…aren’t we all?
From his column in the Mirror:
‘I hope Sir Alex Ferguson gets out soon. I hope he quits before it all turns sour. I hope he goes before the crowd turn on him and the memories of all the glories he has brought to Old Trafford are tarnished. I hope he learns from Eric Cantona. I hope it is sudden and on his terms.
‘And I hope that one bright May day at the end of this season Manchester United release a statement saying Sir Alex has retired and a statue is to be erected in his honour on the Old Trafford forecourt. That's the way it should be and the way it very rarely is. I think that's what an increasing number of United fans would like to happen, too.
‘Because all the signs are that if Ferguson does not take the honourable way out, he will have to be pushed. Even legends have to be held to account and Ferguson has made a series of serious misjudgements this season that are starting to damage the future of the club.
‘How sad it was to see United's ambitions so vastly reduced that he rested his superstars to protect them for an FA Cup semi-final against Newcastle that was still eight days away. Let's say that again - an FA Cup semi-final. A couple of years ago, United regarded the FA Cup as a tawdry bauble that came a distant third behind the European Cup and the Premiership title.
‘Now, things have reached the point where Ferguson is clinging to it like a drowning man reaching for a piece of flotsam. Just like he did last year, don't forget, when overcoming mighty Millwall in the final was enough to paper over the cracks for another season.
‘United are losing ground fast on Chelsea. They need new blood and new inspiration at the top. That's why I hope Ferguson rides into the sunset at the end of the season like his hero John Wayne. If he doesn't, United and their followers are going to have to settle for being big in the FA Cup.’