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Sir Alex Ferguson’s Successor

No premier league games last weekend. Nothing to report. We can only wait to see how the return of Ronaldo affects (positively) the way the team plays. Since this is slow news time, as far as Manchester United are concerned, (yes, we had that interesting tidbit from SAF about Stam and Beckham, but tell us something we don’t already know!) I present an article which otherwise would not have merited much attention. Namely, what I feel about certain people replacing SAF when he decides to retire.

Roy Keane:
It will be great to have Keano back at Old Trafford, but as far as I am concerned, Keano as a player and Keano as a coach are two entirely different entities. Keane has done a great job managing Sunderland to promotion in his first season, but this season will be a truer test of his capabilities and I am not convinced so far. Agreed, comparing Sunderland to Manchester United might be an apples to oranges comparison, but a great manager (no reason why we should settle for anything less) should be able to work his magic with weaker teams as well. That said, I sincerely hope that Keano is able to show he can become a great manager at Sunderland and move to OT.
Verdict: Too early to call

Arsene Wenger:
If SAF doesn’t end up shooting him first, we’ll end up seeing some pretty football at Manchester United – some pretty football in triangles! Manchester United will still continue to be called the greatest football team in the world, only, with Wenger at the top, it will be a wind-up. Wenger will sign 12 years olds from Burkina Faso as players with great future and thrust into first team action, and Manchester United will be a team in transition for 3 years, when the next batch of youngsters will be bought to repeat the process all over.
Verdict: Not happening

Jose Mourinho:
Absolutely no way I would want him managing Manchester United. While Jose might end up delivering trophies, he would go against the very principles of Manchester United – attacking football. There is a legacy of relentless attacking football, and playing to thrill at Manchester United, and under Jose, we will be nothing more than an efficient, moaning team that occasionally wins trophies.
Verdict: No way!

Steve McLaren/Sven Goran Eriksson:
Are you kidding me? For all the reasons mentioned for Jose (except the trophies part, and the efficient part). Plus, these two have absolutely no managerial talent.
Verdict: No way!

Steve Coppell:
Steve Coppell has forged a very good Reading team in the four years that he has been in charge of the club. What I like about him is that he has set up Reading to play some good football where they play to their strengths. Reading, apart from Manchester United and Arsenal, are the only team to actually play some attacking football (or at least, were, in the previous season). All this adds up to an impressive CV for Steve Coppell.
Verdict: Possible

Carlos Queiroz:
SAF recently pointed out that Carlos Queiroz is the ideal person to succeed him as manager of Manchester United, thereby subtly trying to influence the hiring process, whenever it happens. Queiroz is also thought to be the man in charge of the tactical strategies at Manchester United, which includes the much despised 4-5-1 system. Personally, I feel that while Queiroz might be an excellent assistant to SAF, he is not really cut out to manage a club of the size of Manchester United. His time at Real Madrid was a complete disaster, and while one should not read much into managerial exploits at Read Madrid, it does leave you with a sense of apprehension as to whether he will be able to maintain Manchester United’s current standards, let alone improve on that. However, with SAF’s backing, anything is possible.
Verdict: Likely

Mark Hughes:
“Sparky” is a real legend at Old Trafford. He has also showed himself to be a very good manager, first with Wales, and then, with Blackburn Rovers. He almost lead Wales to the European Champions of 2004. His success at Rovers is more of a mixed bag, the highlight being a sixth placed finish in the 2005-2006 season. The fans continue to give Sparky a good reception at Old Trafford, so he will be welcomed if he becomes the manager. However, he is similar to other managers in the premiership, in that Blackburn are not known for their adventurous spirit. This is, of course, no indicator of managing Manchester United, but I have a personal bias against managers who send out teams that park themselves in front of goal, even if I do understand why they do it.
Verdict: Maybe, but definitely not the first choice.

There are many other managers that I have not discussed for many reasons, including space. I am also not a big fan of continental managers at Manchester United. It doesn’t quite have the same ring as having a British or Irish manager. The comments section is a good place to tell me why I am wrong with my analysis, and add names to this list.

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