One of the biggest football news 2013 was not record breaking multi-million pounds Gareth Bale move from Tottenham to Real Madrid nor the return of Jose Mourinho to his home Chelsea. What news can possibly be biggest than the retirement announcement made by one of the, if not the greatest football manager of all time?
Give it a bow to Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of Manchester United for 27 years! I wasn't even born when he first took charge at the club and 27 years he had proudly retired as his proclaims came true -- knocking Liverpool off their perch.
Now, after 27 years reign at the very top Manchester United had been used to challenging and winning every possible trophies available out there. It had became an attitude embedded in the club, flowing through every employees at the club, players and coaches alike. It has became a club where anything else than winning a football match or a trophy is considered a flaw, a failure.
Finding someone to fill such a huge shoe is certainly be seemed an impossible task. No matter who the person would be (we now know its David Moyes) he would be stepping into an uncharted journey for the club. What would the impact be? How would the supporters, players, coaches, staffs respond to the new man-in-chief? What are the changes he would be making?
David Moyes, now we all know, is the Chosen One.
Nine games into the season and Manchester United is found 8th in the BPL table. It was not the familiar place United finds themselves in and as early as the season is, the new man also started to received criticism from al cylinders. Having inherited a Champions that had just won the league with 11 points clear on top in the previous season expectation was so high for the new man to endure.
Doubts were casted: Why not he retained the same back room staff that had been so successful assisting SAF achieving so much success over the years and brining familiar staff that though bodes well with the new man himself but lack the championship winning experiences that the club needed. And then some may point to the failure of capitalising on the transfer market to bring in world class talents that would project the club into greater heights?
Perhaps it is not an coincident that new players was not brought in, maybe it was intended so the hugely talented youngsters at the club could be given a shot to stamp their places in the first team? Certainly one of them had done it -- Adnan Januzaj and there might be more to come too with so many youngsters of the club starring in their loan deals: Powell, Jesse Lingard (Scored 4 goals during his debut for Birmingham City) and many more. So maybe another generation after the Busby's Babes, the Ferguson's Fledglings, and now perhaps Moyes' Kids?
Every great successes requires a time of pregnancy, where the vision is conceived and nurtured and at the right time, success will be delivered. In the current world of football nothing seems impossible as money now play such a big role on and off the field and perhaps people now are not as patient as those that had given Sir Alex 4 years to conceive and nurtures his vision for the club. But as the out-going great man called upon the supporters during his last speech at Old Trafford: Stand by the new manager.
Go David Go!
