Ferguson’s United future was shrouded in doubt on Tuesday night with the Scot understood to be giving serious consideration to ending his 26-year reign as manager.
As rumours of the 71-year-old’s imminent retirement swept Manchester, senior figures at the club failed to respond to repeated attempts to confirm or deny the story, which emerged following United’s player versus coaches golf day at Dunham Massey on Tuesday afternoon.
With United now forced to adhere to the strict rules and regulations of the New York Stock Exchange in terms of the release of significant information relating to the running of the club following last August’s partial flotation, any change of management would fall within those requirements.
However, with sources close to the players confirming that the squad’s golf day had been overshadowed by suggestions that the Scot would be making an announcement ahead of Sunday’s clash with Swansea at Old Trafford, any ongoing uncertainty is unlikely to be allowed to continue to the point where it would affect the confidence of investors and, in turn, United’s New York share price.
When United’s owners, the Glazer family, issued its prospectus for the club’s £500m bond issue in January 2010, the prospect of Ferguson leaving the club and potentially jeopardising future success was raised by the Americans as one of the risk factors attached to investing in the club.
The announcement could come as early as this morning, although there was no hint of anything different from Ferguson as he swept into Carrington, on the outskirts of Manchester, just before 7am.
Ferguson confirmed on Friday that he would attend Chester Races today along with his playing squad, which follows on from yesterday’s golf day on a course quite close to United’s training ground.
The Scot had appeared to brush aside the prospect of standing down this summer when he insisted in his programme notes prior to Sunday’s Old Trafford defeat against Chelsea that, “I certainly don’t have any plans at the moment to walk away from what I believe will be something special”.
Ferguson said: “This team of champions is not going away – we are here for the long ride.
“We will get better and if we apply ourselves in our normal fashion, I see our 20th league title as nothing but the start of another decade of success.
“Whether I will be here to oversee another decade of success remains to be seen, but I certainly don’t have any plans at the moment to walk away from what I believe will be something special and worth being around to see.”
However, having always cited his health as the primary factor in any decision to retire, the club’s confirmation on Friday evening that Ferguson – who had a heart pacemaker fitted in 2004 – would undergo hip surgery in August, two weeks before the start of the new season, raised fresh doubt over his determination to continue in the post.
With large amounts of money wagered on Tuesday morning on Evertonmanager David Moyes leaving Goodison Park for Old Trafford this summer, bookmakers dramatically cut the odds on the 50-year-old due to intelligence that bets had been placed on the basis of strong information.
Jose Mourinho, the Real Madrid coach, is likely to become available this summer, with some figures within the club pointing towards Ryan Giggs being promoted to take a senior role on the coaching staff when Ferguson leaves.
David Gill’s decision to stand down as chief executive in the summer, to be replaced by Ed Woodward, will see Ferguson lose a man he has grown to trust and respect during their working relationship.
But with Gill not due to depart his role until June 30, any search for a new manager should Ferguson retire would involve Gill, Woodward and United’s Florida-based owners, the Glazer family.
Ferguson has repeatedly dampened down retirement speculation ever since he performed an about-turn on plans to walk away from United at the end of the 2001-02 season.
He has since admitted that his decision to go public with his intentions was an ‘absolute disaster,’ and vowed that he would not make a similar mistake when he chooses to leave the club, having arrived as successor to Ron Atkinson in November 1986.
Whether Ferguson would remain at Old Trafford in a senior capacity should he retire could present a thorny issue for any incoming manager, with Sir Matt Busby’s elevation to an ‘upstairs’ role following his retirement in 1969 ultimately proving a distraction to his initial successors.
Gill has repeatedly stated, however, that Ferguson’s opinion on a new man will be sought and that his advice will be taken by a club that has not appointed a manager for over a quarter of a century.
Ferguson’s determination to wrestle the Premier League title back fromManchester City this season, having been devastated by the loss of the crown to United’s neighbours, has been rewarded with his 13th league title as Old Trafford manager.
And although he has admitted his disappointment at failing to win more than two European Cups during his time at United, the ability to walk away from Old Trafford having restored the club’s dominance, both locally and nationally, has given Ferguson the opportunity to leave on a high.
[UK Telegraph]
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