Why has Scotland produced so many of the best football managers in the world? Based on exclusive interviews with the men themselves, their players or close friends and family, authors Michael Grant and Rob Robertson reveal the huge contribution that Scottish managers like Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Matt Busby, Bill Shankly, Jock Stein, Tommy Docherty, Jim McLean, Kenny Dalglish, George Graham, Walter Smith, Gordon Strachan, Alex McLeish and David Moyes, as well as a host of others, have made to the world game.

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The 2012 European Championship qualifiers on the weekend provided starkly contrasting fortunes for two of  Manchester United’s internationals. While Nani was turning on a dazzling performance in Portugals’ 3-1 home defeat of Denmark, Darren Fletcher and Scotland went down 0-1 to the Czech Republic in Prague to leave the Scots trailing in second place behind Spain in their group. They now face a crunch match with the world champions at Hampden Park on Tuesday night.

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It’s amazing what can be found while doing a little bit of Googling! Four Four Two magazine asked their readers to send questions they would like to ask Manchester United legend George Best four years before he passed away in November 2005. His answers were then published in the magazine and are as interesting today as they were at that time. Some readers may have come across the answers Best gives in this article before but for those who like myself had never seen this piece, these are The Thoughts of George Best.

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Tuesday nights European Champions League first round clash with Glasgow Rangers at Old Trafford is the second so called ‘Battle of Britain’ in the last seven years. The two sides met at Ibrox on October22, 2003 where United took the three points with a Phil Neville goal after just five minutes. The English champions did not have everything their own way however as Rangers threw everything at United and were considered unlucky not to at least get a share of the points.

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At the age of 26, Darren Fletcher is only a few months away from celebrating ten years since signing his first professional contract at Old Trafford. Now, as he joins a list of Scottish legends by winning his 50th cap when leading his country against Liechtenstein at Hampden Park, Fletcher admits in his understated way that “It’s a nice moment when you reach these milestones in your career. But to be honest my primary concern is the points and winning the game rather than me winning my 50th cap. That’s something I will think about afterwards.”

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If wishful thinking ever had a chance of coming true, Wales will recall Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs to play for his country in the qualifying matches for Euro 2012. It’s a huge call after the Welsh wizard announced his retirement from international football in 2007 but that reality has not stopped people like former Wales boss Terry Yorath saying that “The first available chance that John Toshak has he should be on the phone to Ryan and get him back into Welsh football.”

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