letting them secure a tasty playoff position. However they are against the current champions the Los Angeles Kings and have a 0-3 record against them.

Los Angeles Kings (27-16-5) – 2^nd Place Pacific Division

The Kings have improved their positioning from last year, finishing 5^th in the conference rather than the 8^th they achieved last year. Like St. Louis they are one of the better teams at reducing scoring chances. However they are also not the greatest offensive team in the league. Regardless, they have beaten St. Louis the last 8 times they have played them and hold a 3-0 record against them this season.

San Jose Sharks (25-17-7) – 3^rd Place Pacific Division

The sharks are overall a solid team, they can save, defend and attack. However 6^th place in the conference is a disappointment for them as they would have preferred to finish 4^th to get home advantage. Luckily for them they play against the Canucks who they have a 3-0 record against, therefore they will be wanting and expecting to progress into the next round.

Detroit Red Wings (24-16-8) – 3^rd Place Central Division

Thousands of Red Wings fans sigh with relief as the team dragged themselves into the playoffs. This is the 22 season in a row they have made the playoffs but they nearly didn’t make it. They have been playing relatively consistent hockey but you cannot underestimate the Red Wings. However, they have got a 2-1 record against the Ducks which means that this tie will be a close one.

Minnesota Wild (26-19-3) – 2^nd Place Northwest Division

The Wild only just got into the postseason squeezing past the much better Columbus Blue Jackets in the table. The Wild have been a generally alright team with no major standout team member, they have been….okay. They have a the hardest first round against the Blackhawks. This season they have 1-2 record against them but they are defiantly the underdogs in this tie.

In conclusion, ITS GOING TO BE INTENSE.

Playoffs start on the 30^th April.

The third day of the Masters started in controversy after Tiger Woods escaped disqualification and got away with his previous days discretion, after dropping his ball 2 yards away from where the drop has been made. This decision has split the golfing world, many hard-core golfers believe that Tiger Woods should have pulled himself out of the competition for breaking the rules; however many believe that the rules of golf are very complicated and there is some confusion about where you can drop the ball, as in some situations you are able to move as far back as you want. Woo’s has stated that he never even contemplated withdrawing from the competition. Personally I believe this would not be as much as an issue if this was Tiger Woods and also after the strict penalisation of the 14 year old Guan Tianlang for slow play on the previous day.

On the golf course, Brandt Snedeker and former masters champion Angel Cabrera moved into the lead at 7 under par, closely followed by the Australian trio of Adam Scott, Marc Leishman and Jason Day. Woods is in the same position as he was after day 2, after cancelling out his penalty carding a score of 2 under par leaving him 4 shoots behind. Woods has won from this position before and he will be wearing his traditional Sunday red which seems to put him in a different mind-set, so don’t be surprised if he is at the top of the leader board or very close by the end of the day.

British hopes of a master’s champion would rely on a miracle round by Lee Westwood, who is 5 shots behind the leaders. This was due to the rounds of Rose and Lynn who dropped shots on the third round; however this is nothing compared to the collapse of Mcilroy who recorded a 7 over par round leaving him at 5 over par.

People have won the Masters before after going into the final day 6 behind to leads so we are set for a very exciting final day at the masters.

The 14 year old wonder kid Guan made the cut but is sitting last in the leader board sitting on 12 over par, you would expect he was out of the running to be the youngest winner of the US Masters though. The experience he would have gained from his experience at the Masters should put him in good stead to improve quickly and you would expect even at his young age to see him climbing the world ranks and see him pushing to win other tours around the world.

Going into day 4 will be exciting to see the players push for the green jacket. I expect there will be much movement in the leader board, the players will now be used to the course and know how they should play each hole as they will have 3 days experience on them. Players have stated the greens are very fast and they will now know how to better position the ball on them to get the right roll and movement they want from it. You can expect to see experience coming out in the players and some over performing compared to their performances in the last three days.