He's gone. The manager who took an underperforming squad, turned it into FA Cup winners in his first full season and then unforgettably lifted the Premier League trophy in his next has gone. And, on balance, I think it's the right decision.
As a Newcastle fan, I'm quite used to hearing ridiculous things - usually from our own supporters. But this one really tops the lot. Sports Direct News (yes that's actually a thing) has claimed that "low-level" talks have taken place between the Magpies and Wayne Rooney's agent, although an official offer is yet to be lodged. Go figure.
I'm sure managerial consistency plays some part in a club's success. Players like to know who they will be playing under before they sign a new contract. However, I don't believe that the reason for United's success was club's managerial consistency
Whatever you might think of Beckham, my fondest memories of him will be in that England shirt - not for his flashes of temper, leading to notorious dismissals, but for the massively evident pride with which he wore the Three Lions over his heart, the utter commitment and dedication with which he put himself about the pitch in the England cause.
So what's the cause of this sudden groundswell of exciting Belgian talent? Nowadays on this small island, of course, you can't fall through a turnstile or click on a television set without catching sight of one of their gifted number; a ubiquitous phenomenon exclusive to no region.
A year ago I was extremely fortunate to commentate on the dramatic and historic moment when Manchester City grabbed the Barclays Premier League crown with virtually the last kick of the season. I was very proud to play a smaller role in the exceptional Sky Sports coverage of Sir Alex Ferguson's last home game as Manchester United's manager.
Olivier Giroud has had a very solid debut season, but he is not Robin van Persie. He is not a player to build around. Rooney, on the other hand, is not as good as van Persie - but he can be that player to build around. If the 27-year-old is craving being the man at a top club, he should seriously consider making the move south to N5.
If this was a political leader being talked about then the current appraisal of Sir Alex's achievements would be nothing less than a whitewash, with dissenters seemingly shoved off to the side of any major media outlets.
There is so little to choose between the sports pages and financial pages, one would be forgiven for thinking that money's all that matters The media is culpable in this, but the FA, noble guardian of the game, is doing very little to disabuse us of that fact either.
Amidst the drama and contrasting emotions of the final day of the Championship season, a curious antithesis between eventually promoted Hull City and play-off bound Watford became apparent.
In the next few weeks or so, Oscar Pistorius will return to court to face charges on the killing of his then girlfriend and as with anything which is bound to attract intense media attention, it will automatically drill a space in our minds and hold us sufficiently captive from start to finish.
It's often referred to as one of the last gay taboos in Britain: an out gay professional footballer. But why does a large proportion of the gay (and straight) media, as well as a large section of society in general, seem to be obsessed with the prospect of an out pro footballer?
Roberto Mancini's sacking, is one of the most absurd I've seen in a long time. Ok, so he had money, but that doesn't airbrush over the enormity of his achievements. Before Mancini, City had not won a major trophy in 35 years. By the end of his third season, they had won three.
So why do we love the Wigan underdog story? And interestingly, why does a Wigan relegation not bother us? Well, no matter whether you are right or left of center, work for Microsoft or Apple, or are a janitor or CEO, you most likely see yourself as somewhat of an underdog.
England have named a 12 man squad for the first Test against New Zealand which begins Thursday at Lord's. Tim Bresnan and Graeme Swann return from elbow injuries, with Monty Panesar the only man to miss out from England's last Test match, away to the Black Caps in February.
It's not good enough, though, for these clubs simply survive. Despite both having had relegations in their recent history, they should be well-established Premier League clubs. They now need to make sure this is a one-off, and the mistakes of this season are not repeated.
Jeff Stelling, 18.05.2013
Ed Chamberlin, 18.05.2013
Nathan Houston, 17.05.2013
Rob Atkinson, 16.05.2013
