That really is tosh, the credit crunch must be addling your brains

Ferguson, speaking ahead of Chelsea's visit to Manchester United on Sunday, was effusive in his praise of Mourinho. "Jose leaving Chelsea is a disappointment for the game," he said. "He was terrific for football and terrific for Chelsea. He brought something fresh and new to our game and I enjoyed the competition with him."

Meanwhile Sunderland's manager Roy Keane credited Mourinho with lifting the standards of the English game. "I have never come across him, but I just look at what he brought to the Premier League, and he raised the bar," said Keane. "He raised the bar for everybody, even for the likes of United, the Arsenals, they had to liven up their act a bit, and they came back stronger again, United and Arsenal, in the last year or two.

"Jose Mourinho definitely did that for the Premier League, and he did the biggest challenge, where he turned a very good Chelsea team into a top team. That's the biggest step and the hardest step. There are lots of good teams out there - I could name you 10 and say, 'they are a good team' - but they are not a top team, and that is the gap he bridged. He will be a loss to the Premier League, there is no getting away from that."

Posted By: Old Git, Sep 21, 14:25:43