Congratulations on the first 20 years

In a profession where longevity is the exception rather than the rule, for somebody to complete their 20th anniversary in charge of one football club is an achievement worth marking. Alex Ferguson may not be everybody's cup of tea but his sustained success at one of the biggest clubs in the world is something worth commenting on.

Fergie has done what lesser managers (Ron Atkinson, Frank O'Farrell, Dave Sexton) couldn't achieve and that is to pick up where Sir Matt Busby left of and improve on that legacy.

The United fans haven't always been behind him and even some commntators believed that the job was too big for Alexander Chapman Ferguson. In his first full season, Ferguson guided United to a League runners-up position, this was followed by 11th position in 1988/89 and, after a further threat of relegation, 13th position in 1989-90. The fans were not convinced and on his third anniversary as manager of Manchester United a banner was unfurled in the scoreboard end saying: "Three years of excuses; Ta-ra Fergie". The FA Cup Final replay victory over Crystal Palace won over some of those doubters.

Fergie has made some good, possibly great, buys during his twenty years: Keane, Schmeichel, Cantona for example and some poor ones: Djemba-Djemba and Fabien Barthez to name but two. The media insist that Juan Sebastien Veron was a bad signing but if you listen to United fans they insist the problem was trying to play Keane and Veron in the centre together because Beckham had to be accommodated.

His record is the best in English football and serves as a carrot for the likes of Wenger and Mourinho: 8 Premiership titles, 5 FA Cups, 3 League and Cup Doubles, 2 League Cups, 5 Charity Shields in addition to which he shares with Benitez and Mourinho the winning of 1 European Cup, and he has also won the European Cup Winners Cup and in 1999 completed the famous treble of Premiership, FA Cup and European Cup. He has built four distinct teams during his twenty years and is widely regarded by all managers (with the exception of Arsene Wenger) as the one to turn to when information is required on opposition players in Europe for example.

You might not like him, you might not like United but partisanship shouldn't stop me acknowledging his legacy - well done.