The Indonesian workers at Vincent chang’s plantation live and work together, spending most of their free time resting, watching TV or singing and playing the guitar.

LIFE in an oil palm plantation can sound much worse than it really is.

Sure, the workers have to perform manual labour for eight hours a day and live in a small wooden hut with at least four other guys. Yes, there are some natural dangers, like snakes, territorial wild boars and the occasional violent, over-sized monkey.

But still, the fact is that an oil palm plantation isn’t the most difficult place in the world to work in, and that’s something that Achmad Mutaqin, 23, and Aris Atul Huda, 28, can attest to.

The two Indonesians have been working at Vincent Chang’s 100-acre plantation in Raub, Pahang for the past two years, and they have been quite pleased at how things have gone so far.

“It’s been good,” said Aris in Bahasa Indonesia. “Our boss has been kind to us, and we have gained a lot of work experience. We will be able to bring these experiences with us when we go back to Indonesia.”

Achmad Mutaqin (R) showing the BRATs how sharp and heavy the iron rod used by oil palm plantation workers is.

Aris, Achmad and another three Indonesians working at Chang’s plantation – all from the same kampung in Cilacap, Central Java – spend most of their time wielding long steel rods with blades attached at the end, which they use to cut down and carry the large fruit bunches of the oil palm trees. Just carrying the rods alone can be quite a workout, as they are quite heavy.

But it’s all worth it as both Aris and Achmad say they get to regularly send money back to their families.

Chang said oil palm is relatively easy to grow and harvest, which it why it has replaced rubber in many of the plantations in the area.

“It takes much more work to tap rubber, and when it rains, you won’t be able to harvest anything,” said Chang.

Even though he has hired a supervisor, Chang still visits his plantation almost every day, which explains the great rapport he has with his workers. That, and probably the fact that he’s installed Astro for them.

“They all work quite hard. When they’re not working, they’re either resting or watching TV. Once in a while they take the bus to (Raub) town, but that’s about it. I think some of them have been to Bukit Bintang (in KL) before,” said Chang. Those who work past their usual hours are paid overtime, he added.

Chang said virtually all plantation workers in the area are foreigners these days. “I think locals find the work too tough. There are restrictions on the number of foreigners we can employ. We can only hire one foreign worker for every 10 hectares of plantation land. We can hire as many locals as we want, but the pay is only RM30 a day.”

Instead, many locals are starting their own plantations, including some younger entrepreneurs.

“I think they’re mostly run by the older folks, but there are definitely some younger people starting their own smallholder oil palm plantations now,” he said.

NIKI CHEONG

alltherage@thestar.com.my

LAST weekend, about 200 people came together at Lake Gardens in Kuala Lumpur for a picnic under the shady trees, all dressed in the colours of the Jalur Gemilang.

The event – “Saya Mahu Picnic” – was organised by bizarre participatory arts group RandomAlphabets (RA) in just four days as a response to the tensions after the 13th general election.

I was part of the core group who volunteered to put together the event, alongside RA spokesperson and co-founder Zain HD, Juana Jaafar and others.

Zain HD (in yellow)

The idea stemmed from a couple of text message exchanges between the three of us after the election results were announced. We felt that there was a strong tension both on the ground and online, some of which were sparked by certain polarising sentiments relating to race from a variety of sources, including elected officials, politicians, media institutions and of course, the average layman.

The intention behind Saya Mahu Picnic was to play a small part in diffusing what appeared to be escalating tensions.

The three of us were not the only ones who felt this way. As quickly as we started moving (we had announced the event on Tuesday evening via social media), we noticed that other people were mobilising their respective movements.

One group started a Facebook group called “Kita Kawan Mah”, which aimed to celebrate the diversity of our fellow countrymen and women. There was another group of people who started sharing pictures of themselves posing with messages calling for unity.

Then, a group of prominent Malaysians – including social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, educator Jonson Chong, welfare activist Toh Puan Aishah Ong, former Miss Malaysia Deborah Henry and businessman Tan Sri Lim Kim Yew – came together to endorse a statement speaking out against the strains of racism that were emerging following the general election, of which I was also one of the signatories (you can view the full statement at http://bit.ly/182SfMX).

For RA, our approach was to go back to what we knew and did best – bringing people together in a fun manner.

RA was founded on the ethos of organising events that get people to spend time together in the most random ways, as we’ve done through other events like Keretapi Sarong, KL Freeze in Unison, World Pillow Fight Day, Tali Tenang and more.

