SIR Alex Ferguson celebrates his 64th birthday on Saturday insisting he relishes the job of managing Manchester United as much as he has ever done.
Eleven points adrift of Chelsea in the Barclays Premiership title race and out of Europe before Christmas for the first time in a decade, there are many who believe Ferguson's time at Old Trafford is drawing to an end.
However, rather than easing off as he approaches official retirement age, the Scot remains as committed and feisty as ever, thoughts of stepping down from his cherished Old Trafford fiefdom a long way off on the horizon.
Rising at his Wilmslow home at 5am, he was at United's plush Carrington training complex within 90 minutes, fully intending to complete a session in the gym before spotting the mountain of paperwork on his desk.
"You have to enjoy your job and I feel good," he said.
"It is not getting harder at all. I was up at 5am this morning and in the office at 6.25 intending to go to the gym.
"But when I looked at my desk and saw what I had to go through, I bottled it. Despite people suggesting my time is up as manager of Manchester United I am determined to carry on."
Rebuilding
Ferguson's chief task for 2006 is to continue the rebuilding work he instigated over the past couple of years, nurturing a youthful squad and aiding the development of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.
But the Scot still has time to put his mind to a few side issues, with the postponement of three top-flight games on Wednesday currently vexing him.
It is a subject close to his heart as United face one of the inactive clubs - Bolton - at Old Trafford tomorrow.
The Trotters called off their clash with Middlesbrough five hours before kick-off after discovering the undersoil heating at the Reebok Stadium had failed.
Ferguson remains unconvinced by Sam Allardyce's protestations that he wanted the game played, and neither is the Red Devils chief too impressed at the postponement of Newcastle's clash with Charlton less than an hour before the start.
While the St James' Park pitch was deemed playable, safety officers refused to allow the game to go ahead because the conditions outside the stadium were too treacherous.
"It was supposed to be dangerous for people walking to the stadium yet there were 100,000 people at the Metro Centre in Gateshead and they didn't close the shops," observed Ferguson.
"As for the Bolton situation, I think the Premier League should be more vigilant in ensuring undersoil heating systems are maintained.
Rest
"We asked to bring our Boxing Day game with West Brom forward to December 24 but were refused because the Premier League said it would give us an unfair advantage. Yet you can say your undersoil heating doesn't work. Surely there was one electrician in Bolton who could have fixed the problem."
Ferguson knows the extra rest could hand Bolton a decisive advantage tomorrow, particularly because of the high-tempo pressing game Allardyce likes to use.
United's chances are not helped either by a virus which looks certain to rule out Louis Saha, and possibly Alan Smith, although at least defensive duo Wes Brown and Mikael Silvestre are available.
Both men could play in a much-changed United rearguard, whose championship aspirations suffered a shattering blow against an ailing Birmingham outfit on Wednesday.
Twenty minutes from time at St Andrews, United looked to be closing the gap on Chelsea to seven points. Within seconds, Walter Pandiani cancelled out the Red Devils lead before Joe Cole ensured the champions' winning march continued at the expense of Manchester City.
"When we heard Chelsea had scored late on it just compounded our disappointment," said Ferguson.
"But these things happen when teams are on a high spell. We scored a lot of late goals the year we won the treble. It happens that way and the situation is no different now.
"I don't think it is impossible to catch them because we are playing well and did so the other night.
"It is not a case of forgetting about Chelsea more a need to concentrate on ourselves.
"If they do slip up, we want to be there. The form of our team is good. The confidence is back and I am enjoying watching them."
How long do you think Ferguson should carry on? Have your say.
Comments
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Fergie should go right now. The sooner the better. He keeps selecting players on past reputation and not on present form. That's why the old guards are not performing as the are not dropped.
Hey give some of the younger chaps a go and let them shame the senior citizens of the team.
If he had a five year contract the players might take him seriously.Since he almost retired a few seasons ago he appears to have lost power.He may only be holding the fort to ease the Glazers' arrival on the scene.Somewhere along the road whether thru conflict with the Irish duo,his interest in horse racing or whatever SAF seems to have taken his eye off the ball.The only other explanation for UNITED's (SLIGHT) demise could be financial restrictions placed on him pre-Glazer and now.
Happy Brithday, and I hope you stay at United for at least another 5 years, we are close to having a brilliant team. And fergie is the only hope we have of competing with Chelsea over the next decade.
For as long as his legs support him.
Or for as long as ALL of the fans support him.
Whichever comes first.
"I don't think it is impossible to catch them because we are playing well and did so the other night."said SAF. <- shut up SAF, ...if you did played that well as you said, then why you lose 2 points to everton and bermingham?
