Put the post-Fergie managers in order in terms of when would've been best that they took over?

Robertd0803

Full Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2014
Messages
6,530
If Mourinho had come in after Fergie then the players would definitley have played for him a hell of a lot more than Moyes. We probably wouldnt have fallen apart for another season or two at least.

Although Mourinho and Woodward that first summer could have been something else altogether from a disaster point of view.
 
Joined
Dec 28, 2021
Messages
893
At one point perhaps. Since then he's been surpassed by the likes of Klopp and Pep. That period was his finest.
Yeah that’s very true. I suppose all managers get old eventually, he had a hell of a run though.

Some strange posts tonight by no doubt good faith members of the Jose fanclub. Top 3 of all time….
Haha I don’t mind being in that fan club. I think that it’s more like you are a member of the Mourinho Haters though ;).

He he has 25 trophies across 4 different country’s cmon, won the champs league with Porto…

I have Fergie, Pep and then Mourinho top 3 in that order. Wenger, Klopp, Robson and Trapatonni missing out. Who would you have in your top 3 ?
 

b82REZ

Full Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
9,350
Location
Manchester
I was always of the thought that Mourinho was the best equipped to take over from Fergie. I was gutted at the time we'd let him return to Chelsea and hired Moyes. While I was under no illusions of his timescale in the role he was the only manager at the time that was available that had the ego and CV to take over a group of winners. He would have likely won the league in his first season, possibly his second too.

I was excited by LvG but it became obvious quite quickly he was past it. Decimated the squad but did try and modernise aspects of the club like the training facilities.

Never wanted Moyes, but he's shown in recent years he can build a hardworking team but lacks that little extra to push him to greatness. Would have probably had a similar outcome coming in third after SAF.

Despite being aboard the Ole bus from Paris, it became obvious to me he was out of his depth early on in his first full season. A slight reprieve after Bruno signed and Project Restart, but he lacked the tactical nous to get players playing a consistent brand of entertaining football, as well understanding how to build a squad in the image of the type of football he aspired to play. In the weeks following his sacking I think it's becoming obvious that Fernandes is his only true success, despite him looking a shadow of the player we signed.

In reality none of them were ideal United managers, and arguably only Jose has and would have been a success.
 

Al-T

Full Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Messages
1,060
I was always of the thought that Mourinho was the best equipped to take over from Fergie. I was gutted at the time we'd let him return to Chelsea and hired Moyes. While I was under no illusions of his timescale in the role he was the only manager at the time that was available that had the ego and CV to take over a group of winners. He would have likely won the league in his first season, possibly his second too.

I was excited by LvG but it became obvious quite quickly he was past it. Decimated the squad but did try and modernise aspects of the club like the training facilities.

Never wanted Moyes, but he's shown in recent years he can build a hardworking team but lacks that little extra to push him to greatness. Would have probably had a similar outcome coming in third after SAF.

Despite being aboard the Ole bus from Paris, it became obvious to me he was out of his depth early on in his first full season. A slight reprieve after Bruno signed and Project Restart, but he lacked the tactical nous to get players playing a consistent brand of entertaining football, as well understanding how to build a squad in the image of the type of football he aspired to play. In the weeks following his sacking I think it's becoming obvious that Fernandes is his only true success, despite him looking a shadow of the player we signed.

In reality none of them were ideal United managers, and arguably only Jose has and would have been a success.
Fully agree.
 

PeteManic

Full Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2012
Messages
2,152
Fergie shouldn't have left. He say City coming and wanted to protect his legacy. He knew he'd have to build another team without City's comparable resources and bottled it. This is supported by the fact that Gill left at the same time. It's no coincidence. Fergie leaving in 2013 was the right time for him but it wasn't the right time for the club.
 

