The Post-Fergie Future

At the sixth of November 1986, Manchester United hired the club's sixth manager after the great Sir Matt Busby's retirement in 1969, and every single one of them (including Busby himself in 1970-71) had failed to win the league, despite some FA Cup glory. The new gaffer was Scottish as well, and with his achievements of bringing league and Cupwinners' Cup silverware to Aberdeen in mind, the United board decided to hope he could do something similiar at Old Trafford. He did, and way beyond, but now his retirement is getting closer day by day. Here's a look at some of the possible men to replace the knighted Scot.

by @Nicopoleides

Fergie in charge - for how long?

The Govan-born Ferguson is one of the two main men behind this club's great history, alongside the mentioned Sir Matt Busby, and to replace him successfully will be anything but easy. At this point, he's in charge of so many aspects of our club, from recommending Bébé to remove his dreadlocks to decide which striker he will play up-front in the next game or which player United will sign in the next transfer window. Additionally, he must cope with this huge pressure from media, fans, sponsors, the Glazers and himself(!). In other words, this job isn't for the man in the street, and special attributes (both footballistically and personally) are required for one of the most difficult jobs in worldwide football. The following contains an overview of some men that have been linked to this managerial post, including some reasons of why we should try to sign the particular manager (listed under 'pros') or look for a different one ('cons').

José Mourinho, Real Madrid
It's completely impossble to make such a list without the man formerly know as 'the Special One', so let's start with the obvious. After successful spells at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan, he's faced a harder time in the Spanish capital, often denied trophies by the 'all-mighty' Barcelona. Nevertheless, his winning mentality is obvious to everyone, fuelled by his ability to lose home games very, very rarely.


Pros: 
This guy knows how to cope with pressure at the highest level. A Champions League trophy with Porto, instant Premier League glory at Stamford Bridge and Il Triplete with Internazionale proves that a winning-mentality is in stock. This is a clearly a key attribute, as the media, pundits and most fans will judge the new United manager by looking at his amount of - or lack of - silverware brought to Old Trafford after one, two, five and ten seasons. Other advantages for the Portuguese is his tactical knowledge of the game and emphasizing of details. Such abilities can turn a tight and important game into United's favour, and are obviously important.
Another point to add is the fact that if he and his 'Galáctico II' side wins the Primera División, Mourinho has won every one of the three biggest league championships after a nomad existence chasing silverware all across Europe. He has a good relation to Mr. Ferguson, which will be key in the process of selecting the new manager, and maybe Manchester is the place to settle, both for himself and his familiy? Additionally, he's young (48 years old), and that's no age for a manager, which opens the possibility of staying at Old Trafford for ten to fifteen years and becoming the third great in our history.

Cons: 
El Mou has been under-fire for criticism of his way of play. Manchester United's tradition is to entertain the Old Trafford faithful, and as winning trophies will be his main target, the degree of entertainment will have a chance to suffer and drop down on his priority list. As well, he's never been at a club for a significant long time, and another of United's proud traditions - youth development - is also in the danger zone, as the Portuguese rarely has had time to focus on this part of a club. I doubt that a player like the United through-and-through Darren Fletcher would've been given chance after chance to finally clinch it under Mourinho's leadership. In my opinion, players like Darren are important to maintain our identity.
As well, I will put a question mark to Mourinho's ability to sign english players. The homegrown rule will by some degree prevent him from going bananas by signing oversea players, but what I fear is that the essential part the squad are Portuguese and Spanish, without United in their vains, and ready to leave if a Real Madrid or Barcelona offer is put on the table. English players are less likely to leave in that way, and I fear a red side featuring too many foreign players.


David Moyes, Everton
The Glasgow-born Moyes has done a brilliant job in the blue part of Merseyside with a focus on English and homegrown players. He has maintained Everton's position as a 5th-to-8th spot side, among the second best teams in the Premier League, with a main task (when hired in 2002) of avoiding relegation and limited resources in hand.

Pros: 
In terms of youth development, Moyes are one of the best, challenged by Martin O'Neill. Wayne Rooney, Leon Osman, Leighton Baines and Jack Rodwell, as young british players given the chance to establish themselves as top footballers by the former Preston North End centreback. People like Francis Jeffers and Dan Gosling could be mentioned as well. In other words, Moyes isn't afraid of giving youth the chance, just like Fergie. You can maybe claim that the Everton manager has had limitied options due to financial issues, but if the players mentioned weren't good enough, the Toffees wouldn't be as good as they acutally are.
The Glasgow-born Moyes is also well-known for consistency, and seems to fancy a total settlement when he's hired. Born in the same year (1963) as Mourinho, his age is perfect as well. Both experience and future are clearly words in the Scotman's dictionary. Additionally, he doesn't live far from Manchester, and if his family will move, they'll still remain in the same part of the country, which means adjustment to a new culture isn't needed.