The basis of our events is fun. RA feels that while we can all talk about unity, it is only when people spend time with one another that opportunities to build relationships emerge.

Saya Mahu Picnic was just one platform to facilitate that. We feel that platforms are important for people to express themselves differently. Zain personally believes that people in general are always keen to show how they feel and express themselves in a bigger and more prominent platform.

For such people, just ranting on Twitter, updating a Facebook status or just chattering at the coffeeshop is often not enough.

Saya Mahu Picnic was an opportunity for these people to come together and do something more, whether it was through the songs the picnickers sang – including Ikhlas Tapi Jauh, Rasa Sayang and Saya Anak Malaysia – or the potluck, where they shared a variety of food representing the different communities that make up our country.

Zain, in an interview with The Star during the event, said: “People need to realise that it does not matter how small their influence is, it is what they do with that influence that matters.”

The common thought is that these days, the only way to initiate action is to brand something properly or look at sustainability. People don’t often feel that the little things matter when they clearly do – the positivity that drowned out some of the negativity on social media is a good example.

Saya Mahu Picnic was our little contribution, both as a form for us to express ourselves but also as a platform for others to do the same. We’re grateful to those who took the time out to join us but also for the support and encouragement that we’ve received following the event.

* NIKI CHEONG is a social media strategist and lecturer. For more information about RandomAlphabets and its projects, log on to randomalphabets.com. 

By OH CHIN ENG and CHRISTINE CHEAH

alltherage@thestar.com.my

PENANG. Food. Good food. That’s probably what comes to our minds when we think of the Northern state. But as one of the crucial entrepots that played an important role in the history of the nation centuries ago, Penang offers more than just a delicious plate of char kuey teow.

And that’s what the Heritage In Penang (HIP) project founders want people to know – that there are many historic wonders in Penang hidden in plain sight and that they are here to help people discover them.

Last weekend, the HIP project organised a free walking tour – “The HIP trail” – along the famous Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling (check out the tour map below).

Participants were given a map of the earlier years of Penang as well as illustrations and postcards depicting the state in the 1880s. They were also encouraged to imagine that they were people living in that era.

In character and eager to explore the trail, the participants were soon studying traditional trades, pausing to observe the architectural traits of historical buildings and discovering the legends and myths surrounding the trail.

“We want people, especially the youths, to be culturally aware of their heritage assets through different methods,” said Chen Yoke Pin, Arts-ED programme coordinator.

Founded 13 years ago, Arts-ED is an initiative that seeks to provide non-formal arts and culture education programmes to young people seeking to preserve and promote the legacies in Penang.

The HIP project is just one of its few initiatives. Other programmes include cultural events, cultural mapping, documentation and more.

And the response from the young people towards the initiatives is very encouraging.

N. Vijay Kumar

Medical student N. Vijay Kumar, 26 said, “What attracted me the most is the early settlement history, how they came and settled here, mixing with all kinds of people from different races.”

Vijay, who travels occasionally on the street, admits that he never knew the stories behind it, and it’s the first time he’s taken the initiative to learn about Penang’s heritage.

“Now the concern is how the young people are going to maintain this place. If not, it’ll all fall apart,” he said.

Chai Siu Yeng

For Chai Siu Yeng, 20, the HIP trail walk was very informative and it gave her an opportunity to discover the gems hidden along the street.

“The walk was really educational as I managed to see, hear, feel, smell and taste the things hands-on. You won’t find these things in textbooks,” said the Universiti Sains Malaysia student.

And trust us, these photos here don’t do the stunt any justice. To get a feel of how awesome it looks in real time, log on to our R.AGE YouTube channel (youtube.com/RageOnlineTV) or use our iSnap feature on this page.

Oh, and if you feel like giving the 360 mount a try, just don’t. These cheerleaders are made from some tough stuff, and without a proper cheerleading coach around, you’ll probably just hurt yourself.

Stunt name: 360 mount with a forward peel dismount

Level of difficulty: Intermediate-advanced

Step 1:

The main base grips the flyer’s right foot.

Step 2:

The main base, second base and spotter drives the flyer up and turns her 90 degrees to the right.

Step 3:

The bases lift the flyer up by extending their arms, while the flyer does a scorpion stretch.

Step 4:

The flyer does an arabesque stretch.

Step 5:

To dismount, the flyer leans forward and does a 360 degree roll while the bases support her back. During the roll, the flyer extends one leg forward first, while the bases hold on to the other leg.

