Sir Alex Ferguson has served in his capacity as the manager of Manchester United for almost 27 years now. When he took charge of the side, The Red Devils were a struggling mid-table side in the League, without a major title for some time. But the Scot managed to turn the fortunes of the club around, and not only that, he took the club back to the very pinnacle of English domestic and European football. So, it is only fair that the press would find it a very interesting topic as to who would be his successor when he does decide to quit his post. Many names have been mentioned, and the following is a list of potential managers who could replace Fergie in the United hot seat.
Jose Mourinho: Mourinho is arguably the best manager in the game at the moment – charismatic, enigmatic and successful and he also pines to return to the Premier League where he helped Chelsea reach unprecedented heights during his tenure. Jose has openly confessed his dream to replace Sir Alex, with whom he shares a very cordial relationship. However, his track record of not staying with a team for the long run might just turn out to be the weakest point in his burgeoning resume.
Pep Guardiola: When Sir Alex travelled to New York a couple of weeks back to watch the US Open, he had a chance meeting with the former Barcelona manager who has settled down in the United States as he enjoys his one year sabbatical from the game. The press went wild with speculation that the Scotsman flew across the pond to seal the deal that will see Pep take charge at Old Trafford next season. However, those claims have been denied, but Pep is a name that has always popped up as a possible successor for Sir Alex, sharing the same views and love for a traditional club and that makes him perhaps the best bet to replace the legendary manager.
David Moyes: Moyes is perhaps a dark horse in the race, mainly because of Sir Alex’s admiration for his fellow Scot and the work that he has done with Everton, managing to compete with limited budgets, year in year out. However, the one flaw in Moyes is his lack of experience in Europe and for a club of the stature of Manchester United; they cannot take the chance of appointing a novice as they push for European glory every year.
Anyone from United: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been tipped as a possible successor to Fergie in the near future, but not before he learns the trade at a bigger club than Molde. It has also been speculated that Sir Alex will hand over the reins of the club to a dream coaching team from among the Fergie’s Fledglings, which includes the evergreen Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville.
And in spite of all these names popping up, Manchester United have made no indication that they have set their target as their next manager.