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With most of the world's attention focused on Germany, where the World Cup is entering the Quarter-Finals, Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson quietly announced his retirement yesterday, effective immediately.
The decision brings to a close a nearly 20-year reign which saw the Red Devils dominate English football throughout the nineties, culminating in the famous Treble of 1999. Sir Alex brought eight Premier League trophies to Old Trafford, as well as five F.A. Cups, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, the European Super Cup, and of course that famous Champions League victory in '99.
"Sir Alex has agreed to remain at the club in an advisory capacity," Malcolm Glazer said, reading from a prepared statement, "And to assist us in the search for a replacement."
With the new season all-too-rapidly approaching, the Glazer family will doubtless be keen to appoint a new manager before the players report for training on July third. The leading candidate appears to be Portugese Assistant Manager Carlos Queiroz, who will reportedly interview for the position tomorrow.
Rumours of a growing schism between José Mourinho and owner Roman Abramovich offer a more tantalizing possibility. Could the Chosen One be bound for the Theatre of Dreams?
I had to clip the paper. I'd been at the news conference of course, but even so I could hardly believe it:
Quote:
Iain Who?
Manchester United unveiled their new manager yesterday, promoting untried Iain McCullough from their coaching ranks and prompting puzzled exchanges amongst Premiership fans everywhere.
"Iain Who?" seemed to be the question of the day.
McCullough, 35, England-born of Scottish grandparents, was hardly the high-profile name that season-ticket holders were hoping for. He is best known for guiding the United U-18s to the Under-18s Cup three years ago, but has guided the United Reserves to Reserve Group titles the past two seasons.
"He's familiar with the players," Malcolm Glazer said, at a relatively quiet press conference just hours before England kicked off against Portugal. "He may should provide much needed stability with the season rapidly approaching." Money may speak louder than words however, and Mr. Glazer hardly gave their chosen appointee a vote of confidence, offering him just a one-year contract.
Carlos Quiroz, widely considered the leading candidate, will stay on as Assistant Manager. Though some might have felt passed-over, Quiroz was quick to offer his full support to his new boss. "I've worked with Iain, of course, the past five years, and he's got a bright mind. He'll do just fine."
With Gary Neville, Gabriel Heinze, Nemanja Vidic, and Wes Brown all on the bench with injuries, the new manager inherits a bit of an injury crisis at the back, where he has just four healthy players.
He's also inherited a sensational drama after Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo's sensational clash in yesterday's England-Portugal encounter. Ronaldo seemed to gesture for Rooney to be sent off following the stamping incident in the 62nd minute, and Rooney pushed his United teammate.
Ronaldo's behaviour has resulted in widespread vilification, and there are questions about what reception he will receive at Old Trafford, and what the incident will mean to his working relationship with Rooney.
Meanwhile, some pundits are already questioning whether Sir Alex's retirement was a distraction, and whether announcing the shocking new manager before the Three Lions kicked off against Portugal contributed to England's early exit.
In other United news, the club yesterday completed the £14M acquisition of 25-year-old Michael Carrick from Tottenham. The England midfielder is expected to slot straight into the starting midfield between Giggs and Scholes.
Its still so unreal. I'm sitting in Sir Alex's chair! It feels like a dream, somehow. Appropriate, I suppose.
It is the Theatre of Dreams, after all.
I'd had most of my players back, of course, after England's penalty exit to Portugal, but honestly I'd had little over a week to settle into my new role. The only changes I'd really had time to make were sending a couple youngsters out on loan, and setting up a pre-season training schedule - nothing ambitious.
Then it was off to Belgium for the first friendly of the summer, accomodatingly scheduled for a 1:00 kickoff so that the supporters could be home in time for the World Cup Final in the evening.
Cristiano Ronaldo - suddenly the least popular man in England after his showing in the Quarter-Finals - rejoined the side after yesterday's 3-1 defeat to Germany, but wouldn't suit up.
Sunday, 9th July, 2006. Friendly, at Antwerp.
4-4-2: van der Sar | Evra, Silvestre, Ferdinand, O'Shea | Giggs, Carrick, Scholes, Fletcher | Saha, Rooney
It took the lads just 46 seconds to welcome me to Old Trafford, and hopefully assuage our riled supporters that the club have managed the change from Sir Alex to this untested Scotsman without a gaffe. That's how long it took Louis Saha to find Wayne Rooney slicing free in the box, and the England striker tucked home as though in mid-season stride.. which I suppose he was, considering his last World Cup match was just eight days ago.
Ryan Giggs put us up 2-0, on a deflected free kick, and though it was only a friendly, my nerves relaxed immeasurably. I hadn't wanted to face the English media if I'd lost! They were busy savaging Sven-Goran Ericksson, anyways.
Shortly after the half-hour, Louis Saha made it 3-0 shortly, breaking the Antwerp offsides trap and making no mistake; it was all but over by half-time.
Saha's attempt at a bicycle-kick in the second half might have been a bit ambitious, surely the product of one-too-many highlight shows, but we were in cruise control by then. I wasn't too happy with some of the chances we squandered, but on-loan substitute Henrik Larrson eventually made it 4-0, heading home a brilliant forty-yard ball from fullback Patric Evra.
