Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson took time to build the dynasty and reputation he has earned as being the greatest football manager of all time - FvS photo

Jose Mourinho - Mark Freeman from Hornchurch, UK photo   Pep Guardiola - Alex Tremps photo

Los Angeles Lakers Meta World Peace aka Ron Artest - NBA photo

SPORTS NOTES - WHO'S THE MAN…? ALEX FERGUSON, JOSE MOURINHO or PEP GUARDIOLA?

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

The topic of who's the best among, Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola at this point has to go the Ferguson. Guardiola has experienced immediate success in the early stages of his career but the stress has gotten to him at his young age of 41. Mourinho is still working on his CV but the question arises is stress taking its toll? - The Los Angeles Lakers RON ARTEST aka META WORLD PEACE HAS LOST THE PLOT

Monday April 30, 2012

AGREE OR NOT?

Manchester City's 1-0 win over Manchester United makes it the 11th change this season for a team to be at the top of the table. City's goal advantage makes the difference but whatever the outcome United's Alex Ferguson proves his worthiness of being the best manager in football. Since Christiano Ronaldo departed he has held the team together and has won the league title last season. This season he's still in it to win it with two games to play.

Ferguson appears to be capable of squeezing blood out of a stone as he has made all the right moves to achieve success with teams he's had during the past two seasons as being his worst in over a decade. The topic of who's the best manager among, Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola at this point has to go the Ferguson. Guardiola has experienced immediate success in the early stages of his career but the stress has gotten to him at his young age of 41. Mourinho is still working on his CV but the question arises is stress taking its toll?

The 70-year-old Ferguson toughed it out in the early stages of his career to build a dynasty unparalleled to none. He defied the critics when American's bough the team and won. Whatever the obstacle Ferguson usually emerges the victor and continues to get better with age.

Winning didn't come easy. It took time and with his clever moves, decision making and signings he slowly built his dynasty.

Ferguson was appointed manager at Old Trafford on 6 November 1986. He was initially worried that many of the players, such as Norman Whiteside, Paul McGrath and Bryan Robson were drinking too much and was "depressed" by their level of fitness, but he managed to increase the players' discipline and United climbed up the table to finish the season in 11th place, having been 21st (second from bottom) when he took over.

The building process finally came to fruition after six seasons of development. After a slow start to the 1992-93 season (they were 10th of 22 at the beginning of November) it looked as though United would miss out on the league title (now the Premier League) yet again. However, after the purchase of French striker Eric Cantona from Leeds United for £1.2 million, the future of Manchester United, and Ferguson's position as manager, began to look bright.

Cantona formed a strong partnership with Mark Hughes and fired the club to the top of the table, ending United's 26-year wait for a League Championship, and also making them the first ever Premier League Champions. United had finished champions with a 10-point margin over runners-up Aston Villa, whose 1-0 defeat at Oldham on 2 May 1993 had given United the title. Ferguson was voted Manager of the Year by the League Managers' Association.

Over the years he has won 48 trophies as a manager, making him the most successful British football manager in history including 12 Premier League titles: 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2010-11

His closest competitor is Mourinho who continues to win and hold his self appointed title of being the Special One but each season he appears to become more stressed out. When he attacked a Barcelona assistant coach earlier in the season is an example that the pressure is getting to him. His decision making vacillates as one day he wants to leave as manager of Real Madrid and the next he wants to remain.

Our result at this juncture is that Ferguson is the best by far but only time will tell if Mourinho and Guardiola can survive the stress test and WIN.

The blatant elbow to the head by the Los Angeles Lakers Meta World Peace aka Ron Artest to the Oklahoma City Thunder's James Harden was a blow that could killed a person. His strike was in the temple area that sent Harden down like a ton of bricks. TV replay's of the incident were hard to look at even knowing what one was about to see.

The Meta man claims it wasn't intentional but the video defies his position. As Ron Artest he was suspended for almost the entire in 2004 season with 86-game suspension by the NBA by going into the stands and attacking a fan in Detroit while he was a member of the Indiana Pacers. Obviously all of the therapy he's done since that time isn't working. This assault resulted in a light seven game suspension without pay totaling $348,000 handed out by the league doesn't justify the crime by a repeat offender of not having the ability to keep his head together.

Peace tries to lighten his responsibility load by pointing out other excessive foul violations in NBA history including a foul by Shaquille O'Neal inflicted on then Chicago Bulls center Brad Miller. What he doesn't recall or know is the most devastating blow to the head in the NBA of all time by then Lakers (what's in their water?) Kermit Washington to then Houston Rocket player Rudy Tomjonovich. In a December 9, 1977, game, the Lakers' Washington threw a punch during an on-court melee that struck Tomjanovich.

The blow shattered Tomjanovich's jaw and face and inflicted life-threatening head injuries, leaving him sidelined for five months. He eventually made a full recovery, but his playing career slowly came to a halt and he was forced to retire in his mid 30s.

This past summer the Meta man competitor on the TV show Dancing With the Stars. He was the first to be eliminated. At that time he had blond hair and appeared to be doing a Dennis Rodman imitation. This young man has an identity and emotional crisis out of control.