Manchester, England (My Sportsbook) - Twenty years ago today, Sir Alex Ferguson took the reigns of a struggling Manchester United side after a successful time at Aberdeen. The rest is history.
All Sir Alex has done is become the most successful manager in English soccer. The Scotsman has guided the Red Devils to eight league titles and is the first boss to capture the league, domestic cup and Champions League titles in the same season.
An 11th-place finish in the Premiership in his first season was viewed as a success, which is staggering considering that Manchester United is arguably the most popular club in the world.
Ferguson took home his first league title in the 1992-93 season, and presided over a United side that would go on to dominate the EPL for the remainder of the decade.
The 1998-99 campaign is Ferguson's finest to date. United easily won the league and FA Cup championships, and grabbed the Champions League crown in dramatic fashion with a pair of last-minute goals to beat Bayern Munich, 2-1.
United has faced increased competition in recent years, as Arsenal and now Chelsea have staked their claim as the best team in England. The Blues have won the last two league titles, but it is United that currently sits three points clear of the defending champs. An EPL championship this season would possibly be the sweetest of all for Ferguson, considering that bitter rivals Jose Mourinho and Chelsea were viewed as prohibitive favorites at the start of the campaign.
Rumors have swirled of his retirement in the near future, but Ferguson has always been quick to dispel them. For all that he has accomplished at Old Trafford, Sir Alex is certainly the only one who decides when enough is enough.
=== Game of the Week ===
By far, the game of the week took place on Sunday at White Hart Lane, where Tottenham stunned Chelsea, 2-1. It was the first home win over the Blues for Martin Jol's side since 1987, and it put Manchester United in first place in the EPL standings, three points ahead of the two-time defending champs. The match was an extremely entertaining affair that saw Chelsea dominate the opening 20 minutes and take a 1-0 lead courtesy of Claude Makelele. However, Tottenham battled back as Michael Dawson equalized before halftime. Aaron Lennon put the home side ahead 2-1 in the 52nd minute and John Terry received a pair of yellow cards to make the task even more difficult for Chelsea. Arjen Robben struck the post four minutes from time, but the Blues were left out of the points.
Following the match, manager Jose Mourinho ripped referee Graham Poll, who he felt had made a handful of questionable decisions. Among the incidents that troubled the Blues boss the most were a disallowed goal by Didier Drogba, the sending off of Terry, which, to be fair, was highly suspect, and the failure of the official to red-card Tottenham's Hossam Ghaly for elbowing Michael Essien. The tirade is sure to draw the ire of the FA, who is already displeased with Chelsea about the club's six bookings in their Champions League clash with Barcelona last week in Champions League play. Chelsea also received six yellow cards in Sunday's loss, and may once again come under fire from the FA.
=== Coin-throwing incidents mar weekend matches ===
The FA will be busy this week, as the organization is not only dealing with Chelsea's antics, but is also investigating a pair of coin-throwing incidents that took place in West Ham's win over Arsenal and Fulham's victory against Everton.
Arsenal striker Robin van Persie was struck by a coin during Sunday's match at Upton Park while Fulham midfielder Claus Jensen was hit by an away fan on his home soil at Craven Cottage.
Along with the referees' reports, the FA will get in contact with the clubs and discuss with them what measures are being taken to identify the culprits.
Fulham manager Chris Coleman told the BBC that, "It was a coward who threw the coin. "Send him to prison or somewhere away from football."
=== Newcastle boss Roeder under fire ===
Newcastle head man Glenn Roeder has struggled in his first full season at St. James' Park after taking over in February. The club has not won in seven league matches and currently sits in 19th-place, ahead of last-place Charlton on goal differential. Roeder is now set for a meeting with chairman Freddy Shepherd before the end of the week, and what will happen is anyone's guess.
Shepherd was absent from the squad's last four games because he was out of the country for family reasons. Upon his return, Shepherd vowed to concentrate on steering the club in the right direction.
Newcastle is coming off an extremely disappointing performance on Saturday, as the Magpies dropped a 1-0 decision to struggling Sheffield United. The last win for the team was September 17 against West Ham, and the pressure continues to mount with each defeat.
Next up for Roeder's squad is a Carling Cup contest with Watford during the week, before meeting Manchester City this weekend in the Premiership.
=== Wenger-Pardew incident to be investigated by FA ===
The touchline incident between Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and West Ham boss Alan Pardew that took place on Sunday will be investigated by the FA before any disciplinary action is taken.
The match report from referee Rob Styles makes mention of the dust-up, but not much else. The FA's compliance unit is asking for video footage from all camera angles before a decision is made.
The incident took place after West Ham's Marlon Harewood netted a late game- winner at Upton Park, touching off a wild celebration. Pardew took part in the celebration, and how could you blame him after what he has been through this season. Wenger took exception to the antics of the manager, and confronted Pardew. The pair had to be separated and Wenger also took no part in the post- match handshake.
