Tribute to Alex Ferguson

As Sir Alex celebrates his 24 year reign at Old Trafford, I salute the man who remains one of my favourite heroes in football.

Sir Alex alone defined the Man Utd of today; he created a superclub of football clubs. We have come to identify with Sir Alex's ingenue when it comes to footballing tactics and player management. And we have seen his astute eye for talent, from Eric Cantona to Cristiano Ronaldo.

In the same breath, we have also come to terms with Sir Alex's fiery Scottish temper, and the infamous "hairdryer" treatment he dishes out when he demands more from his beloved team. of course, there were the politics at a big club which he handled admirably. Call him an ironfist at Man Utd all you want, but he has the record to prove he is the most successful manager modern football has ever seen in his trophy-laden 24 years at the helm of Man Utd.

There are many pretenders to the label of "best manager" today, not least Jose Mourinho who has won at every club he went to. But Jose had the benefit of riches from Russian tycoons and Spanish monarchs, while Sir Alex built a club on youth policy and banked on local heroes like Bryan Robson, Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs. It was a touch of masterclass that saw him bring on Eric Cantona, Ronaldo or even Wayne Rooney that will add that extra bit of world class to the rampaging Red Machine of Manchester. It was Alex Ferguson who made Man Utd a world phenomenon of free flowing football, passion and the enduring commitment to be the best.

Who will replace the Grandmaster at the hotseat waiting to be filled when one day Sir Alex shall finally step down. It is anybody's guess but it is hard to fathom what big shoes the new manager will have to fill in. Will he ever be good enough? For surely he must lack in some area Sir Alex has achieved in abundance; PR skills, player management, tactical acumen, risk-taker, drill seargeant, cheerleader, mentor, coach, disciplinarian, father, the gaffer...

Sir Alex shall remain in the folklore of Manchester United as long as the club shall exist. And he obviously is not quite finished yet.