Speculation over the ideal candidate to replace Sir Alex Ferguson has been talked about since the Manchester United legend himself decided to announcement his retirement prior to the 01/02 season. That decision proved costly to Manchester United as they eventually lost their title to Arsenal.
Many names have been mentioned since that day 10 years ago, with the likes of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola been mentioned, although much lesser names such as David Moyes and former Old Trafford legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appear to be much more favoured for the job by senior officials at Old Trafford.
We do not know when Ferguson will relinquish his post at Manchester United, but when he does, it will no doubt be his own choice. David Gill will sit down with Sir Alex and together, they will choose an ideal candidate to replace the Scot.
One things for sure, he will be an incredibly tough act to follow. Whoever comes in to Old Trafford will need to gain immediate respect from his staff, to have the experience of winning trophies and the ability to deal with top players, as well as the acknowledgement that the club, always comes first.
Most recently there has been three former Manchester United players linked with the hot-seat at Old Trafford. Mark Hughes, Ole Gunnar Soskjaer and Ryan Giggs. All three offer different attributes to coaching. Mark Hughes has the experience of managing in The Premier League, with Manchester City at the start of their dominant spending era. Although currently struggling with his Queens Park Rangers side, the Welshman is no doubt a decent manager. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has just recently won the Norwegian domestic league two seasons in a row with his side, Molde. The club had never won the league prior to his arrival, and the former Man United 'super-sub' is working wonders in his home land. Ryan Giggs is the final player to be linked with a future of coaching Manchester United. Having been through it all with Ferguson, since '92, the Welshman is said to be like a manager in the dressing room, inspiring the team in a manner only someone with true leadership qualities could do. However, currently still playing ? it may be some time before Giggs gets the job.
My favourite for the job is current Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho. 'The Special One' has dropped many hints over the past few years that he covets the job, and during his time at Chelsea where he dominated the league in his two years in charge, he gained enough experience to know what The Barclays Premier League is all about. The Portuguese manager would be a hit at Old Trafford. There is a huge amount of respect between the two, and my feeling is that Ferguson would choose Mourinho to succeed him. Having won leagues in Portugal, England, Italy and now Spain, maybe the job at Manchester United could be the job that Mourinho would finally stick to.
Another candidate is Pep Guardiola. The Spaniard coached Barcelona for four seasons and won an astonishing 14 trophies, making him the most successful coach in Barcelona's history. Guardiola brought into Barcelona the 'tiki-taka' football style. Quick, short passing used to dominate the midfield and retain possession against your opponent. Every team around the world has been in awe of Barcelona's playing style, and Manchester United are certainly one of them. Having been beaten in two Champions League Finals by Barcelona and Guardiola, Sir Alex may see the Spaniard, who he failed to sign as a player, the perfect successor to him when he does decide to retire.
However, the manager that many believe that will succeed Sir Alex is current Everton manager David Moyes. He appears to be hewn from the same Glaswegian background as Sir Alex, using a no-nonsense approach with Everton and commanding the utmost respect from his entire squad. Most notably with his approach over loan signing Royston Drenthe. Although his Everton squad were severely lacking flair, the Everton manager suspended the Real Madrid loanee for attitude problems. No player is bigger than Everton, and with that attitude he will soon realise that no body is bigger than Manchester United. He has worked miracles on a seemingly small budget at Everton, and shows the ability to bring the best of a squad that may not be favourite on paper. My only problem with Moyes is his true lack of of experience at a top club. Although having reached the FA Cup Final as well as getting Everton in to the Champions League, Moyes lacks experience when it comes to the top players. However, with the experienced back room staff that Sir Alex would leave him, that is not a substantial issue. His ten years at Everton will no doubt catch the eye of Ferguson, who recently celebrated his 26th year in charge of Manchester United.
If Manchester United want a man for the long term, with experience and the true heir to Sir Alex Ferguson, Moyes is there man.
Source: DSG
Source: DSG