Still not enough cheerleading action for you? Come and catch the top secondary school cheerleading teams in the country live at the Cheer 2013 finals, taking place on June 29 and 30 at the Putra Indoor Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur. And of course, admission is free.

Cheer 2013 is organised by R.AGE and presented by MARIGOLD HL Low Fat Milk. Silkygirl is the main sponsor and Sugus is the co-sponsor. Red FM is the official radio station.

The BRATs find out how palm oil is produced during a plantation visit.

AS we set out to find out more about the palm oil industry in Raub, Pahang, we found the perfect guide in Vincent Chang, 43.

Though Chang’s oil palm plantation is relatively new and only 100 acres in size, his family’s transport company has been servicing plantations in the Raub area for decades. This guy knows everything there is to know about palm oil.

Armed with our cameras and notepads, we took the roughly two-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur to Chang’s plantation in Cheroh, which is about 15 minutes from Raub town.

There, Chang introduced us to his workers, and explained to us the process of producing palm oil.

Step 1

After the land is cleared, a backhoe is used to dig holes where the palm oil seedlings will be planted. The holes are dug along a 28 x 28 feet grid.

Step 2

The workers water the plants and apply fertiliser regularly for two years.

Step 3

After two years, the trees start bearing fruit. A fruit bunch is ready to be harvested when it has turned red and weighs roughly 15kg. The workers cut the fruit bunches down, leaving them by the side of the road to be collected by transport trucks.

Step 4

The transport company brings the fruit bunches to a weighing station, where the plantation owner will be paid based on the weight of the harvest.

Step 5

The weighed harvest is transported to the palm oil mill where it will be processed to produce crude palm oil.

JUST outside an oil palm plantation in the small town of Cheroh, Pahang, lies a small Tamil school, SJK (T) Ladang Cheroh. It has four small buildings in its compound, and just over 70 students. All in all, it’s a pretty plain sight that most people would probably miss when driving by this town.

However, if you speak to some of the locals, you’ll find that this small school has quite a big history.

It was established in an altogether different time, when Malaysia was still under colonial rule.

The British controlled most of the plantations, and since the workers at the time were mostly Indians, they set up a Tamil school specially for children of the workers.

Though it is now but a fading legacy of that bygone era, the teachers and students still feel a strong connection with the history of the school.

Headmaster Karunnanithy Letchumanan, 48, said: “It is a very small school, a very simple place. But a lot of our former students come back to visit because they love the school. Quite a few of our teachers are former students as well.”

Back in the 1940s, when the British converted a small medicine distribution centre into the school’s first classroom (which is still standing today), all the students were children of plantation workers.

These days, only a handful of students have parents working in the plantations. Most of the plantations in the area hire foreign workers. Also, the plantations used to be mostly for rubber. Over the years, they have become almost completely replaced by oil palm, which produces better yields and is much easier to cultivate.

Sasitharan Narayanan, 32, a former student who is now a teacher at the school, has fond memories of his childhood in Cheroh.

“All the children all used to play together in the plantation. We would make balls out of the rubber scraps and throw them at each other!” he said. “Our lives were very simple, but we were always happy.”

Sasitharan is also proud of how successful some of his schoolmates have been since graduating, especially given the lack of facilities in the school.

With the help of ex-students and the government, a new building was added to SJK (T) Ladang Cheroh in 2010. Finally, after so many decades of operating from two tiny old buildings, the school had some modern facilities. It now has a Living Skills workshop, computer lab and science lab.

In the same year, the school organised a reunion. Karunnanithy laments the fact that so many ex-students have left Cheroh, but seeing them return to do their bit for the school was a great encouragement.

Sivakumar Ramasamy, 41, is one of the few ex-students who has not only remained in Cheroh, but also still works in the plantations.

When asked about the best memory he’s had in the school, Sivakumar said it was the time his daughter scored 5 A’s in the UPSR examination a few years ago. Two of his sons, Kalaiyarasan Sivakumar, 12, and Anbarasan Sivakumar, 11, are currently studying in the school.

“I want my children to study hard so they can be successful. I always remind them that education is important,” said Sivakumar. His sons hope to make their father proud by realizing their ambitions to become an engineer and a policeman.

But whatever the ambitions of the students at SJK (T) Ladang Cheroh are, the oil palm trees just beyond the school fence will always serve as a reminder of where this humble institution has come from, and the many success stories it has inspired.

A lot of people only find out what they want to do in life after secondary school or graduating from college. Well, the lucky ones at least.

