It goes without saying that the man that replaces Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United faces a tough task. Whether it’s Jose Mourinho, David Moyes, Pep Guardiola or someone else, the next United manager will be replacing one of the greatest managers of all time. Ferguson has won almost 40 trophies as United manager and has given no indication that he is ready to retire, but he turns 70 this year, and it seems unlikely that he’ll still be manager in five years time.
One thing his successor may not have to worry about is the playing squad he inherits. Following the retirement of Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Edwin Van Der Sar, and the departure of experienced players like Owen Hargreaves, John O’Shea and Wes Brown, Ferguson re-tooled United over the summer. David De Gea (20), Phil Jones (19) and Ashley Young (26) were signed, while younger players like Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley are now part of the first team squad after loan spells with various clubs in the last few seasons.
And on Sunday, following injuries to Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidi?, United finished the game with a defence with an average age of less than 21. De Gea and Jones were playing alongside Chris Smalling (19), Fabio (21) and Johnny Evans (23), in a defence that could in theory be in place for the next decade.
The current United squad has just 6 players 30 or older, with only Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand 32 or over. So while those 6 players are likely to be retired or playing elsewhere by the time Sir Alex leaves, the remaining players from the current squad could make life significantly easier for his replacement. From the current squad, United’s starting XI in five years time could look like this:
David De Gea
Fabio Chris Smalling Phil Jones Rafael
Nani Anderson Tom Cleverley Ashley Young
Wayne Rooney Javier Hernandez
Nemanja Vidic could still be a part of the squad, while the bench could feature players like Darren Fletcher, Danny Welbeck, Johnny Evans, Antonio Valencia and Federico Macheda, with teenagers like Ravel Morrison and Joshua King potentially featuring as well.
With the exception of Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young, all of those players would still be in their twenties, probably at the peak of their abilities. Whoever replaces Ferguson would find themselves with an experienced squad that would require only a few new faces to keep things fresh.
Of course, that is not to say that the new manager could just turn up and results would come automatically. It is impossible to underestimate the respect Alex Ferguson gets from players, and a new manager with his own ideas could find himself struggling to impose his will on players so used to Ferguson’s style and demeanour. And it’s far from a sure thing that every talented player under 25 in United’s squad right now will have realised their potential by the time he leaves.
David De Gea has had a rough start to his United career, but made over 50 appearances for Atletico Madrid. Chris Smalling has started to show he is capable of playing for United, while Fabio and Rafael have looked comfortable when called upon. Phil Jones is still somewhat of an unknown quantity, after only breaking into Blackburn’s first team last season.
Nani, Antonia Valencia and Ashley Young are already Premier League stars, but Anderson has yet to fully establish himself at United, and Cleverley has made just two first team appearances. Darren Fletcher, Park Ji-Sung, Ryan Giggs and Michael Carrick could also keep those two out of the side in the short term.
Up front, Wayne Rooney is of one of the best players in the world, and seems likely to finish his career with United. Javier Hernandez had a spectacular first season in England, but this season will show if he is the real deal or a one season wonder. It seems unlikely that Welbeck and Macheda will both remain at United, and Welbeck seems figure in Ferguson’s plans more at the moment.
So while replacing Ferguson may be the most daunting task in football, his successor could benefit enormously from the squad Ferguson has assembled.
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