Elijah Chua

Twenty-six years. Much can happen during that time, more so in the world of football where players and managers alike are only as good as the results in their last five games. In such a cut-throat culture of constant pressure, things like loyalty and longevity are not the priority.

A quick review of the statistics show how brutally true that could be. Since 1986, there have been 24 managers at Real Madrid, 19 at Inter Milan, 18 at Chelsea, 14 at Bayern Munich and Manchester City and 13 at AC Milan.

But at Old Trafford, there has only been one – Sir Alex Ferguson.

His longevity is incredible and his appetite for success, unquenchable. His endless drive is certainly admirable, and looking at him and his ever-strong will, it is hard to believe he is already 71 years of age, something that made former player Gordon Strachan say, “I heard Sir Alex describe Ryan Giggs as a freak – he’s in the same boat. But he’s an even bigger freak because he is so good at his job. You only get these people once in a generation – he’s the one.”

Now the veteran Scotsman, in a move that shocked the football community, has made a decision to retire at the end of the season.

Indeed, not seeing the gum-chewing, wristwatch-looking Glaswegian in the Old Trafford dugout next season will be, at the utmost least, awkward for many of the club’s fans. For in that small space on the touchline, Ferguson has stood, gestured, shouted and cajoled his players on to heights unimaginable.

He has moulded team after team ever so patiently, their names now etched in the annals of history: Steve Bruce, Dwight Yorke, Eric Cantona, Nicky Butt, Teddy Sheringham, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, and many more who have experienced what it was like to be champions because of the uncanny insight and insatiable hunger of their one and only boss.

Former Red Devils captain Bryan Robson said, “He will always be the boss to me, you don’t think of him as Sir Alex, it has always been the boss."

And time after time, Ferguson has sought victory and claimed it with much gusto. New adversaries may have arisen, but he has always come back and taken what he felt was rightfully his. The man’s trophy cabinet speaks for itself – 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, four League Cups, 10 FA Community Shields, two Champions League crowns, a UEFA Cup Winners Cup, a European Super Cup, an Intercontinental Cup and a FIFA Club World Cup. His accolades are a reflection of his desire for glory, and a will to claim it again, and again, and again.

His rivals can only wonder at how he keeps it up. Liverpool, Leeds, Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle and Manchester City all managed to knock Ferguson down, but they couldn’t keep him on the floor. “We’re never going to go away”, the 71-year-old said.

And they haven’t. The Scotsman made sure the Red Devils have kept their flag waving, every single time.

With the living legend set to step down from his throne, what will happen to the club he has toiled long and hard to build? Many already fear the worst. "God help the poor fellow that’s going to have to follow him because the standard he has set is incredible", former Manchester United midfielder Paddy Crerand warns.

Others have said things more daunting, with England coach Roy Hodgson insisting, “No one will be able to match his achievements, his dedication, his support for colleagues in need and his team building know-how.”

Joining the end-of-days bandwagon, former Red Devils midfielder Lou Macari explained, “Everybody will be a little bit concerned. Can the next guy coming through the door do what Sir Alex has done? That’s going to be tough."

But for Ferguson, he had only this to say, in a manner that is only too familiar, “It doesn’t matter who leaves, the name Manchester United never leaves.”

In that little sentence, there is a hint that something is up. Maybe Sir Alex Ferguson is not done yet. Could it be because he will stay on as one of the club’s directors? Perhaps. But one thing is certain – the enterprise that is Manchester United Football Club can never replace Alexander Chapman Ferguson, and for sure he will be there, pulling the strings. After all, he and the club are one, it has always been thus, and forever will be.

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