Lewnited

Full Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2017
Messages
876
Mourinho (13/14 - 16/17) - Was still a good manager in 2013, prior to losing Faria and before Klopp/Pep. A couple of good signings and I think he wins the title in 2014/15 as he did at Chelsea

Ole (16/17 - 17/18) - Would give us the much needed bounce after Jose's inevitable implosion in 2016. Some level of continuity in playing style as well. Think this probably pans out similar to his actual run in which he eventually gets found wanting and gets the sack. I think he wins an FA Cup or League Cup in season 1.

Moyes (18/19 - 19/20) - Think with the foundations laid by Jose and Ole, he wouldn't do that bad. His problem would be that he'd be competing with a Pep and Klopp that've had years to build their team at this point :lol: 0 trophies.

Van Gaal (20/21 - 21/22) - At this point I think we realise just how archaic we are getting as a club and decide to do a 180 playing style wise. Attempts to lay foundations for Ten Haag, who's set to join in summer 2022:drool:
 

Annihilate Now!

...or later, I'm not fussy
Scout
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Messages
49,674
Location
W.Yorks
I think you might get one title win out of Jose immediately after SAF left, him there - then I don't think the rest matters - it's all downhill with not much in the way of trophies.

Maybe Moyes would do ok if he didn't come immediately after Fergie, but I think Everton/West Ham (punching from below) is about his level.
 

bringbackbebe

Full Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2021
Messages
1,648
Fergie shouldn't have left. He say City coming and wanted to protect his legacy. He knew he'd have to build another team without City's comparable resources and bottled it. This is supported by the fact that Gill left at the same time. It's no coincidence. Fergie leaving in 2013 was the right time for him but it wasn't the right time for the club.
I don't understand the Fergie blaming, I really don't. He was 71 years old, had given 26 years to the club, sacrificing family time in the process and wanted to spend the last few remaining years with his wife. You're talking like a slave owner. This is lack of gratitude and compassion at the highest level.
 

devilish

Juventus fan who used to support United
Joined
Sep 5, 2002
Messages
61,526
The 4 managers couldn't have been more different in terms of philosophy. We can add Rangnick with that as well. That's a big reason why we're in such mess.

In my opinion we should have bankrolled Ancelotti in joining us. At the time he had just left PSG and would join Real in the summer. Carlo had a huge CV having managed Juve, PSG and Chelsea already. That would have helped him manage our veterans. He knew the EPL very well, he is a far better man manager then Mourinho is and had ample experience managing clubs with difficult owners having already managed Chelsea and Berlusconi's AC Milan.
 

Physiocrat

Has No Mates
Joined
Jun 29, 2010
Messages
8,914
Mourinho (13/14 - 16/17) - Was still a good manager in 2013, prior to losing Faria and before Klopp/Pep. A couple of good signings and I think he wins the title in 2014/15 as he did at Chelsea

Ole (16/17 - 17/18) - Would give us the much needed bounce after Jose's inevitable implosion in 2016. Some level of continuity in playing style as well. Think this probably pans out similar to his actual run in which he eventually gets found wanting and gets the sack. I think he wins an FA Cup or League Cup in season 1.

Moyes (18/19 - 19/20) - Think with the foundations laid by Jose and Ole, he wouldn't do that bad. His problem would be that he'd be competing with a Pep and Klopp that've had years to build their team at this point :lol: 0 trophies.

Van Gaal (20/21 - 21/22) - At this point I think we realise just how archaic we are getting as a club and decide to do a 180 playing style wise. Attempts to lay foundations for Ten Haag, who's set to join in summer 2022:drool:
Agree entirely although I think Moyes might perform a bit better in this scenario.
 

harms

Shining Star of Paektu Mountain
Staff
Joined
Apr 8, 2014
Messages
27,952
Location
Moscow
Moyes - never.
I’m not sure if the timing mattered much, although someone like Mourinho maybe would’ve won us something with that Fergie squad before eventually exploding.

The only huge issue that I have is that we should’ve capitalized on van Gaal’s work just as Bayern did, he did manage to build a team that can keep the ball, we needed a manager who would’ve kept the same focus but also knew how to teach them to score… instead we went with a manager that literally wanted to build the complete opposite of that system.
 