Unwilling to risk further damage to a injury-ridden back line, wholesale changes produced an Under-18 defense which conceded to Vincent Petit in the 81st minute, but that was just pride for the soundly beaten Belgians and their home support.
Antwerp 1, Manchester United 4 Petit 82; Rooney 1, Giggs 30, Saha 33, Larsson 71
Hero: ST Louis Saha (1 goal, 1 assist)
I was pleased; it was good to start the season off with a win, even if it was just a friendly.
Reconciliation or no, I don't think Cristiano was ready for the reception he got at Bescot Stadium: a standing "Boo" when he was announced, followed by loud jeers and whistles, which seemed to throw him off his game.
Though Rooney and Larsson both had golden chances in the opening twenty minutes, we struggled in front of goal against the relegated-twice-in-three-years side, who played a very defensive 5-3-2 from the outset. We seemed to be rushing their chances rather than taking their time, though perhaps it was our hosts' hard tackling that put us off. Wayne Rooney looked to have scored in the 27th-minute, only to see it disallowed for offsides, and by the interval the half of Bescot Stadium wearing United replica kits were jeering their displeasure.
We continued to misfire in the second half - the worst when Larsson greedily took the ball off of Ronaldo's foot, squandering what looked a certain goal wide of the net. The introduction of Scholes and Carrick on the hour provided just the injection of confidence we needed, however. The two quickly linked up, with Henrik Larsson providing the last touch for the first goal.
Super-sub Ole Gunnar Solskjær put the outcome beyond doubt with just thirteen minutes to play, but I'm disappointed that neither goal came against the League One side's first-choice defense.
Walsall 0, Manchester United 2 - - - -; Larsson 65, Solskjær 78
Hero: FC Wayne Rooney (1 assist)
Obviously we have work to do; we'll face packed defenses like that throughout the season, to be sure. Still, its early days, and more about fitness than style points.
On the 15th, I made the first change of my tenure, and it was one I would find myself regretting by November. Park Ji-Sung's middling technique and inability to win headers had never impressed me much, and when Bayern München came in with a £5.5M bid, I let the 25-year-old go. We'd turned a profit, having signed him for £4.1M a year earlier, but as it turned out, I would miss his stamina and work ethic when the going got rough.
Next on the agenda was a trip to Dublin; I wasn't too pleased with the friendly schedule, but with so much else to do - training to organize, scouts to scour the globe with, and a tactical approach to settle on - I left the previous schedule in place, adding just two home games at the end.
Monday, 17th July, 2006. Friendly, at Shelbourne.
4-4-2: van der Sar | Evra, Silvestre, Ferdinand, O'Shea | Richardson, Carrick, Scholes, Ronaldo | Larsson, Saha
Cristiano Ronaldo's delightful fifty-yard ball wreaked havoc on the Irish defense at the quarter-hour mark, putting Henrik Larsson clear through the defense. Fullback Alan Malone had no choice but to chop him down from behind, and was rightly sent off for the cynical foul. Perfect!
However, he seemingly made the right decision, as he'd done in a sure scoring opportunity, and we were unable to fashion another before halftime. Despite our man advantage, we wasted the majority of possession and numerous ventures into the final third.
The second half offered little better, though spent entirely in the Irish half. We lacked the creativity to break down the 5-3-1 employed by the Dublin side, and seemed unable to fashion anything more than a half-chance.
Super-sub Ole Gunnar Solskjær's thirty-yard effort with five minutes to play looked like equal parts desperation and frustration, but even so came closest, heading just a whisker over the bar. At full time, ten-man Shelbourne rejoiced in the nil-nil draw, looking for all the world like the result had mattered to them, while our lads nonchalantly tried to shrug it off as a friendly.
Shelbourne 0, Manchester United 0 - - - -; - - - -
Villain: DR Alan Malone (goal-saving cynical foul)
We simply weren't good enough, but full credit to Shelbourne. Many a side would have thrown in the towel when facing seventy-five minutes at ten men.
I was starting to get a feel for the side, and a feel for my challenges: creativity would be the biggest. While we certainly had some "heart" players - Scholes, Rooney, and Giggs, in particular, never quit working - we needed something to really bring the offense to life, and I began casting about for an explosive spark.
A week later, I hadn't found one, just a loan destination for Floribert N'Galula, and a visit to Championship side Ipswich Town.
Sunday, 23rd July, 2006. Friendly, at Ipswich Town.
4-4-2: van der Sar | Silvestre, Brown, Ferdinand, O'Shea | Giggs, Carrick, Fletcher, Ronaldo | Solskjær, Rooney
Bah!
Our rough pre-season grew even darker in the sixth minute; Cristiano Ronaldo was stretchered off the Portman Road pitch clutching at his right knee. I was shocked there wasn't a card - it had been a horror tackle worthy of a straight red in my opinion, but the referee saw it differently. Worse, the crowd cheered, seemingly revelling in his visible distress.