Cons: 
The biggest disadvantage of the man who won the League Managers Association's Manager of the Year Award in 2003, '05 and '09 is the lack of winning mentality. Grabbing the fourth spot in 2005 was a huge achievement for Everton, but it will be a major disappointment at Manchester United. The 48-year-old will have to deal with a win-every-game-mentality he isn't used to, and that might become a handicap for him. With no disrespect or arrogancy, you can't hide the fact that United is a way bigger club than Everton. As mentioned, the pressure is huge, the demands are in a different league that what he's used to at Everton, and there are no guarantees that Moyes will be able to cope with this.


Martin O'Neill, currently unemployed
Three Scottish Premier League championships, a lost UEFA cup final, sixteen top-flight Manager of the Month awards (nine in the SPL, seven in the FAPL) in Great Britain, and a promotion to the Premier League are just something of what this Northern Irish 59-year old has achieved during his managerial career. Enough to make it as a Manchester United manager?

Pros: 
O'Neill is an experienced bloke when it comes down to British football. Three league championships during his five-year tenure as a Celtic manager proves that he's able to lead a side where the only result good enough is to win the league (though Rangers are the only competitive side, as we all know), and his British focus at Aston Villa is something which surely will suit Old Trafford. Players like Barry Bannan, Marc Albrighton, Gabriel Agbonlahor and our own Ashley Young are players that should have O'Neill's name on their Christmas card list every year, despite some of them may have progressed even more after he left Villa, but young players come from the academy (which the manager are in charge of) and not out of nowhere. A majority of English/British players is something I personally will fancy as an attribute of any United squad.

Cons: 
The former Northern Ireland international was maybe hotter during the 2001/02 season, before Sir Alex made his well-known U-turn, and he hasn't become any younger ever since. With even years more to his life than the likes of Moyes and Mourinho, he may be slightly too old, despite it's still possible for him to stay in the branch for ten more years. And if Fergie's replacement does, we will have to be satisfied.
The main handicap, as I see it, for the man who played 285 league games and bagged 48 goals for Nottingham Forest between 1971 and '81, is the lack of Champions League experience. Thus far, O'Neill hasn't felt the pressure of the top-flight international football, and even if you get knocked out in the semi-final, the season at foreign soil might be considered as a failure by pundits, fans and media. In other words, some degree of European success is required, and the former Leicester manager hasn't got such a thing to his CV by now.



Josep Guardiola, Barcelona
(This one's signed by @CheGiaevara )

Despite his tender age, many consider Josep "Pep" Guardiola the most obvious choice to succeed Sir Alex. He may be the youngest, but he's also the most meritted of the candidates I have lined up. Claiming the role as manager in 2008, Guardiola showcased his leadership skills, and eye for talent, as he did in his playing, leading Barcelona to three consecutive La Liga crowns and two Champions League victories. Both beating Manchester United. Some may call him a footballing genius, but could he really be the man to carry on the legacy created by United's almighty Scot?

Pros:
Statistics have proven that Guardiola may very well be the next in line when Sir Alex calls it a day. Renowned for his abillity to give young players a chance, as well as sticking them into a sound system, Guardiola resembles Sir Alex in the way he goes about his business. Always protective of his players, he also establishes a feeling of comradery within the dressing room. Where many managers leave player to fend for themselves, Guardiola and Ferguson make sure everyone is taken care of, everyone is given special treatment. As well as being protective, they also give players time and have trust in them. Both are stubborn and want their philosophies and visions to shine through, which is needed at the biggest level. A stubborness that has led both United and Barcelona to glory, meaning that Guardiola could handle the pressure at a top club better than most people. Perhaps, including the mayority of our candidates.

Along with his analytic, as well as calm, persona, Guardiola brings with him his youth system. A man sworn into the Barcelona youth academy, popularly known as "La Masia", Guardiola is the man creditted for the evolution of players such as Pedro Rodriguez and Sergio Busquets. A football philosophy where physical abillity is not the strong point, Barcelona have build a footballing empire on solid passing game and calmness on the pitch. And if they lose the ball, their agressiveness wins them the ball back within two-three passes from the opposing team. That very strategy has beaten Manchester United twice in the Champions League final and has demolished Real Madrid with stunning results such as 6-2 and 5-0. An impressive resumé, to say the least, for a man that was wanted by Sir Alex during his playing days.