Tom Van Persie

No relation
Joined
Dec 12, 2012
Messages
24,321
Fergie shouldn't have left. He say City coming and wanted to protect his legacy. He knew he'd have to build another team without City's comparable resources and bottled it. This is supported by the fact that Gill left at the same time. It's no coincidence. Fergie leaving in 2013 was the right time for him but it wasn't the right time for the club.
How entitled are you? :lol:
 

Relevated

fixated with venom and phalluses
Joined
May 3, 2011
Messages
25,995
Location
18M1955/JU5
Solskjaer (he was established within the club, wouldn't be foolish enough to sack everyone, has the respect of the players and knows a thing or two about management)

We would have been yet for years.


After that, Mourinho would come in and win silverware but the cracks appear


We try go go for LVG to bring us back to winning but he isn't having a good time

And we complete the cycle with moyes.
 

Jackal981

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Sep 26, 2019
Messages
983
Ole - take over a winning team and keep morale up for as long as he can until he hits his ceiling
LVG - turn us into a tactical team with proper philosophy, one of the first to start using 3 at the back (gb's favourite formation)
Moyes - now that we are a tactically disciplined team, it should be easier for him to implement his ideas
Jose - never. already on the decline after madrid
Jose on decline ? Remember this was 2013. He won the EPL with Chelsea few years after that. He would eek out some trophies and probably won the league at least once if he had taken over after Fergie. He would be perfect with our aging squad and he would have bought Fabregas at least. On topic I think no one else should be appointed.
 

Andersonson

Full Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
3,768
Location
Trondheim
Mourinho would get Rio,Evra Rooney etc to work for him, Moyes failed there

Mourinho, if given total control is a fantastic manager
 

Gavinb33

Full Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2014
Messages
2,643
Location
Watching the TV or is it watching me
Moyes would do a better job if he took over now than he did when he took over from SAF

in reality none of these managers should ever have been a permanent Man United manger at any time since SAF left in my opinion.

Jose was too burned from Real Madrid he may have won a few trophies since he left them but the regression has been obvious to see, Ole was never good enough to be our manager, Van Gaal too past his best and Moyes was the wrong man in the wrong place that i think he'd do better with this squad he still wouldnt be getting us to where we need to be.
 

roonster09

Hercule Poirot of the scouting world
Scout
Joined
May 10, 2009
Messages
36,515
Jose taking over after SAF would have won one more league title. Then no one.
 

PeteManic

Full Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2012
Messages
2,152
I don't understand the Fergie blaming, I really don't. He was 71 years old, had given 26 years to the club, sacrificing family time in the process and wanted to spend the last few remaining years with his wife. You're talking like a slave owner. This is lack of gratitude and compassion at the highest level.
Your points about his family only support my own point that it was the right time for him to leave United, professionally and personally. But it was not the right time for the club. There was no available manager to take over the post. He knew that. There was talk at the time that Mick Phelan and Rene were doing most of the day-to-day anyhow. Whatever we all think about it, it was handled very very badly.
 

LARulz

Full Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2009
Messages
18,138
It wasn't a Jose team at all when SAF retired. He also would have struggled with that team.
No he wouldn't, it was very much a team he would have loved. Those players like Rio, Rooney, Vidic and co always liked Mourinho and spoke highly of him - and vice versa. They would have respected someone like him. Jose also isn't stupid to rip up the backroom staff and try and change it one summer. Also Jose is the only manager who had the ego to take over with full confidence after SAF, equally he has dealt with nutjob owners well enough
 

b82REZ

Full Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
9,350
Location
Manchester
Your points about his family only support my own point that it was the right time for him to leave United, professionally and personally. But it was not the right time for the club. There was no available manager to take over the post. He knew that. There was talk at the time that Mick Phelan and Rene were doing most of the day-to-day anyhow. Whatever we all think about it, it was handled very very badly.
That wasn't his responsibility. I believe he notified the board around Xmas that he intended to retire that summer. The board then relied on him to hand pick his successor.