"It is not a case of forgetting about Chelsea more a need to concentrate on ourselves."said SAF. Okay, you're right now. But the problem is have you ever forget about chelski? you keep talking you can chase chase chase chase chase up them! (and somemore, you dont even really concentrate urself and the ManU team XI as well...I understand that you guys done some good job(keep 1 point in hand n didnt lose ur game)but is it good enough for you to keep urself as arch rivals?i dont think so. 1 point isn't ManU's style...i guess Sir Alax,you're really poor in motivation. why does chelski keep 3 points with another n another n another in their games we couldnt? Consistency again...gah! I love you ManU, but your saf and ur performances really make me upset many times even cheer me up sometimes...sigh!dunno what to say =.=
Painful comments to read I'm afraid. His recent team rebuilding has been poor & haphazard particularly in midfield clearly. The task to get quality right through the team should be handed to another manager & coach. We aspire to be CL champions but be honest how far off it are we? Alex has become a dinasaur & frankly embarrassing at times & I pray he goes at the end of this season for the good of the team.
I'm not as convinced as the manager makes it. Presently I think both Chelsea and L'pool have developed more than us this season. I watched L'pool over the christmas period and they seem like a team that's well organised in all areas of the field. Needless I mention Chelsea, and the most alarming thing is that when I check the newspapers It seems like it's always Chelsea and L'pool attracting players to even further strenghen their squads. I still do have faith in SAF, however I think he needs to demand cash from the Glazers to buy us a world class, creative midfielder and another winger.
USA will be 2006 world champions at the end of the forthcoming world soccer finals.
Give him until May to pack his bags and then introduce Mr Capello to the OT underachivers. Smith, Fletcher, JOS, Silvestre, and Richardson would be sold within a week.
till the end of the season then take himself along with, Carlos and Phelan to the local Labour Exchange and sign on.
Replace with the No.1 Capello.
And no not a directors job for SAF but away from the club altogether.
The Gaffer must stay at United until he is 70 to ensure the presence of another great quadruple winning side. There is no question of him leaving, to us all true (non-fickle) nited fans. C'mon you Reds!!!
hi fans out there can pls name me those man utd have already brought and loan out to another club
Fergoson is kidding to everyone with his "rebuilding" claptrack. He did't see the need to rebuild at any orher time in his career. Great managers don't rebuild, they add a player here and there and keep the momentum going. Obviously, if you get rid of the likes of Stam and Beckham and replace them wih Blanc and Kleberson, then add the talents of Djemba, Bellion, O'shea, Fletcher and Miller, your only choice will be to rebuild. When will this Chelsea team need rebuilding? It won't because good managers add a player here and there as they sre needed. When you make countless mistakes with transfers and tactics you then have to rebuild and everyone falls for it. One thing I used to admire SAF for was his honesty. Not any more,I don't believe a word that comes out of his mouth.
I think the manager, Dave Sexton, should stay here as long as he likes after the kind of season he has given us. Long may the Doc Rule. Cheers Wilf.
(p.s. Who's Alex Ferguson?)
Re building
Thats a statement that can either make u look a fool or a genious
lets look at the fool side of it shall we
SAF has brought in Oshea,Miller,Smith Ddjemba,Ronaldo,Rio Klieberson,Quiroz(again)
We then have Wes Brown and Silvestre the pair of them couldnt stop a three year old going past them to the toilet
Then we have the old aged group we still have Scholes,Giggs, Solskjar G Neville
Now
Lets look at the genious side shall we
SAF he sold Stam ,Beckham,P Neville
And to be a real genious he got rid of Keano
The only ones that are not mentioned are the ones that are worthy of wearing the red shirt of manchester united
Either i am being to cynical or maybe i am watching the wrong things during the time i watch the games or is it just that i dont understand the words RE Building
I thought that you replaced a person with limited skills with a person that had multi skills or you replaced an aging player with a younger player with 100 % of the skills and 90% experiance
Maybe i should just shut up as i dont suffer fools
Fed up red Australia
fergie will decide him self, if he wants 2 retire, but 4 now he is determined to produce another deadly squad.
Sir Alex is the BEST manager Utd have ever had. How can you replace a man like that? He will know when it is time to step down. Trust him.
Mike (Utd supporter since 1957)
Relishing the future!?! - Well he would say that wouldn't he? Glazers not a fool to see that if he hadn't said that then he'd be out the door. Or is he a fool? (Damn - what am I saying of course GLAZERS a Fool & so are we for paying HIS debt!)
if he doesnt win anything or finish top 2 he ought to go. on the other hand we seem to be playing more like the teams of old. trouble is we need to be better than the teams of old. but on the other hand maybe we will just get better and better. its all a gamble get rid of fergie and who do you bring in? if you bought in the best manager in the world in ( and we all got differences of opinion) if he doesnt win anything straight away everyone would be shouting for his head and saying we should of kept fergie. remember england when they were shouting for robsons head, 10 years later they wanted him to come back and manage again, stating what a good manager he was. the answer is there is no answer only history and the passage of time tells you whether any decision is a right or wrong one
70 if we play as we did v Bolton.63 if we play as we did v Brum! Will you still need me when I'm 64? He is probably the best man for the job.We know we'll consistently be up near the top and that's not a bad thing to know.