Sir Alex Ferguson to Retire at the End of Season

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will retire at the end of the season, the English Premier League champions announced today through their official website. The most successful manager in English football history will bow out after the West Bromwich Albion game on 19 May and join the football club board.

Announcing his decision to retire, Sir Alex Ferguson said: “The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time. “It was important to me to leave an organization in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so. The quality of this league winning squad, and the balance of ages within it, bodes well for continued success at the highest level whilst the structure of the youth set-up will ensure that the long-term future of the club remains a bright one."

 “Our training facilities are amongst the finest in global sport and our home Old Trafford is rightfully regarded as one of the leading venues in the world.

 “Going forward, I am delighted to take on the roles of both Director and Ambassador for the club. With these activities, along with my many other interests, I am looking forward to the future. “I must pay tribute to my family, their love and support has been essential. My wife Cathy has been the key figure throughout my career, providing bedrock of both stability and encouragement. Words are not enough to express what this has meant to me.”

“As for my players and staff, past and present, I would like to thank them all for a staggering level of professional conduct and dedication that has helped to deliver so many memorable triumphs. Without their contribution the history of this great club would not be as rich.”

“In my early years, the backing of the board, and Sir Bobby Charlton in particular, gave me the confidence and time to build a football club, rather than just a football team.”

“Over the past decade, the Glazer family has provided me with the platform to manage Manchester United to the best of my ability and I have been extremely fortunate to have worked with a talented and trustworthy Chief Executive in David Gill. I am truly grateful to all of them.”

“To the fans, thank you. The support you have provided over the years has been truly humbling. It has been an honour and an enormous privilege to have had the opportunity to lead your club and I have treasured my time as manager of Manchester United.”

Ferguson had dropped no hints that he was thinking about retiring and in programme notes ahead of last Sunday's game against Chelsea appeared to suggest he would continue his reign as the club's most successful manager for the foreseeable future.

"Whether I will be here to oversee another decade of success remains to be seen but I certainly don't have any plans at the moment to walk away from what I believe will be something special and worth being around to see," he wrote.

Ferguson, who is due to have hip surgery after the season, will be an almost impossible act to follow and suitable candidates for arguably the biggest job in world soccer are thin on the ground.

Chelsea Edge Man Utd to Cement Champions League Place

Juan Mata’s dramatic late goal earned Chelsea an unlikely three points in their quest for Champions League football as they secured a 1-0 victory at Premier League champions Manchester United on Sunday.

The Chelsea midfielder struck at the end of a rare flowing move in the 87th minute — Ramires’ back-heel finding Oscar, whose pass to Mata allowed his team-mate to drive the ball home via a deflection — to lift his team into third place in the table.

To add to United’s dissatisfaction, substitute Wayne Rooney claimed he had been brought down just outside the Chelsea penalty area in the seconds leading up to the goal.

It was a rare moment of memorable attacking play in an otherwise forgettable contest and a goal that ensured an ill-tempered conclusion to the game, with United defender Rafael da Silva shown a straight red card two minutes later.

The Brazilian hacked at the ankles of countryman David Luiz as the pair tussled for the ball near the corner flag, and players from both sides engaged in a subsequent shoving match.

There had been pre-game speculation over whether United manager Alex Ferguson would shake the hand of opposite number Rafael Benitez, with whom he has a frosty relationship, but the veteran manager went out of his way to seek out the Chelsea interim coach on his way to the bench.

Ferguson had taken the controversial step of resting key personnel and handed starts to reserve goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard and midfielders Anderson and Tom Cleverley.

It was a selection that will have raised eyebrows at Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, the clubs in direct competition with Chelsea for Champions League places.

United’s performance will have done little, therefore, to allay fears that this is a United side that is far from firing on all cylinders.

After just three minutes, Mata picked out Demba Ba at the far post and the forward heading just wide while off-balance.

The Senegalese striker then misfired horribly from a promising position, the chance created after Lindegaard had flapped at a Mata cross unconvincingly.

Errors by Patrice Evra and Phil Jones then handed the visitors two more promising openings.

First, Lindegaard did well to turn a shot from Oscar onto his post before smothering the rebound, then Mata laid the ball off for Victor Moses, whose 18-yard shot rose harmlessly over the United goal.

Robin van Persie just failed to make clean contact as he ghosted in to meet a superb through-ball from Ryan Giggs and shot wide, but moments of quality such as that displayed by United’s Welshman were few and far between.

Suarez Bites Chelsea Twice to Earn Draw

Luis Suarez capped a controversial afternoon by scoring a dramatic late equaliser as Liverpool ruined the former Red’s gaffer, Rafa Benitez return to Anfield after a dramatic 2-2 draw with Chelsea.

Eden Hazard's penalty on 57 minutes appeared set to lift Chelsea back into third spot after Liverpool's half-time substitute Daniel Sturridge had cancelled out Oscar's first-half header. However, midway through the second half, Suarez appeared to bite Branislav Ivanovic before the Uruguayan striker headed home an equaliser in the seventh minute of added time.

The home side created the first chance on five minutes when Suarez's clever pass slipped in Glen Johnson, but the former Chelsea full-back could only poke his shot wide. Jordan Henderson then volleyed over from 25 yards before Chelsea tested Pepe Reina for the first time on 20 minutes when the Liverpool keeper punched away Ramires's dipping effort

More so, the Blues went ahead on 26 minutes when Oscar took advantage of slack defending to head Juan Mata's corner inside the post and the lead was almost doubled three minutes later.

Suarez saw a shot beaten away by Petr Cech before half-time and Liverpool then made a blistering start to the second half following the introduction of Sturridge for Philippe Coutinho. Within 15 seconds of the restart, Sturridge had slipped in Steven Gerrard, whose shot was kept out by Cech's legs, and a minute later the former Chelsea forward rattled the post after a smart turn and shot.

Sturridge then drew Liverpool level on 52 minutes when he was presented with a simple finish at the far post from Suarez's superb cross after Stewart Downing had neatly flicked the ball back to the Uruguayan.

 Just as the game was much on, Suarez then gifted Chelsea the lead again on 57 minutes when he was penalised for handball from a corner and Hazard calmly sent Liverpool’s goal stopper,  Reina the wrong way from the spot to keep Chelsea aloft.

The most controversial moment of today’s league actions came midway through the second half and a tangle between Suarez and Ivanovic resulted in the Liverpool striker appearing to bite the Chelsea defender on the arm.

Substitute Jonjo Shelvey side-footed a great opportunity to equalise for Liverpool wide with five minutes to go and Sturridge was fortunate to escape punishment for a challenge on Ryan Bertrand.

With Chelsea looking set to hold on for a much needed win, Sturridge crossed from the right deep into stoppage-time and Suarez's near-post header beat Cech as the two sides share the spoils of the game.