There have been numerous mistakes made since Fergie left, I do give some credence to the problems his shadow looming over all subsequent managers has had. But he had earned the right to call it day when he saw fit.

That team had reached its pinnacle and he probably knew deep down if he dismantled that squad he'd want to see the next crop through to fruition. That'd have been another 5 years or so.
 

b82REZ

Full Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
9,350
Location
Manchester
It wasn't a Jose team at all when SAF retired. He also would have struggled with that team.
I think Jose would have squeezed the last bits out of them and got at least one PL.

The players we had then suited his profile as manager. That squad in many ways was similar to the Inter team he won the treble with. He probably wouldn't have been that successful but I think he would have known the importance of winning something early post Fergie. I've always thought that was why he gave up on the league to ensure we won the EL in his first season.
 

bond19821982

Last Man Standing champion 2019/20
Joined
Oct 26, 2008
Messages
10,366
Location
Nnc
No he wouldn't, it was very much a team he would have loved. Those players like Rio, Rooney, Vidic and co always liked Mourinho and spoke highly of him - and vice versa. They would have respected someone like him. Jose also isn't stupid to rip up the backroom staff and try and change it one summer. Also Jose is the only manager who had the ego to take over with full confidence after SAF, equally he has dealt with nutjob owners well enough
I think Jose would have squeezed the last bits out of them and got at least one PL.

The players we had then suited his profile as manager. That squad in many ways was similar to the Inter team he won the treble with. He probably wouldn't have been that successful but I think he would have known the importance of winning something early post Fergie. I've always thought that was why he gave up on the league to ensure we won the EL in his first season.
We had no pace on the wings . We had no midfield and we also lacked a Jose forward.

Yes, provided we had signed all of them we would have done better. But with that current team, he would have struggled.

DDG,Valencia,Vidic,Rio,Evra.

Nani - Cleverley- Carrick - Giggs
Rooney
RVP.

I doubt even Jose could have got anything from that. Heavily declined injury prone Defence, aged Rooney and RVP.
 

Remember the geese

Full Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2018
Messages
6,728
Location
Northampton
Mourinho: Straight after Fergie's retirement.

Ole: Interim after Jose loses the plot.

Van Gaal: Takes over after Ole's interim period. A possession style of football is now implemented and the club attempt to achieve continuity by appointing ten Hag as his successor.

Completely forgot about Moyes. I can't find a need for him.
 

b82REZ

Full Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
9,350
Location
Manchester
We had no pace on the wings . We had no midfield and we also lacked a Jose forward.

Yes, provided we had signed all of them we would have done better. But with that current team, he would have struggled.

DDG,Valencia,Vidic,Rio,Evra.

Nani - Cleverley- Carrick - Giggs
Rooney
RVP.

I doubt even Jose could have got anything from that. Heavily declined injury prone Defence, aged Rooney and RVP.
There's no way we'd have only signed Fellaini that summer. I think he would have got a good season or two out of Nani and Valencia as well.

It's all speculation, but the perfect storm of Moyes dithering and Woodward's first pre season was the death knell for us that summer IMO.
 

Laurencio

Full Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2017
Messages
2,938
1. Mourinho - we would have won the title with him in charge at that point.

2. Ragnick - get the recruitment on track and start modernising the club after Mourinho squeezes the last drops of performance out of our squad.

3. LVG - Player recruitment is outside his hands, and working well at this point. Without his weakness exposed we are somewhat successful.

4. Ole - LVG ruffles some feathers and Ole comes in to improve the atmosphere. The playing style is already established since Ragnick and player recruitment is doing its own thing. The increase in morale is enough to bring a few trophies.

5. David Moyes - His career has climbed steadily over the years, a semi-succesful spell at X club (probably spurs) has put him in a good position to handle something the size of Man Utd.


In a perfect world we'd go:

1. Mourinho
2. Klopp (how I despise the fact that the scousers got him)...
 
Last edited:

MadDogg

Full Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
15,810
Location
Manchester Utd never lose, just run out of time
Mourinho never stopped being one of the best managers after 2006.