Cons:
However, Guardiola is in his own court at Barcelona. As mentioned, he was born and raised into the Barcelona-system. He knows it better than some of us know our own mother. He eats, sleeps and breaths Barcelona. To give you an example; he refused to get a television set in his office room because he did not want to cause any "nonsense" expenses on Barcelona. To go even further, he was offered a car by one of Barcelona's main sponsors when he took the job, but refused to accept it because the other members of his traning staff were not getting what he was getting. In that way, Guardiola is very attached to Barcelona. A change of climate, language and football tradition could derail his ever-growing career in football. Known for being a man of adventures, and interest in football, Guardiola could be more bark than bite if he was to overtake as head of state at the red side of Manchester. As some people might say about players, but which is very relevant here, could Guardiola survive a cold December's eve at the Britannia Stadium versus Stoke? Most of the other candidates have proven able. Guardiola, from a city known for it's great uniting of a centralized big city and a holiday paradise filled with beaches, may just find himself running for the beaches if he gets too much on his plate too quickly and jumps on the potential chance at going to Old Trafford.

So, is Guardiola the right man? Well, he certainly has the accolades to voice his candidacy, if it was to become an option. Nevertheless, the depth and strength in the team Guardiola fields every week would be any manager's dream. The big question would be; could Guardiola handle the change of personnnel, the change of climate and the change of talent? An appointment of Guardiola would bring with him plenty of questions, but if there's one man who can answer them all, it's "Pep".


Laurent Blanc, the French national team
Girondins de Bordeaux were suffering a eight-season-lasting league championship drought, after failing to win the title in every single season after their silverware-containing 1998/99 campaign, and pointed out Monsieur Blanc to become their saviour. In his first season, Les Girondins finished as runner-ups, and the gaffer won the Manager of the Year award. The following campaign swapped the two, with Blanc as the runner-up Manager of the Year, and the all-blues as league champions of 2008/09. Bordeaux droppet to the sixth spot after the 09/10 season, which went out to become Blanc's final one at the club before entering the national team job, where his side can find themselves in pole position of the Euro 2012 Qualifying Group D after eight games, 17 points and only one loss.

Pros:
As a part of France's double-winning side of World Cup '98 and Euro 2000, Blanc certainly knows the requirements of becoming a champion in world-class football. As a player he's seen it all, won it 'all' (though not the Champions League) and he's used to be in a situation where victory and victory only, are considered as good enough. At his Bordeaux spell, he proved that he don't need much time to build a title contendending side, and his effort with France could hardly have been any better. As well, his Champions League CV contains two victories against Bayern Munich and one against Juventus in the group stages of 09/10, marching on through the last 16s and an unlucky defeat (2-3 on aggregate) to Olympique Lyonnais in the quarter-finals. With Bordeaux. In other words, Blanc knows how to win football matches, and at the highest level too. His date of birth is doing him a favour as well, as he's a man of the same generation as Moyes and Mourinho (two years younger), which means he could be a man for the future. Additionally, he has played under Fergie's leadership, been a part of the winning culture at Old Trafford, and knows how Manchester United works out. Knowledge of the club is certainly an advantage, as long as he's loyal to his own philosophy as well, and not trying to be a Ferguson replica.

Cons:
Despite Blanc has been under some serious pressure, this has mostly been as a player, and not a manager. So far, he has proven ability to handle this, but the pressure at Bordeaux and at Man United simply can't be compared, with no disrespect to the frenchmen. He's completely inexperienced when it comes down to being a manager of a world-class club, and (mainly because of his short managerial career) the former Montpellier sweeper has never been in charge of a club for a long period. Another point to question is whether he will bring in a lot of frenchmen/foreigners to Old Trafford like Arséne Wenger has done at Highbury and Emirates, or maintain the main part of the squad as (young) British/English players.



Felix Magath, Wolfsburg
An outsider to the gaffer's office at Carrington is VfL Wolfsburg's 58-year-old manager. Since his managing debut in 1995 at Hamburger Sportsverein, the German has been in charge of eight different clubs in his home country, now facing a second spell at the Volkswagen Arena after being re-hired at 17th March 2011, only 24 hours after he got axed by Schalke 04.

Pros:
The former Hamburger SV midfielder entered relegation contenders Stuttgart in February 2001 and transformed The Reds to runners-up only two years later. The following campaign included a narrow loss (0-1 on aggregate) to Chelsea in the last 16 of the Champions League before his Stuttgart departure. He was then appointed as the manager of capital club Bayern Munich, where he reached his career peak by winning the league and cup double twice in two seasons, for the first time in the club's history. However, during the 2006/07 campaign he got sacked by the Bavarians and faced a two-year tenure at Wolfsburg, where he brought both UEFA Cup and Champions League participation to the Volkswagen Arena faithful, the latter as Bundesliga champions of 2008/09. Then he went to become manager of an ordinary Schalke 04 side, which finished eighth, and brought them to the runners-up spot, only behind Bayern Munich. This meant Champions League qualification, and Magath made them win their group and advance into the quarter-finals before he got axed. (As we know, the Royal Blues went on to the semis, where they got knocked out by Manchester United.)

