we'd probably be fighting for the league with a midfield of Cleverley and Ando
What if Fergie was still managing us now?
- Thread starter Pogue Mahone
- Start date
Evra, Nani, Welbeck, Evans would still be at the club, Giggs would be second in command, Rooney would have left summer before 13/14.
One of Evans, Smalling and Jones would have reached their peak.
One of Evans, Smalling and Jones would have reached their peak.
I don't think he'd have gone for Sanchez.
I totally think he'd have got Kane, I could have seen him getting Di Maria, Cleverley would be highly rated, I could see a few more young English players kicking around.. I reckon Evans and Jones would be fairly settled, Valencia wouldn't be here but Nani probably still would be (still think it was batshit he was let go). No Young, no Pogba, no Matic, no Zlatan, no Mata or Martial.
Wouldn't have been surprised to see Fabregas here.
I totally think he'd have got Kane, I could have seen him getting Di Maria, Cleverley would be highly rated, I could see a few more young English players kicking around.. I reckon Evans and Jones would be fairly settled, Valencia wouldn't be here but Nani probably still would be (still think it was batshit he was let go). No Young, no Pogba, no Matic, no Zlatan, no Mata or Martial.
Wouldn't have been surprised to see Fabregas here.
Evans and Welbeck yes, Nani and Evra I'm not so sure. They would have stayed 2 years more at best.
Change thread title to "What if Fergie is managing us now?" i.e. SAF managing the current squad (Season 17-18) instead of Mourinho.
Rather than "..still..." since some of our current players he most likely won't bought, or able to eg. Pogba refuse to return.
More plausible.
Rather than "..still..." since some of our current players he most likely won't bought, or able to eg. Pogba refuse to return.
More plausible.
Chong is just back from a serious injury and his game time is being managed between the u18s, u19s and u23s accordingly.
Gomes has struggled with the step up to the u23s and physically has a long way to go.
One of Fergie's greatest skills in bringing young players through was not doing it until the players are ready. I think Gomes would have featured less under Fergie. His appearances to date have been pure token run outs. Fergie wouldn't have felt the need.
We'd probably be on about 70 goals by now.
And probably performing better than our current midfield.
We’d be winning the league with Herrera and Cleverley in midfield. All of our expenditure would have been for buying Lewandowski a couple of seasons ago.
Happily there has never been created an avatar face of the shade of grim green sardonic mirth that your post evoked.
I don't think Pogba would have refused to return under Fergie. If anything, I think he'd have wanted it more. The stumbling block there would have been getting Fergie to agree to a fee anywhere near the fee we paid for him.
This thread gave me a little chuckle. Football has moved on from being able to dominate a league with mediocre players. SAF would not be winning games against top sides with a shit midfield. He would have had to get with the pace of things elsewhere. City were already in the ascendancy when he retired. And he probably would have spent a lot of money to rebuild a side that badly needed a rebuild while promoting 2-3 from the youths.
-------------DDG
Rafael---Vidic----Rio----Evra
Scholes----Giggs---Carrick
---------Van Persie
-------Veron--Heinze
Rafael---Vidic----Rio----Evra
Scholes----Giggs---Carrick
---------Van Persie
-------Veron--Heinze
This.
Him and Thiago. I reckon he’d have signed Alli after that cup performance too. We’ve had bad managers and a board and managing director learning on the job and couple that with all the underinvestment... that’s why we are where we are now.
Not a chance. Fergie is a thinker. He understands change and how to manage change. He took on a club with a drinking culture and turned it around. He adopted to the end of 442, he took on the invincibles, the big bucks of chelsea, the bigger bucks of city. He won 13 titles in 26 years. This is a man who constantly changed.
Don't think it was that recent. Pretty sure it was about a year ago.
It evolved into Robert Huth and Wes Morgan being EPL title winning centre-backs. You're letting this season cloud the judgment of what was before.
That's not true. Rashford was always earmarked as a special talent in our academy.
We would’ve signed the players that he had lined-up for the summer of Moyes - so Strootman, Thiago, Garay and of course Zaha that summer (though Thiago might not have happened if we gave Bayern the chance to get involved). Rooney would’ve left, but not sure who else would’ve gone out that summer.
Herrera and Shaw probably still come-in the same summer that they did under LVG as they were long-term club targets, despite all the “Moyes’ players” shite some came out with after they joined.
If Martial was a similar long-term target then maybe him as well, though I don’t see Sir Alex spending big money like we have under LVG and Jose, not on one player anyway - so no Di Maria and certainly no Pogba. Probably not Lukakau either as I don’t see him as a Fergie-type striker. Sanchez possibly, as the wage-restrains were off by the last couple of seasons with Rooney and RVP’s contracts.
RVP would’ve had a better season than he did under Moyes (who was after all still our top scorer that season IIRC) - primarily due to Sir Alex knowing how to train him to keep his injury problems down - and he would’ve been happier in general, so I think one more good season from him before the unavoidable decline that would eventually see him replaced, probably with Martial if we had signed him.
Januzaj was coming through already and probably would’ve developed better under Sir Alex, but as seen with Macheda even Sir Alex wasn’t that much of a miracle worker if a player couldn’t be arsed.
Lingard I don’t know about - Sir Alex identified him as a late-developer, but maybe he would’ve let him go for his own sake to another club. Michael Keane would’ve stayed, with his brother moving around the same time that he did. Wilson would’ve had more chances, but probably would’ve been sold by now in favour of Rashford.
