brummie

Whelan was doing the exact same routine regarding Martinez as he did with us two years ago, I see. "I think they're not a big enough club for him, he should wait until he gets the chance to go to one of the really big clubs, he could go anywhere he likes" etc etc. The bloke is such an offensive cunt. I have nothing against Wigan, I don't hold with this "they get shit crowds, shouldn't be here" argument at all - they have earned the right to be in the top flight, fair and square, and they've survived previously on merit. I do absolutely loathe that cock-socket Whelan, though. I hope his precious manager fucks off this summer, and it'd be ironic if he left him with the ultimate parting present - relegation.

Im not a big fan of that whole 'loaning almost an entire team from the Italian and Spanish sides your owners also own' thing. In fact, I'd pretty much say it is cheating, and very short termist cheating, too.

I just saw Neil Lennon is the favourite with the bookies. I honestly think Howard Kendall would be a better bet.

Phil Brown: "it was almost like when you heard Elvis had died" I can't stand much more of this shit. I just put SSN on and Jim White was standing outside Old Trafford shouting.

I thought the last lines in his retirement statement today were very touching indeed. You get the impression he really means it. Also massive big up respect to Chaos Cuellar who said some very touching things about him today.

Sunderland - Southampton is going to be a very interesting game indeed.

Best of luck, Stan.

Damn straight. Ferguson isn't some fantastic link with a now gone football past. He's the footballing face of the glossy Sky machine which sneers at you on Sunday afternoons and Monday night.

Although he dished up a serious plate of Twitter fuck-you to Cameron today. David Cameron ‏@David_Cameron 13h Sir Alex Ferguson’s achievement at #MUFC has been exceptional. Hopefully his retirement will make life a little easier for my team #AVFC Alastair Campbell ‏@campbellclaret 8h Got a feeling Cameron doesn't know who Peter Withe or Tony Morley are #VillaSchmilla Ironically, and annoyingly, Cameron's avfc credentials are pretty impressive, in an uncle-was-chairman style.

Oh, and telling that story, reminds me, I wonder how much Ferguson destabilised other teams in the top flight by recommending his fucking hopeless former players as managers.

Shortly after we appointed McLeish, Randy Lerner gave one of his "once every ten years" interviews, and said that he was so sure the McFuck appointment was right because shortly after, he'd received a letter from "Sir Alex" congratulating him on the appointment. As if that wasn't enough, he then went on to say that "when someone like Sir Alex tells you that, you listen", and - even more excruciatingly - that he "kept it safely under lock and key". I honestly think that, with the exception of several of our performances under said McFuck, it was the most embarassed I have ever been as an Aston Villa supporter. It also made me think that, no matter how much good work they do, or how much they try to give off the vibe that they "get it", Americans will never, ever truly understand English football. If you'd relayed that story to any English football supporter, they'd wince, but an American who actually owns a club, and has shown himself to be one of the better US owners, just had no idea what he was saying. There will always be an elusive 5% that they just do not, and can not, get.

I think the main thing Ferguson sees is that he, too, is a dour Scot. The main thing the Glazers probably see, when Ferguson recommends him, is that Moyes works without much money to spend.

Your wife sounds incredibly sensible, Leffe.

I'd bet pretty much everything I own that the person with by far the most input into who follows him was Ferguson himself.

Don't worry. We're going to totally bum Chelsea on Saturday.

I'm getting to the point where the coverage of this story is making me want to gouge out my eyes and slice off my ears to make it go away. I know it is big football news, but, really, the first story on the BBC national news earlier? Still the second story hours later?

why? the shops selling the shirts and scarves will still be there for them to come from all over, dress up and wave flags, and not really understand whats going on on the pitch anyway. I was just watching the news, and, having got over the sheer wankness of it being the first story on the national news, they went to Old Trafford and asked a couple of spackers what they thought of it, and some total douchebag with a North American accent said it was as if someone had died. Yes, your stone cold, icy heart, that is what is dead, you revolting fucking gloryhunter. I hope your plane back crashes.

I understand MON is looking for a job. I could see that. But he'll be waiting by the phone for the call from Man United about now.

I understand MON is looking for a job.

I can't wait for the coronation. Is it held at Westminster Abbey?

Someone like this guy. http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/250x250/32897075.jpg

I think Moyes is a good manager, but club management at the top clubs is entirely different now compared to the way it was when Ferguson got the job. For starters, the expectation that Man United will play in the CL every year, and compete enough to win it, means that their manager needs to have deep experience of managing in that competition. Moyes doesn't have anything like enough of that. Maybe Ferguson lingering on their board will help, but I still suspect it'll be someone else.

atm = "since about 1992"

Tbf it's always funnier to see a big club go down. That said 'plucky little Wigan' can fuck off, wanted them down from the start of he season. Such a nothing little club, scraping by each season when they decide to play the last few games. Everyone wants to see a big club down, you're definitely right there, but I also think that most people - whilst admitting Wigan have a perfect right to be in the top flight if they manage to avoid relegation - are now sick to the tits of them. Lots and lots of people seem to think Dave Whelan is the most enormous cocksocket, too. Which he is.

Wigan turned on the Wigan style defending. That's the thing people have been overlooking for weeks now. It's all well and good Wigan doing the business going forward, but they can't defend for shit. They make our defence look like a 1980s Italian national side.