Man United 5/1 for ‘Fergie Time’ strike in Sir Alex’s final game
Published:Whilst Manchester United’s trip to West Brom will have little significance in terms of league implications, those present at the Hawthorns will undoubtedly witness the end of an era.
And as Sir Alex Ferguson takes charge of United for the 1500th and final time, his men can be backed at 5/1 to score the type of goal that arguably defines his 26-year Old Trafford tenure.
That price is applicable to a Red Devils strike coming after the 89th minute, or during ‘Fergie Time’, an occurrence that we have so readily seen repetition of during the 71-year-old’s reign at the helm of the 20-time English champions.
Indeed, the two most famous goals of the Ferguson era both came in injury time, as Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sealed an unthinkable treble at the Nou Camp back in 1999.
Other famous strikes such as Michael Owen’s added-time winner against Manchester City spring to mind too, whilst Ferguson’s United have long proved the source of frustration for many a Premier League supporter via their tendency to pop up late in the game.
Of course, it is not by coincidence that late goals have proved a prominent feature of the legendary Scotsman’s trophy-laden Old Trafford reign, with the never-say-die attitude he preaches readily embraced by each renewal of his ever-evolving squad.
And his latest outfit will be determined to deliver one last hurrah for arguably the greatest manager of all time, making an injury-time strike appear well within the realms of possibility in Ferguson’s last game.
Meanwhile, amongst other specials, only the most deluded of City supporters are likely to indulge in the 10000/1 odds that Fergie succeeds Roberto Mancini.
A more realistic scenario, yet still far-fetched given his age, is for the Glaswegian to have another crack at the Scotland job, for which he is attributed an 8/1 price.
His brief tenure in charge of his national side saw them crash out of the 1986 World Cup at the group stage though, and with Scottish playing talent far less abundant nowadays, Ferguson is unlikely to be enticed back into international management.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