In 2009 he won the champions league, Seria A, and Coppa Italia with an average Inter Milan side.

The guy is just a winner even if you don’t like his football, without a doubt in the top 3 of all time.
Jose was obviously still one of the best managers after 2006, but equally obviously he hasn't been one of the top managers for many years now. In fact we can pretty much cut his career in half by now. From 2002 until 2012 he was unbelievably successful, one of the greatest managerial decades of all time. However it's now been almost a decade since then and not only has he gotten nowhere close to those levels again, it's just getting worse and worse. At least in the earlier years of that decade he was able to eke out a trophy or two before destroying the playing group around him, but it's got to the point now that there's not a top team in Europe who would even consider him.
 

DWelbz19

Correctly predicted Portugal to win Euro 2016
Joined
Oct 31, 2012
Messages
33,745
Moyes - never
Mourinho - never
 

Redfrog

Full Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2020
Messages
2,810
I don't understand the Fergie blaming, I really don't. He was 71 years old, had given 26 years to the club, sacrificing family time in the process and wanted to spend the last few remaining years with his wife. You're talking like a slave owner. This is lack of gratitude and compassion at the highest level.
I don’t blame SAF personally but I think he left at the perfect time to protect his legacy. Who can blame him ?
He knew the team needed a rebuild and wasn’t up for it at 71.
There was no better way for him then to leave on the high. But I don’t think he was naïve enough to think he left us in a good state. The best players were old and the young ones were not up to it. On the other hand he left a tone of money he didn’t spend to his successor.
 

Redfrog

Full Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2020
Messages
2,810
Pep would have been perfect for another 20 years of total domination. Instead he went to the noisy neighbor…
 
Joined
Dec 28, 2021
Messages
893
Jose was obviously still one of the best managers after 2006, but equally obviously he hasn't been one of the top managers for many years now. In fact we can pretty much cut his career in half by now. From 2002 until 2012 he was unbelievably successful, one of the greatest managerial decades of all time. However it's now been almost a decade since then and not only has he gotten nowhere close to those levels again, it's just getting worse and worse. At least in the earlier years of that decade he was able to eke out a trophy or two before destroying the playing group around him, but it's got to the point now that there's not a top team in Europe who would even consider him.
Yeah I fully agree that he is finished now mate. I was just debating with a poster who said that Mourinho was only good for 2 good years in his whole career which is obviously just plain wrong, the guy has won everything in the game.

I understand a lot of people don’t like Mourinho but frustrates me when I hear people dismissing someone’s lifetime achievements and career just because they don’t like them personally. I suppose that is the new age of cancel culture.
 

Lee565

Full Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2019
Messages
4,978
Pep would have been perfect for another 20 years of total domination. Instead he went to the noisy neighbor…
You can't blame him, even if we tried to get him in the same season man city had an agreement with him we wouldn't have got him because city were light years ahead of us in terms of planning years before to get pep with the preparation of recruiting Barcelona staff members that worked well previously with pep. Us on the other hand continue to stumble into the next manager recruitment to the next based purely on panicked reactions when they realise "oh no our precious cash cow is going to take a hit by missing out on the money that can be made by securing champions league football"
 

Redfrog

Full Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2020
Messages
2,810
You can't blame him, even if we tried to get him in the same season man city had an agreement with him we wouldn't have got him because city were light years ahead of us in terms of planning years before to get pep with the preparation of recruiting Barcelona staff members that worked well previously with pep. Us on the other hand continue to stumble into the next manager recruitment to the next based purely on panicked reactions when they realise "oh no our precious cash cow is going to take a hit by missing out on the money that can be made by securing champions league football"
Totally agree with you. Our board is horrible. The worst I have ever heard about. They just don’t care.
 

Andycoleno9

matchday malcontent
Joined
Mar 4, 2017
Messages
28,576
Location
Croatia
Moyes and Ole are never good choice to manage club big as Man Utd. Lvg and Jose would be very good with current team.