Meet the New Boss.....
26 years, 48 trophies, 1 man
The retirement of Alex Ferguson is one of 2013 biggest sports stories but its impact is likely to be felt far beyond this current calendar year.
His decision to pack it in, because of the "stress" we are led to believe has changed the soccer landscape in England hugely, not only for Utd but for every other club in England and across Europe.
The day had to come eventually but his departure and the manner of it has jarred so many Man Utd and Abu’s across the globe.
His Record speaks for itself, the success he has achieved is unrivalled and he will go down as the most successful manager of the English game-the discussion of how he did it however will be interesting to observe.
Bullying, intimidation, the feared hairdryer, his contempt for the media, his savage dismissal of players who were loyal to him will all feature of part of his sporting obituary which will fill various pages of newsprint in the coming weeks.
David Moyes has a huge task to fill the void left by Ferguson, not only in the dugout but in the club and fan's minds as well.
His record is impressive for a mid table club but with no European experience (two nights in August doesn't really count) and no trophy there are lots of questions to be answered about him.
He will need time but at a club like United (or Real Madrid as Jose has found out) there is no such thing as breathing space.
The aura of fear or invincibility that Fergie had curated over a quarter of a century has disappeared overnight with him stepping down
It wasn't all down to Ferguson that Utd were successful-some of the best players helped too- but the current crop knows that they can never get such a ferocious telling off from the new man as they would have from Ferguson.
Ferguson being upstairs and the fact he handpicked Moyes for the role are huge positives for the new man coming in-but for other clubs such as Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal or even Spurs and Liverpool not to mind every other side in the league there will be a feeling that from 2013/14 season Man Utd may not be the force they were under Fergie.
However, it is unlikely that Moyes is surprised by his own appointment-he has no doubt been planning for this day for quite a while, no matter if he won't admit so publicly.
The two men have lots in common and despite the outward appearance of turmoil the lack of wailing and gnashing of teeth at Old Trafford this week of the new man coming in may suggest plus ca change and may be a cause of concern not for Ute fans, but those outside of the Theatre of Dreams.
