[Bruvva]

So, Ferguson off at the end of the season apparently, thought he wanted another CL win but in all honesty that ain't happening with the current squad any time soon. Sooo..a quick look at oddschecker shows the replacements in order of price - Moyes (10/11), Mourinho (13/8), Klopp (16/1), Giggs (25/1), Solskjaer (33/1) and Guardiola at 33/1....

Mourinho - that supposed 22m or whatever it is release clause from Madrid is a smokescreen. They won't touch Moyes, minimal CL experience would rule him out.

[Yudster]

I do think that the speculation about Fergie coming a matter of what, a week? after Mourinho indicating he will come back to England if asked is probably more than coincidental.

I wonder if its a good move for him or the club though. I don't believe that after having Fergie in place for three hundred years they really want to go with a manager who never stays more than about three seasons anywhere. I reckon they would rather have someone more home-grown who has inbuilt loyalty to the "brand" and the potential to stay for the long haul. Solskjaer looks good to me, but possibly as part of a team - there are a few other old boys who might fit the bill for that.

If they start expecting that kind of commitment and loyalty to the club from Mourinho, I think they will be disappointed. He's a great manager, but he seems to me to be always looking for the next challenge.

[The Deadly]

I can't see him going anywhere. He still has the enthusiasm and energy to keep going and if he were to give it up he'd probably age very quickly and die. The job he has keeps him young and purposeful.
If he does go then the United board should look no further than Klopp from Dortmund. He's young and already very successful and if Fergie was willing then I think Klopp as manager and Fergie in a Director of Football role would work for the club.

[The Deadly]

United could troll their own fans by bringing Benitez in.

[Yudster]

I can't see him going anywhere. He still has the enthusiasm and energy to keep going and if he were to give it up he'd probably age very quickly and die. The job he has keeps him young and purposeful.
If he does go then the United board should look no further than Klopp from Dortmund. He's young and already very successful and if Fergie was willing then I think Klopp as manager and Fergie in a Director of Football role would work for the club.

Fergie approves of him too - he said at the start of the season that he fancied Dortmund for the CL. Well, we'll see. According to US trading law they apparently have to make the situation public sooner rather than later, as speculation will affect the share prices. Or something.

[Bruvva]

No, keeping him as director of football would be a disaster, they did something similar with Busby and they ended up getting relegated. Would be fun to watch, but the new manager would not want a figure from the past breathing down their neck.

To answer Yud's point, Solskjaer's doing well with Molde but, y'know, it's the Norwegian league, it'd be one hell of a step up to the Premier League and CL. I can see the logic behind appointing him but Utd are a listed company, any bad seasons (of which there might be a couple if an inexperienced manager comes in) and the investors would get spooked and we'd see the share price plummet. So the Utd board will want a big name, whether they stay for a long time or not and to be honest, the days of managers staying at one club for a long time have pretty much come to an end now.

[The Deadly]

Confirmed, he has gone.

I'm taking over and can guarantee relegation.

[DevilsDuck]

[The Deadly]

Alex Ferguson's greatest achievement is winning a European trophy with Aberdeen. Remarkable.

[bmstinton93]

What a loss to the game this is. One United manager in my entire lifetime! Definitely the end of an era. I think I'd like to see Moyes go there.

[Yudster]

Alex Ferguson's greatest achievement is winning a European trophy with Aberdeen. Remarkable.

This is absolutely right and an often overlooked achievement.

Moyes is a journeyman manager at a journeyman club - Everton are his level and he is kidding himself if he thinks he could cut it at United. If they appoint him they are setting him up to fail.

[Wykey]

When you say journeyman, do you mean fourth most successful english club?

[chrysostom]

I disagree with Moyes being a Journeyman manager - he's managed 2 clubs. Also, he's nurtured a lot of talent at Everton while bringing in some established players to do well. As well as that he can be very good at setting out a defence and facilitating open attacking football.

He could do very well at United.

[Bonanzoid]

I can't stand Fergie, but there's no denying that he brought something special to the league. Whoever United get as their new manager, they won't have the same aura as they did with that alki at the helm. Hopefully that makes them worse too.

[The Deadly]

Moyes is the safe option. It's a shame as if Mourinho took over it would make all the Chelsea fan boys cry.

[Wykey]

I disagree with Moyes being a Journeyman manager - he's managed 2 clubs. Also, he's nurtured a lot of talent at Everton while bringing in some established players to do well. As well as that he can be very good at setting out a defence and facilitating open attacking football.

He could do very well at United.

Journeyman doesn't mean what you think it means

And in fairness, it doesn't mean what 99% of people think it means.

[chrysostom]

Damn you confusing etymology!

What does it mean?

[Wykey]

In this context - A worker or sports player who is reliable but not outstanding.

[Yudster]

I think in that context it is fair to describe Moyes as a journeyman. However perhaps it is also fair to accept that he has not had the opportunity to be much else. If you do accept that, then what you think of him as United manager is going to depend on what you think his potential is and I don't really have any way of knowing that.

[dimtimjim]

Mighty-mighty-Leicester fluked it into the play-off's. We'll storm that.. :-s

[Wykey]

I think in that context it is fair to describe Moyes as a journeyman. However perhaps it is also fair to accept that he has not had the opportunity to be much else. If you do accept that, then what you think of him as United manager is going to depend on what you think his potential is and I don't really have any way of knowing that.

I think it's a reasonable conclusion, but based on watching him with probably a closer eye over ten years, in my opinion it's wrong.

I think that the transformation of Everton from a club heading down (in stature, expectation and probably divisions) to one where european qualification is currently the 'standard' aim, is one that you would reasonably expect to take a huge investment in combination with an extremely talented and driven coach/manager. That he's achieved the feat with less investment than the teams who are relegated each year is staggering.

I had a discussion with one of the guardians "secret" columnists regarding the potential of Everton's current squad and Moyes. I suggested that Moyes has proven he can build a squad that can achieve fourth place and that with comparatively minimal investment he could build a squad capable of challenging for the title, with the inclusion of a couple of examples, he agreed.

Contrary to the huge majority of other managers and coaches in the league, Moyes actually improves the players and builds a team which I think it's fair to say is better than the sum of it's parts. That our squad consists of only 11 first team standard players and maybe two or three others is in my opinion the main problem he had when challenging the top six and in the one off games with Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Man U.

With the resources Man United have, and the talent and desire the players have I think he'll be fine.


I would also disagree in the strongest possible terms with the description of Everton as a journeyman club. Currently we have an average team and are owned by a tawdry group of malcontents and spivs, but the fourth most successful club in English football is by definition, outstanding.

[The Deadly]

I think the average man/woman on the street could walk in and manage Manchester United and get at least a top four finish let alone a safe, experienced pair of hands like David Moyes. He'll do well.

[Boboff]

Moyes has wobbly eyes.

Dave Vitty said so.

[dimtimjim]

So, Leicester were in play off game last night. I was at badminton with the boys. Once done headed back to a friends house for a nibble and a chilled beverage. Now, I have a deal on my phone whereby I get unlimited access to Sky Sports channels, and my mate knew the game was on Sky Sports 1...

So, picture the scene, 3 grown-ass men all sat round watching the game on a 4 inch screen...

Ho-hum.

[Bonanzoid]

You're probably used to dealing with 4 inches though.

Sorry, it had to be done