But not Elaine Ng, 24, who knew she was born to dance at the age of four.

“My parents told me when I was very young, I would naturally move and sway my body whenever there is music playing,” she said with a laugh.

Currently a dance and performing arts degree student at Faculty of Film and Video of National Academy of Arts, Culture & Heritage (Aswara), she is also a professional Bharatanatyam (a classical Indian dance) and contemporary dancer.

Many people are surprised when they find out that Ng, being of Chinese heritage, is an accomplished Bharatanatyam performer.

Well, they can’t be more surprised than the audiences who watch her perform on stage.
“Some even think I can speak Tamil, because they say I interpret the meaning of the songs through dance so well,” she said.

Her parents saw the dancer in her at a very early age, and sent her for ballet lessons to develop her talent.

After her SPM examinations, all she could think of was pursuing a career in dance. And to her surprise, her parents were supportive of her decision, allowing her to pursue her dream.

“I love dancing because I can express myself in ways that words cannot, and I just love the freedom of expression I have through it,” she said.

Ng particularly enjoys Padam, which is part of the Bharatanatyam dance performance. It is one of the most lyrical parts where the dancer plays different roles and characters according to the music and lyrics.

“Padam is very expressive. It allows me to enter into another world, become different persons, and tell people stories. This is also why I chose to learn Bharatanatyam.”

Ng performs Bharatanatyam solo most of the time. Each performance lasts between 90 minutes and two hours, so it requires a lot of stamina.

Apart from being a student, she is also a senior apprentice of the Aswara Dance Company, where she assists students and graduates of Aswara who are also performers.

Recently injured from an accident, which is preventing her to practise or perform, Ng realises how much dancing means to her, and how important it is to take care of her body; her instrument.

“I realise just how much dancing means to me. It’s hard to accept that I can’t dance at the moment.

“For dancers, our bodies are like instruments. If musicians’ instruments break, it can always be repaired or replaced. But for us, we can’t replace our bodies. We really have to take care of our bodies,” she said.

By TAN YEE MING

alltherage@thestar.com.my

I LOVE cheerleading and I love coaching. My dream is to one day lead a world championship-winning team.

This year, I made a small step towards realising that dream by coaching Team Malaysia at the International Cheer Union (ICU) World Cheerleading Championships 2013 held on April 25 and 26 in Florida, the United States.

The Cheerleading Association and Register of Malaysia (CHARM) has sent Team Malaysia to compete in various regional competitions, but Malaysia’s debut at the prestigious World Cheerleading Championships was the first time we were up against the very best from around the world.

When the national team tryouts were announced in January, I was looking to put together a team for the All-Girl Group Stunt division, which was not an easy task with so little time.

However, we took each challenge in our stride and completed the tryouts, selecting five talented cheerleaders – Hui Shuen Yee, Rachel Lu, Ong Wei Lee and Renatti Kong-Yueq from team Cyrens, SM Sri Kuala Lumpur, and Theng Kai Yee from team Calyx, SM(J)K Katholik.

I worked hard to get the team in shape for the big day. Time flew by and as we got closer to Worlds, the team started to get nervous. We focused a lot on being mentally prepared for the big day.

Before we knew it, we were flying off to sunny Orlando. We stayed at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort, and it was a dream come true being in Disney World and visiting its theme parks like the Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.

Rehearsal day was an inspiring experience too as we got to see amazing teams from all over the world stunting, jumping and tumbling. We made friends with cheerleaders from all over the world – the United States, Mexico, Australia and many more.

On competition day, the atmosphere was electrifying. Seeing the cheerleaders and supporters from all the different countries and cultures coming together to support each other was exhilarating.

Our team was confident and eager to perform their hearts out. I wish I could say I was as confident – I put on the biggest, perkiest smile I could muster but deep inside, I was a huge bundle of nerves. I tried to sound positive when speaking to them since I knew it was important to be calm and confident for the team.

When the time came for me to play the music, my hands were trembling and I had a million thoughts running through my head. Had I prepared the team enough? Did I make any mistakes? Should I have changed the routine?

Well, the team was on the floor, smiling and ready to go. They performed the first section perfectly and I prayed that they would hit everything. Unfortunately, they dropped a stunt and I felt my heart drop along with it. They managed to hit the rest of the routine though, and then they were done. All the hard work and all my mental anguish were over in one short minute.

The team was a little upset about the dropped stunt, but they knew they had done their best and were proud of themselves.

