One of Sir Alexs many strengths has always been his ability to play mind games with his fellow managers. He found a worthy opponent in Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese took charge at Chelsea, but Kevin Keegan was no match for the Scotsman. With Newcastle twelve points clear at the top of the table, Sir Alex managed to incite a reaction from their manager, Keegan, with his comments to the media, culminating in the now infamous Id love it if we beat them meltdown rant. Despite losses to Sunderland and Derby County in the final few months of the season, United managed to overcome astounding odds to secure the title with a seven-point margin, as Keegans Newcastle crashed and burned under the burden of expectation and finished second. Ironically, at the start of the season, striker Alan Shearer had turned down the opportunity to join United in favour of joining Newcastle. This was perhaps a blessing in disguise for United, however, as Sir Alex spent £1.5 million on a little-known player by the name of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer instead