Southend loss my most painful in Fergie's time

SIR ALEX FERGUSON waves goodbye to Old Trafford after 27 years as boss of Manchester United and I must admit I might even have a tear in my eye when it comes to watching the celebrations after the Red Devils have beaten Swansea on Sunday.

There will be the title celebrations, the retirement speech and all those memories. The countless Premier League titles, the two Champions League triumphs and that time I had a lump on them to beat Southend when the Essex mob knocked United out of the Carling Cup 2006.

A team full of world-class talents such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and John O’Shea should never have lost that match and to make matters worse I kept backing United to score in-play.

United always score when they need to but Fergie time came and went and I was left skinted by those cheeky Red Devils. I couldn’t believe it. Football. Bloody hell.

Anyway it’s squeaky bum time down at the bottom of the Premier League and it’s not escaped my attention that a draw may not be the worst result for Sunderland and Southampton at the Stadium of Light so it looks an obvious play to get stuck into the stalemate.

If this was Serie A the draw would be odds-on - they don’t half love a mutually-beneficial draw over there - and one of the bosses involved at the SOL is Italian. I will leave that thought with you.

I also can’t resist a few quid on West Ham to win at Everton. With all the hullabaloo surrounding Ferguson and with David Moyes leaving for Old Trafford it must be a slightly sticky situation for the Toffees and maybe they’ll crumble under the spotlight.

So my day will be spent punting the Hammers to win, Sunderland to draw and if you’re not backing Paul Scholes in any markets you are doing it wrong.

I am on him to score and to get the man of the match in what looks set to be his last match at Old Trafford.

You know it makes sense.