Things got even worse when Alan Lee's 30-yard wonderstrike put the home side ahead at the half-hour. United supporters could hardly feel aggreived - only a brilliant save by Edwin van der Sar had kept Jonathan Walters off the board minutes earlier.
Wayne Rooney and Ole Gunner Solskjær salvaged a 1-1 halftime score, combining to tear through the Ipswich defense despite the odds in a 2-on-4 breakaway, with Solskjær slicing the decisive ball past Lewis Price.
Ipswich weren't afraid to attack, despite our reputation, and nearly got the reward on the hour when Lee's powerful header rattled the crossbar of van der Sar's goal. At the other end, Wayne Rooney nearly broke clear on a breakaway, and though Richard Naylor's tackle brought him low, the loose ball nearly went into the Ipswich net anyways.
Finally, Henrik Larsson's diving header on a 75th-minute corner kick gave us our first lead of the afternoon. It was an advantage we held through the final whistle for a more-entertaining-than-it-should-have-been 2-1 win.
Ipswich Town 1, Manchester United 2 Lee 30; Solskjær 39, Larsson 75
Hero: Henrik Larsson (game-winning goal)
Preseason injuries are the bane of every manager, I'm afraid; I could feel my hair growing grey already.
Luckily, there was no long-term damage to Cristiano Ronaldo's knee. He'd twisted it awkwardly, but the physios assured me he should be fit in time for the Premiership kickoff against Middlesbrough.
Sir Alex, true to his word, has been silent on the media front, staying out of the way and letting me get on with the job. In fact, he's been helping a little bit, mostly coaching me on the transfer front.
There was still no progress to report there, but not for want of trying. I'd been on the phone until my ear felt like a cauliflower - my wireless headset arives tomorrow, thank heavens - and no progress. I had around £22M to spend, but no takers. Seems everybody expects Chelsea money, or doesn't want to sell to me.
Wednesday, 26th July, 2006. Friendly, at Bradford City.
Louis Saha had a frustrating evening at Valley Parade, twice having apparent goals called back for offsides in the early going. "Third times a charm," they say, and the Frenchman trailed the play when midfielder Michael Carrick broke clear. Goalkeeper Russell Howarth made a fine one-on-one save, but Saha was there to tuck home the rebound. This time, the flag stayed down, and we led 1-0.
His celebration was short-lived, however; he was forced off in the 37th minute, and taken for chest x-rays. Howarth was playing a fine game, denying Giggs on a free kick before closing out the first half with a phenomenal save to rob Scholes of a great goal.
Young Chinese forward Dong Fangzhuo made the second goal, not five minutes into the second half. He took Carrick's pass in heavy traffic, but danced around two men, and picked out Paul Scholes unmarked in the area for an easy finish.
The League One side never had so much as a sniff of goal, and when Wayne Rooney made it 3-0 with a beatiful strike from the top of the arc, we had a comfortable victory in hand.
Bradford City 0, Manchester United 3 - - - -; Saha 23, Scholes 50, Rooney 73
Hero: Michael Carrick (2 assists)
The lads did much better, I thought, but it wasn't good news for Louis Saha. The speedy Frenchman would miss the first two months of the season with fractured ribs.
I finally started to get some nibbles in the transfer market; perhaps its the headset?
I won't spoil it for you, but one in particular had me excited - a man who had impressed me mightily in the 2002 World Cup, and done even better in the competition just concluded.
No, not Zinedine Zidane!
Saturday, 29th July, 2006. Friendly, at Wolves.
The first half was a surprisingly even affair; though we had the cleanest chances, each was well-dealt with by Wolves goalkeeper Matt Murray. The home side weren't afraid to attack, giving their fans plenty to cheer about - at the intermission they actually had more shots, and had more of them troubled Edwin van der Sar, it might not have been nil-nil.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær had looked lost filling in for the injured Ronaldo at right wing, but the introduction of 16-year-old Daniel Drinkwater was no improvement. With Paul Scholes also resting, the midfield was well below strength, and it showed, especially as the half wore on. Ryan Giggs did his hard-working best to drive the offense through the left, but against the Championship side's defense, we weren't getting the sort of chances that they had against lesser opposition.
Just when it looked as though we would surely have to settle for a bore draw, Keiran Richardson's clearance turned into attack. 21-year-old Dong Fangzhuo had timed his run perfectly, cracking the Wolves offsides trap like a raw egg, and he made no mistake, tucking his shot past Murray at the near post to delight of our travelling support.
Wolverhampton 0, Manchester United 1 - - - -; Fangzhuo 90
Hero: ST Dong Fangzhuo (stoppage time game-winner)
That was leaving it late! But we'd gone the entire month unbeaten, which seemed a good sign to me. Still, I wasn't sure Fangzhuo was the answer while Alan Smith and Louis Saha were out injured. Even though we already had Henrik Larsson in on loan, I started looking about for another player we could bring in on loan.
If At First You Don't Succeed... 
Won't be anywhere near as detailed as Blade! 
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