Fergie to Help Choose His Successor at Man Utd, But Who Will it be?

By: Daryl | July 25th, 2008

If Man Utd think this whole Cristiano Ronaldo thing is a nightmare, just wait til they have to deal with Alex Ferguson’s retirement. Ronaldo might be a massively important part of the team, but Fergie is Man Utd right now, and once he swaps the Old Trafford dugout for comfy chair and slippers (in two or three years time apparently) Man Utd will have a big decision to make.

Latest word is that Fergie himself will be involved in choosing his own successor. Here’s a quick list of who that could be, with pros and cons:

Carlos Queiroz
Pros: Fergie clearly has a soft spot for his two-time number two, and Queiroz is obviously very well liked and well connected within Old Trafford.
Cons: Queiroz is a bit like the Portuguese Steve McClaren, having trouble with any job that doesn’t have “assistant” in the title. CQ’s chances of succeeding Fergie could depend on how he does in his current job as boss of the Portugal national team.

Mark Hughes
Pros: Sparky is a former Man Utd player, and his managerial star is on the rise. He’s impressed in charge of both Wales and Blackburn so far.
Cons: Now he’s in charge of Manchester City, which is a smart career move (lots of money available, etc) but has to count against Hughes in terms of his previously exemplary Old Trafford loyalty.

Martin O’Neill
Pros: Widely regarded as one of the smartest managers around. Did amazing things with Leicester City (look what happened when he left) and Celtic and seems to be on the right path at Aston Villa.
Cons: Lacks experience in both the Champions League and working with superstar types.

Roy Keane
Pros: A legend at Old Trafford for his reign as captain, and has worked absolute miracles in his first job at Sunderland.
Cons: Even if the Sunderland job continues to go well, Keane still parted ways with Fergie under a big cloud of angry.

David Moyes
Pros: Seems to deliberately model himself on Fergie, which has to count for something, and has built a formidable team a relatively limited budget at Everton.
Cons: Hasn’t done too well in Europe. And he’s also a bit like Fergie-Lite.

Jose Mourinho
Pros: Though they butted heads a few times, there was a definite mutual respect between The Special One and “Mister Alex.” Definitely has the big personality to match the job.
Cons: Chelsea connection won’t endear him to Utd fans, plus his brand of football has never been the most attractive.

Marcello Lippi
Pros: You can’t argue with the man’s record. Five Serie A titles, one Champions League. Oh, and the World Cup. Currently back in the Azzurri hot seat for another tilt at the title in 2010.
Cons: He’s 60 years old now, so by the time the Man Utd job becomes available he’ll likely be considering retirement himself.

Fabio Capello
Pros: Like Lippi, has a record that speaks for itself and experience with Europe’s big boys. Current England boss, and a successful WC2010 with the Three Lions could coincide nicely with Fergie’s retirement.
Cons: Most England coaches leave the job a broken man. And even if Capello survives the English press, he’s let it be known that the England job will be his last.

I’ll say this: whoever takes the Manchester United job after Alex Ferguson is absolutely insane. The next man in at Old Trafford can’t win, because whether they get results or not Ferguson’s shadow will fill every corner of the training ground, the dressing room and - especially - the dugout.