As for me, I kept analysing every possible reason why the stunt had dropped. It was constantly on my mind, and I barely slept that night.

A week later, I realised something, and it’s the same thing I always tell my cheerleaders – if you do your very best, then that’s good enough. I know I did my very best, and it was time to move on. Finishing ninth out of 18 of the world’s best teams was an achievement in itself!

I fully intend to fulfil my dream of coaching a world champion team some day, to see the Malaysian flag flying proudly at the winner’s rostrum and to hear our national anthem playing. I will continue to dream and to believe, and I am sure I will achieve my life’s aspirations one day.

alltherage@thestar.com.my

OUR lives would be so boring without reading any news and gossip about our favourite celebrities, no?

Bad baby daddy

Kim Kardashian’s friends are allegedly worried that her boyfriend, Kanye West, is not treating her right.

The so-called friends are accusing the rapper of treating the reality TV star like his assistant, and some believe that the pregnant Kardashian will walk out of the relationship after the baby is born.

A source told gossip site NaughtyButNiceRob.com that “the only way they have a future is if Kim continues to do whatever he (West) says.”

Paparazzi have snapped photos of Kardashian flying to Paris numerous times during her pregnancy to visit West, who has been recording his new album, although there seems to be very little news of him visiting his girl in the United States.

The source added, “We just do not understand why she is travelling to Paris to see him. She is the pregnant one. Kanye will fly in to see the editors of Vogue but he won’t fly in to see the lady carrying his child.”

Sharm says: Kim Kardashian acting as Kanye’s assistant? I don’t think so. That girl seems to never lift a finger for anyone but herself.

No more Usher

Oh no! R&B superstar Usher has reportedly signed on to act in a movie and may not return as a judge and mentor on the hit TV show The Voice.

The singer who took Cee Lo Green’s spot on the show is planning to leave the show temporarily to work on his movie career.

A source told UsMagazine.com: “Usher is doing a movie, so he couldn’t do season five if they wanted him to.”

It is also reported that Green will return to the judging panel alongside Adam Levin, Blake Shelton and fellow original judge Christina Aguilera next year. The source also added that Shakira, who is currently on the show, is planning to take a break to spend time with her baby boy Milan.

“Shakira wants to take a season off to take care of the baby. She has an option to come back too.”

Sharm says: The Voice always has a good panel of judges. American Idol should learn a thing or two from the show’s producers.

A good example

After Angelina Jolie admitted in a New York Times op-ed that she underwent a preventive double mastectomy, her partner Brad Pitt spoke out about the actress’ decision.

“Having witnessed this decision first hand, I find Angie’s choice, as well as so many others like her, absolutely heroic. I thank our medical team for their care and focus. All I want is for her to have a long and healthy life, with myself and our children. This is a happy day for our family,” he told the The London Evening Standard.

The actress said in the article: “I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer.”

Sharm says: I told you that Angie is perfect. She can do no wrong.

Another baby?

There are rumours that Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z’s little girl Blue Ivy is going to be a big sister soon. Several photos have surfaced showing Knowles sporting a bump which sparked the baby rumours.

The New York Post said the singer and her husband are expecting again although neither of their reps are yet to respond.

Knowles had always been open about her desire to have another baby soon.

“I would like more children. I think my daughter needs some company… at some point, when it’s supposed to happen,” she said on Good Morning America.

Sharm says: Ugh … this is another baby that’s going to have the world handed to him/her on a silver platter. I am so jealous!

By IAN YEE

alltherage@thestar.com.my

NOW that Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has finally retired, you really have to wonder how the chewing gum industry will fare without its biggest advocate. Hairdryer manufacturers, too, would probably be freaking out right about now.

But such is the measure of the man that his departure has actually caused quite a stir away from the beautiful game. For one, Manchester United’s share price on the New York Stock Exchange dropped as much as 4.5% in the immediate aftermath of the club’s announcement.

Twitterverse was so awash with tributes – from fans, rivals and barely-interested observers alike – that some poor Black Eyed Peas fans thought Fergie was leaving the band (Gasp! Shock horror!). Sorry for phunking with your hearts.

British Prime Minister David Cameron himself tweeted a tribute, saying that his beloved Aston Villa will now have life a little easier without the original Fergie (no offence to the Duchess of York, but she didn’t win 13 Premier League titles now, did she?) to dominate English football. Not exactly the most politically correct thing for a Prime Minister to say considering there was a new manager set to be installed, huh? Tsk tsk.

