Future Manchester United Manager

Future Manchester United Manager

Sir Alex Ferguson once said "I'm privileged to have followed Sir Matt because all you have to do is to try and maintain the standards that he set so many years ago." Some time in the future a manager of Manchester United is going to be making reference to the standards that were set by Sir Alex, the most successful manager in the history of British football. There is no simple solution to replacing the manager of Manchester United. Some will say it is a poisoned chalice, an impossible tax for anyone that follows, and will make reference to the struggles at United when Sir Matt Busby retired. The selection process for choosing the next manager itself may also be cause for debate at boardroom level. It is apparent that Sir Alex will have a strong input and influence in helping find a successor that will be capable of continuing to uphold the high standards and legacy of Manchester United football club. 

The role of a football manager just as in most management positions in organisations is one that is constantly changing. New expectations and challenges bring different problems and solutions which are set and overseen by the manager, the most important person in any business. In a bygone era football managers would not get sacked without first being given adequate time to prove themselves.  Laying the foundations of a football club in the early part of their tenor so that they reap the rewards in the future through nurturing talent and building a football team seemed a norm. Today however with the rapid popularity growth of the English Premier League, new commercial deals and increased revenue from television money, instant success is demanded by every supporter. In cut throat business managers require the financial support just to keep pace with the game or risk relegation and losses in the millions. 

At Manchester United when the time for change comes, there may be other factors that decide who the candidate will be. The Glazer family will require a manager that does not look to burn bridges with their hierarchy or risk a bigger back lash from supporters who are already against their ownership. This in itself could rule out the arrival of Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese tactician has an impressive record where ever he has been but the assembly of his team requires heavy financial support which the Glazers may oppress. Whilst there will be short-term success, disregarding the years of work in developing the youth team setup would not seem like the right type of long term manager required for the role. Short-term success may be an easy fix to replace Sir Alex, but then finding a manager to lead on from a Mourinho reign will prove more difficult just as Porto, Chelsea, and Inter Milan have found. 

One strongly linked candidate will be Joseph (Pep) Guardiola. His success at Barcelona is unparallel. The former manager at la Masia is now recruited by Bayern Munich, and time will tell how successful that spell proves. Initially he has signed a short-term 2 year contract at Bayern however this may be a benefit to Manchester United as it leave Sir Alex’s departure date more flexible and open. Pep puts trust in a clubs youth system and this would work well at a club that has been built on trusting their youth setup. You could see the former headmaster from the Barcelona School of football working with the financial constraints of the Glazer family and his managerial record just as Jose Mourihno’s would help attract top talented players from across Europe. 

Another possibility would be hiring a former player. Sir Alex has seen many of his players go on to establish careers in management. Some of the more recently departed candidates would receive the warmth of the fans straight away. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been a revelation back in his native land winning the Tippeligaen league with Molde twice since taking charge in 2011. What proved even more impressive was the fact that these were the first two titles in the clubs 101 year history. He is still inexperienced for the role at the moment but in a few years time may be the right man. Gary Neville has also gone on to be an England assistant manager.  He could fit into the possible Solskjaer plan as an assistant manager. 

The conclusion to this article is that Manchester United has three strong options open to them. They can either look to recruit Jose Mourinho for the short term plan, Pep Guardiola for a long term plan or have the possibility of two former players taking charge. The candidate will have to be a bridge between the fans and the Glazers and the success of a replacement will be judged on how well they uphold the standards set by Sir Alex.