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Sir. Alex Ferguson.
The truth is there were only 4 teams with a realistic shot at the EPL trophy - Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United. ...and I have put them in the order that the player personnel on each team on paper suggested how they should have ended the season.
Looking at the expected order within which I had expected each, all things being equal i.e. minimal affect by injuries it does not require deep thought to say, "OK, I can see how come the conclusion of Sir. Alex as Manager of the season". If there was an expectation of ManU finishing 4th and Sir. Alex molded them into TEAM that ran away with the league...then 'tah dah'!!!
All four teams had the quality in player personnel to run out winners of the trophy. Granted only one team could be expected to be the new champion. If the quality of players in each team is considered such that the trophy could be won then the only 'difference maker' would be preparation and match day management. In both departments Sir. Alex came out on top.
Sir. Alex brought in strikers to complement those already in house and to enabled him to rotate his strike pairing and not overwork his strikers.
His glaring weakness was in midfield...yet he was able to get good service from his most experienced and ageing midfielders, Paul Scholes and Ryan Gibbs. He also had Rooney provide yeoman service there. His wide midfielders and defenders...Young, Valencia, Rafael, Evra, Jones, et al...put in untiring shifts and had good speed... All others he used contributed significantly in a number of matches.
In my opinion Gibbs has been only a step behind Rooney as midfielder. (You may gasp as I am here referring to Rooney as a midfielder...but Rooney operates at different times...and even within games as out-and-out striker or marvelous midfielder. ...and very often as midfielder Rooney combines attacking and defensive midfielder qualities. Often playing each role as the occasion demands.
Michael Carrick was his usual calm, steady...unflappable...strong man - good passer and mover (so skilled at this he appeared to most invisible - his ease on and off the ball would be akin to how Frank Worrell and Lawrence Rowe batted to extreme pace...appeared to have all the time in the world yet doing the work with minimum fuss in minimum time). Michael Carrick is an artist and for this type artist time appears to stand still while others around them are scurrying around/'killing up selves'.
Then there is Sir. Alex's defenders. His defensive pairing were at times derided yet the record speaks for itself.
However the greatest feat Sir. Alex did was make of his players...entire squad...believers. He got them to work unceasingly...every minute of each game...throughout the season. His opposite managers could not match him in getting the best out of each of their players as individuals or the collective as TEAM. Too often were the times during the season when the managers of those other teams named above appeared in games to have 'dropped their heads' or were caught taking a rest. Not the ManU players...not those answering to Sir. Alex.
Sir. Alex had his players always full of desire to win. Never a drooping head.
Finally: The way ManU played?
...always attacking...always probing for other TEAM's weaknesses...always working for TEAM 1st, 2nd, 3rd...never getting away from TEAM...
Each player was always providing support to the TEAMmate on the ball and when the ball was lost put in tremendous work to win it back. The ManU team always came ready to win! ...well prepared to execute! ...and that team seemed to always do!!!
Analysis of ManU's performance after 30 matches by Martin Lewis -
Stats:
http://www.eplindex.com/29894/scouti...-analysis.html
The team that performed best throughout the season won the title. That team had the best manager.
The truth is there were only 4 teams with a realistic shot at the EPL trophy - Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United. ...and I have put them in the order that the player personnel on each team on paper suggested how they should have ended the season.
Looking at the expected order within which I had expected each, all things being equal i.e. minimal affect by injuries it does not require deep thought to say, "OK, I can see how come the conclusion of Sir. Alex as Manager of the season". If there was an expectation of ManU finishing 4th and Sir. Alex molded them into TEAM that ran away with the league...then 'tah dah'!!!
All four teams had the quality in player personnel to run out winners of the trophy. Granted only one team could be expected to be the new champion. If the quality of players in each team is considered such that the trophy could be won then the only 'difference maker' would be preparation and match day management. In both departments Sir. Alex came out on top.
Sir. Alex brought in strikers to complement those already in house and to enabled him to rotate his strike pairing and not overwork his strikers.
His glaring weakness was in midfield...yet he was able to get good service from his most experienced and ageing midfielders, Paul Scholes and Ryan Gibbs. He also had Rooney provide yeoman service there. His wide midfielders and defenders...Young, Valencia, Rafael, Evra, Jones, et al...put in untiring shifts and had good speed... All others he used contributed significantly in a number of matches.
In my opinion Gibbs has been only a step behind Rooney as midfielder. (You may gasp as I am here referring to Rooney as a midfielder...but Rooney operates at different times...and even within games as out-and-out striker or marvelous midfielder. ...and very often as midfielder Rooney combines attacking and defensive midfielder qualities. Often playing each role as the occasion demands.
Michael Carrick was his usual calm, steady...unflappable...strong man - good passer and mover (so skilled at this he appeared to most invisible - his ease on and off the ball would be akin to how Frank Worrell and Lawrence Rowe batted to extreme pace...appeared to have all the time in the world yet doing the work with minimum fuss in minimum time). Michael Carrick is an artist and for this type artist time appears to stand still while others around them are scurrying around/'killing up selves'.
Then there is Sir. Alex's defenders. His defensive pairing were at times derided yet the record speaks for itself.
However the greatest feat Sir. Alex did was make of his players...entire squad...believers. He got them to work unceasingly...every minute of each game...throughout the season. His opposite managers could not match him in getting the best out of each of their players as individuals or the collective as TEAM. Too often were the times during the season when the managers of those other teams named above appeared in games to have 'dropped their heads' or were caught taking a rest. Not the ManU players...not those answering to Sir. Alex.
Sir. Alex had his players always full of desire to win. Never a drooping head.
Finally: The way ManU played?
...always attacking...always probing for other TEAM's weaknesses...always working for TEAM 1st, 2nd, 3rd...never getting away from TEAM...
Each player was always providing support to the TEAMmate on the ball and when the ball was lost put in tremendous work to win it back. The ManU team always came ready to win! ...well prepared to execute! ...and that team seemed to always do!!!
Analysis of ManU's performance after 30 matches by Martin Lewis -
Stats:
http://www.eplindex.com/29894/scouti...-analysis.html
The team that performed best throughout the season won the title. That team had the best manager.
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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