May 8TH, 2013 is a sad day for Manchester United fans. Their most successful manager in history, Alex Ferguson has decided to hang up his black pea coat and concentrate on his horses. After nearly 27 years, and a trophy haul which included 13 league titles, two Champions Leagues, the Cup Winners’ Cup, five FA Cups and four League Cups, it will be a tough ask for any candidate to fill the Scots boots.
Early money currently has David Moyes, a coach in a similar mold to Fergie, and Jose Mourinho as front runners to succeed the Sir Alex. Mourinho is familiar with the pressures of a high
profile position in his current position as head of Real Madrid and his ego would undoubtedly love the chance to succeed the greatest manager in Premier League history. United though,are looking for someone with longevity and Mourinho’s track record of3-5 years per job is perhaps not something in their blueprint.
My pick is Moyes, a Glaswegian cut from the same cloth as Sir Alex. He worked wonders at Everton with limited resources. Their close relationship would not change much and the resource would change from a speed dial on his phone to a quick trip upstairs, where Ferguson will be in his ambassador’s role. One might even argue that Moyes was Ferguson’s heir apparent for quite some time now, and Ferguson may even have handpicked his replacement.
Either way, the Red Devils will venture into a new season in August with a new manager for the first time in almost 3 decades. A daunting prospect for some, but one which might be the making or breaking of their, as of now, unnamed commander in chief.
By: Peadar Cleary
