Karren Brady’s football diary – Giving Alex Ferguson time was key

SAT, MAY 11

YOU need to look no further than Sir Alex’s 26½ years at Man U against the four that probably ends Roberto Mancini’s career at the Etihad or the six months Chelsea interim Rafa Benitez has been granted, to spot why one club is great while the others merely very rich.

Until owners have the confidence to keep faith in already-proven managers, as United have with David Moyes, the clouds will be broken only by occasional bursts of sunlight for ultra-ambitious billionaires.

West Ham are doing our bit for the future with a brand new two-year deal for Sam Allardyce.

SUN, MAY 12

MADE in Chelsea beat The Young Apprentice to a BAFTA award tonight, leaving me to reflect that it isn’t the first time my team has been robbed by one from that part of the world.

I’m about to take on two apprentices of my own at Upton Park.

In a charity auction at our Player of the Year dinner, total bidding for the job reached £17,000 for the Academy, so now I have to find some work for the apprentice’s apprentice as well.

It isn’t true that I’ve promised to whip them into order.

MON, MAY 13

THIS is the third time I’ve been invited to another club’s end-of-season party.

The first time was at the world’s richest club, held at the Royal Opera House, and when I say no expense was spared, I mean it.

The second time was at the top of Harrods and the manager at the time gave his club shares to his CEO as a gift. I am not sure if that was his generosity or the champagne, either way it was a wonderful party.

This is a more intimate affair but there was an awkward moment when the manager said he had a body of a god. To which the chairman replied: “Yes. Buddha.”

TUES, MAY 14

FOR relegated Wigan, the most important thing now is that they keep manager Roberto Martinez.

If they don’t — and I hear the likelihood is he’s on his way elsewhere — then my forecast on their promotion prospects from the Championship next season switches from probable to possible.

Wigan are owner Dave Whelan’s greatest manufacture and his choice of managers has been exceptional.

Even so, the current team have been created and energised by Martinez and tonight, despite defeat by Arsenal, you’d have to be blind not to see how ingrained with his character the players are.

WED, MAY 15

TWO wonderful things happened to West Ham this season. We stayed up with a little bit to spare while the other achievement was to win the anchor tenancy rights to the Olympic Stadium from 2016 for a century.

The YouGov pollsters announced 85 per cent voted in favour of the move, 10 per cent asked for more info and only 5 per cent said no.

I respect some fans would not move even if we had added Messi to the bundle of benefits. But most see that with a 54,000 stadium we will have the third largest capacity in the country. Whoever said size doesn’t matter lied.

THUR, MAY 16

TRUST Rio Ferdinand to have the last word. The King of Twitter abdicated his future as an England player with a a sentence or two announcing his retirement from international football thereby bringing to an end (oh, how we hope so) a squabble that was to engulf England at the ultimate loss of two fine, veteran centre-backs.

It also got rid of Fabio Capello and the half of Italy that came with him, so it wasn’t all bad.

I like Ferdinand’s challenging personality but at lunch with one of the FA bigwigs today, he tells me that announcements of ‘shock’ retirements are a bit of a joke. He says it falls into the “did he jump or was he pushed” category.

I’m not so sure.

FRI, MAY 17

MY husband is making his sporting comeback playing for the Fulham All Stars in a celebrity match tomorrow.

My kids and I have the emergency oxygen tanks and Deep Heat on stand-by. Paul says it’s all about charity but my son says if it’s not about winning, why keep the score?

Andy Carroll is making a comeback of his own for England, as I knew he would. Roy says: “There is always room for a centre-forward of his class and type.” I agree 100 per cent.

And that’s why we are working our socks off trying to sign him for West Ham.

Football – The Sun

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