The truth is, Ferguson’s greatest achievement could yet be the manner of his departure. Not only has he left behind a football club in an imperious position at the top of English football (more on that and David Moyes later), but I believe he will also have inspired an entire generation of young people with his amazing work ethic.

They might think it old school, but hey, it friggin’ won the modern-day Premier League, with all its tweeting multi-millionaire superstar players, state-of-the-art facilities, fancy marketing machinery and 3D cameras.

Those who worked with him spoke of how he’d be in the office every day before 7am, even the day after he announced his retirement. My lovely grandma’s just a couple years older (in her mid-70s), but you won’t see her do anything apart from watching her TVB shows before noon!

For those who have grown up in the reality TV generation of instant fame and success, where everybody hopes to somehow cheat life and get ahead Mark Zuckerberg-style, Ferguson’s retirement can be a refreshing reminder of what good old fashioned hard work and integrity can get you. It got Ferguson, the former shipyard worker’s apprentice, true legendary status amongst a legion of fans around the world.

England manager Roy Hodgson said: “You only have to look at the help Sir Alex gives young managers in the game. You don’t expect that from someone at the very, very top of his profession, but he is always there for young managers to give advice.

“That is a part of the man that is overlooked. His footballing record is there for all to see, but his human qualities often get passed over amid all of his professional achievements.” Personally, I think that’s the true legacy of Sir Alex Ferguson. Some people have been going on and on about the number of titles he’s won, his match-winning percentage or Manchester United’s commercial growth; but it’s his incredible work ethic, and his commitment to doing things the right way and supporting others in his community that will truly resonate with those beyond the sport.

Loose ends

I’m sorry to disappoint the British Prime Minister, but Ferguson’s succession plans seem to be just his latest stroke of genius. His spirit and influence might linger on a while more to thwart Aston Villa (not that they’re a real threat. Pfft).

Ferguson had just recently overseen a £20mil (RM91mil) overhaul of United’s Trafford Training Centre, the training complex fondly known as Carrington, to secure the club’s ability to continue producing top quality youngsters. Against Swansea last week, United maintained their unrivalled record of having a home-grown player in their squad for the past 3,640 consecutive games.

In all his farewell speeches, he’s hit all the right notes. Addressing the Old Trafford crowd after the Swansea game, he asked the club’s supporters to back the new manager, David Moyes. Speaking at the post-match interview with Geoff Shreeves, he cleverly brought up United’s never-say-die attitude and their habit of scoring last-minute goals. At his trophy parade speech, he urged fans to turn up for United’s under-21s match against Liverpool the following day. He’s setting the right tone for the fans, making sure the right culture and attitude persists at the club.

Some fans I’ve spoken to have been distraught at Ferguson’s choice of Moyes as his successor, but I think it’s a brilliant move! United already have a successful culture that doesn’t need much tinkering. If they had chosen Jose Mourinho, he’d probably have wanted to bring in his own backroom staff, set-up his own scouting network, pick a new reserves coach or brand United “The Special Club”.

Moyes will ease in seamlessly, with a good understanding of English football and the family culture of the club; and he has the same fierce work ethic and appetite for success as Ferguson.

Rivals Manchester City seemed to have gone the complete opposite direction, with Chilean Manuel Pellegrini set to take over from the sacked Roberto Mancini.

Roberto Mancini

Having a (supposedly) brilliant South American former Real Madrid manager seems infinitely more sexy than an untested Scotsman (Moyes), but all the good work Mancini has done will effectively be truncated, whereas at United it will be more or less business as usual. Of course, it remains to be seen which approach will work better, but I think the smart money is on United.

Off the pitch, out-going chief executive David Gill has successfully helped frame and push through financial fair play rules that, quite frankly, favour United. The rules will now focus on owner investment (targeting clubs with rich backers like Chelsea and Manchester City), rather than debt, of which United have a mountain. It is rather embarrassing to say this as a United fan, but the rules will put United in a stronger position in the transfer market compared to their rivals.

The on-going Wayne Rooney saga 2.0 appears to be the one loose end Ferguson has left behind, though one suspects he and the club know exactly what they’re doing. I for one believe they have already decided to let Rooney go. Ferguson has publicly brushed the transfer request aside just to maintain the order of things at the club.

By denying Rooney the satisfaction of having his demand for a transfer acceded to, Ferguson has effectively ensured that the player doesn’t make the club seem inferior. When Rooney does leave, it won’t appear to the public that it was because it suited the player – it will be because it suited the club.