In other words, Felix Magath is used to deliver the goods when given the task, and he certainly knows how to make positive impact at a club. His results can't be questioned by anybody, and it's hard to find a manager which gives a better 'guarantee' (well, no such thing does actually exist in this business) of success within such a short time.

Cons:
Open a dictionary, look for the word 'consistency', and you'll surely not find a picture of this guy. His longest time in charge of a particular club is three years (happened twice), and I reckon that's not what the board at Old Trafford is looking for, as they are most likely to want a long-term deal with the next boss. More on a negative note is his discipline, which simply may become too much. The nickname Quälix is a mash of his first name Felix and the German verb “quälen” (to torture), as a result of his physical focus in terms of training and very strict internal rules. A €100 fine is awaiting Wolfsburg players one minute late for training, and another hundred is added to the bill for every 60 seconds, and those who wear stereophonics better prepare for a life without €250. If Magath enters Old Trafford while Michael Carrick's still wearing our red shirt, the former Tottenham player might find himself in an economical crisis on the personal level, as every unneccesary pass backwards makes the player a grand of euros poorer and the club ditto richer.

What I'm trying to say is that there actually might be a reason of why his average spell at a club rarely lasts more than a couple of seasons, as he's got to be demanding to have around, and despite Sir Alex may find a need to put on the hairdryer from time to time, and the players accept that, I don't think any team can cope with Magath's punishment methods over a long time.
Another weak point may be his lack of knowledge to the English game, as he never has been in charge of a non-German club or even represented an English club as a player.



Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Molde
There's nothing to say about Ole's footballer career that you haven't heard before, and I reckon you've noticed his tenure as a head coach for the Man United reserves and his switch for Molde in front of this season as well. Despite some trouble to start their engine, with only eight points, negative goal difference and the tenth spot (out of 16 teams) after six games, he will now have to look for the top of the table to find his side's name.


Pros:
His 20legend banner at Stretford end says it all about how appreciated he is at Old Trafford, which means he will have the backing of the fans from day number one. He has a good co-operation with Fergie, and already knows a lot about life in Manchester United, after becoming the longest oversea squad-/staff member ever. Solskjaer's managerial abilities seems to work out quite well too, and I don't doubt that he can make a decent career as a manager. Molde have never won the Norwegian championship, despite 2011 is the club's 100th anniversary, so it's safe to say that he (seems to, the title isn't clinched yet, although it seems very likely six games from the end)  has turned a runner-up mentality into what seems to be a winning formula.


When it comes down to way of play, the Norwegian 38-year old fancies his side to keep the ball on the floor and play a passing game. 4-3-3 has been the chorus, combined with a rotation system leaving no players safe in the starting line-up for the next game, no matter what the status in the squad. All the players have accepted this way of treatment, and just like Fergie always keeps the entire sqad going, which means United mostly have match-fit back-up, Solskjaer have done something similiar.
Summa summarum, he's enjoying huge respect (as he's always done) in both Molde particularly and Norway generally.


Cons:
Nevertheless, I feel that he hasn't got enough managerial experience, and that by quite a long mile. A couple of seasons as the reserves' coach and one (or two-three) good seasons in the Norwegian Tippeliga, still can't hide his lack of experience at the highest level. With less trophies to his name than any other candidate apart from Premier League veteran David Moyes, and United to hire such a youngster in managerial terms seems unlikely to me.
Another point to add is that he'll never get enough experience before Sir Alex retires, and he'll most likely calls it a day within a few years (like we've said for a decade now...) As well, it's important to add that in contrast to most Tippeliga clubs, he haven't been forced to sell for economical reasons, because of Kjell Inge Røkke's contribution to Molde's economical situation. Solskjaer hasn't been any Mancini (luckily), and bought overpriced average players, but the advantage of not having to sell to make the economical wheels keep going is something their competitors can't afford. With that said, players like the goalscoring striker Pape Paté Diouf might leave (and he did), simply because of a desire of new challenges on a higher level.




Summary:
Now, well, who and what do you want? Instant impact from Mourinho or Magath, a british focus by Moyes or O'Neill, a Barcelona-esque style signed Guardiola, legendary former player named Solskjaer or someone else? Post your opinion in the comment space below!