The Keys to the Mancunian Throne: Who Will Take Sir Alex Ferguson's Place?

(Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)

Sir Bobby Robson, once gaffer of Newcastle United, recalled a few years ago a meeting he had with Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson. In that interview, Ferguson told Robson that he wasn’t really up for coaching into his 70’s, unlike Robson who was a head coach until he was 72.

Robson tried to convince Ferguson that as long as he was healthy and fit to coach, he should keep doing it. Ferguson, however, would be a hard man to convince.

Sir Alex Ferguson, who will most likely go down in history as one of the greatest coaches ever to live, has won it all. By won it all, it’s meant to be taken in the most literal sense. There isn’t a trophy that he hasn’t laid his hands on, there isn’t a footballing stage on this Earth that he has risen above.

He has taken a club with an already rich history out of the dark depths that were the 80’s and made it the richest and most successful club modern times.

Sure, there is one little pesky landmark that he hasn’t surpassed. During the late 80’s and 90’s when Ferguson was just beginning to shine, the legendary Brian Clough spoke of Ferguson’s success in the 1999 Champions League and said:

"For all his horses, knighthoods and championships, he hasn't got two of what I've got. And I don't mean balls."

Ever since then it seems Ferguson been keen on not only equalling Clough’s European Cup record (which he has) but surpassing it. Also, if we want to get technical with the trophies, he still hasn’t surpassed Bob Paisley’s enormous three European Cup trophy haul with Liverpool, but at this point in Ferguson’s career, it may be a prize waiting just around the corner.

But really, save for personal supremacy, Ferguson doesn’t need any more shine to show off his illustrious career. So it begs the question, who will take his place once he realizes it's time to go back home to his wife and grand kids?

That’s a question that the board behind Ferguson and United must be asking themselves constantly. They know that for the short-term Ferguson will bring in some more trophies and leave the club on a high as opposed to the tragic low that ended Clough’s alcohol-riddled coaching career at Nottingham Forest.

But for the long term, there are maybe four options that the club has available to them.

The first is the most interesting and headline grabbing; The Special One. Jose Mourinho is one hell of a coach, of that there can be no question. Disregarding the fact that he led the Chelsea revolution which almost destroyed Ferguson’s career and still threatens to topple Arsene Wenger’s kingdom at Arsenal, Mourinho would be a fine fit at such a high level.

The man has stepped up to every challenge and new stage in his career with bravado, brashness, and a man to man management system that none can match. He can grind out results and it’s already been established that the man can win domestically and on the European level.

But there is one very serious problem that throws his entire candidacy into question.

Youth.

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