Sir Alex’s Succession Plan Takes Shape

Put your money on Sir Alex Ferguson, the most successful football manager of the modern era, stepping down as boss of Manchester United at the end of next season. It will surely be a sad day for football, with millions of United fans the world over weeping into their beer glasses and drying their eyes with their replica Rooney jerseys. (Of course, Premiership managers will be privately celebrating.) There may never be another manager like him, but all things must come to an end – and the end for Fergie’s managerial career is destined to be May 2011.

How can we be so confident? A couple of reasons – one of which fell into place this week: On Wednesday, Pep Guardiola signed a one-year extension to his Barcelona contract.  He is now bound to Camp Nou until the summer of 2011 – at which point he’ll surely be looking for his next challenge. But after guiding Barcelona to every trophy available during his first season in charge, Pep is no doubt struggling with the idea of an Act II. After all, how can he possibly top what he’s already achieved? Well… how about taking the reins of the biggest club in the world? Pep’s got a great vision for the game and he knows how to manage big personalities. Sounds like a perfect fit for United – and he’s also young enough to start a dynasty of his own at the club.

The summer of 2011 would also be very convenient for Sir Alex, who first declared his intention to retire in 2002. Eight years later and several more pieces of silverware in the cabinet, Fergie might just feel that there’s nothing left for him to achieve in the game either. With Eric Cantona long gone, Cristiano Ronaldo a fading memory, and many of the kids that the Scot built his career around on the verge of retiring themselves, summer 2011 would be the perfect time for Sir Alex to hang up his tracksuit and move upstairs to the boardroom.

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