Rafael would’ve stayed as much for his attitude as anything else; Evra probably would’ve gone to Juventus when he did; Rio would’ve retired here the same season that he did, but obviously he had more important things to deal with at that time; Vidic I don’t know about - I don’t think he would’ve left like he did had Sir Alex still been the boss, but he was done already by the time he did go. Fletcher probably would’ve stayed, Evans too. Anderson would still be recovering from the party after his testimonial. Giggs would be on the staff, having made it to 1,000 club appearances before retiring.
At least one more league title, probably two, but we’d still be struggling to match Guardiola this season. Sir Alex would’ve found a way to beat him next season or the one after - he would’ve refreshed his staff again as he always did and those new ideas would’ve moved us forward again.
Herrera and Shaw probably still come-in the same summer that they did under LVG as they were long-term club targets, despite all the “Moyes’ players” shite some came out with after they joined.
If Martial was a similar long-term target then maybe him as well, though I don’t see Sir Alex spending big money like we have under LVG and Jose, not on one player anyway - so no Di Maria and certainly no Pogba. Probably not Lukakau either as I don’t see him as a Fergie-type striker. Sanchez possibly, as the wage-restrains were off by the last couple of seasons with Rooney and RVP’s contracts.
RVP would’ve had a better season than he did under Moyes (who was after all still our top scorer that season IIRC) - primarily due to Sir Alex knowing how to train him to keep his injury problems down - and he would’ve been happier in general, so I think one more good season from him before the unavoidable decline that would eventually see him replaced, probably with Martial if we had signed him.
Januzaj was coming through already and probably would’ve developed better under Sir Alex, but as seen with Macheda even Sir Alex wasn’t that much of a miracle worker if a player couldn’t be arsed.
Lingard I don’t know about - Sir Alex identified him as a late-developer, but maybe he would’ve let him go for his own sake to another club. Michael Keane would’ve stayed, with his brother moving around the same time that he did. Wilson would’ve had more chances, but probably would’ve been sold by now in favour of Rashford.
Rafael would’ve stayed as much for his attitude as anything else; Evra probably would’ve gone to Juventus when he did; Rio would’ve retired here the same season that he did, but obviously he had more important things to deal with at that time; Vidic I don’t know about - I don’t think he would’ve left like he did had Sir Alex still been the boss, but he was done already by the time he did go. Fletcher probably would’ve stayed, Evans too. Anderson would still be recovering from the party after his testimonial. Giggs would be on the staff, having made it to 1,000 club appearances before retiring.
At least one more league title, probably two, but we’d still be struggling to match Guardiola this season. Sir Alex would’ve found a way to beat him next season or the one after - he would’ve refreshed his staff again as he always did and those new ideas would’ve moved us forward again.
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Okay realistically speaking...
We would've finished 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 2nd. He'll be as stubborn as ever and refuse to spend big money on Midfielders. We'll be a very good team but lacking the final edge to be Champions.
Pogba and Matic wouldn't be here.
Nani will still be here and still lacking the consistency. Valencia captaining every game.
Januzaj, Evans, Perreria, TFM will be first team players. Jones still doesn't know his best position.
Rashford will be leading the line along with Martial in a 4-4-2 ala Leicester City.
People will question him - Is it time for him to finally retire because for all his ability, He's so stubborn and refuses to spend big even when We're really close to PL trophies and the rest of rivals are spending crazy money.
Fanbase will be divided into two: Pro Fergie and "Its time to go!" ala ArseFam TV. Some of them will even brand his management style as outdated.
I'm sure glad He retired on a high...
We would've finished 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 2nd. He'll be as stubborn as ever and refuse to spend big money on Midfielders. We'll be a very good team but lacking the final edge to be Champions.
Pogba and Matic wouldn't be here.
Nani will still be here and still lacking the consistency. Valencia captaining every game.
Januzaj, Evans, Perreria, TFM will be first team players. Jones still doesn't know his best position.
Rashford will be leading the line along with Martial in a 4-4-2 ala Leicester City.
People will question him - Is it time for him to finally retire because for all his ability, He's so stubborn and refuses to spend big even when We're really close to PL trophies and the rest of rivals are spending crazy money.
Fanbase will be divided into two: Pro Fergie and "Its time to go!" ala ArseFam TV. Some of them will even brand his management style as outdated.
I'm sure glad He retired on a high...
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Football has moved on. Read variations of this many times. I do not agree. This is the first season since he retired when there looks to be a genuinely high level title winner in the making. Let us not pretend that any of the Chelsea(2) or Leicester teams that won the league were special sides, how quickly they fell away was telling. They made the most of the poor level between 2013-17 when the challengers were in transition, going through managerial upheaval and throwing tons of money away on poor choices.
Those big oafs, are bizarrely, poor in the air.
Herrera and Martial wouldn’t have been Ferguson signings.
We (still) wouldn't have a midfield (and we wouldn't notice) because our strikers would be firing and we'd be winning.
It's been around 3 months since he returned from injury and it's more than plausible to think our best attacker from the Academy would've featured under SAF by now...
He's only just gone up to the u23s and they didn't risk him in the u19s Champions League game on the shopping centre roof. They are clearly being cautious with him and rightly so. There is no rush.
When a kid gets his first call up to the first team, he needs to be 100%. I do agree though that as a player he has far more to offer the first team at this stage of his development than Gomes.
Considering some of the teams he's won stuff with, I'm more curious about what he'd be able to do with this current team. Same players, Fergie in charge. *waits for a member of the defense squad to run in here talking about how the league was shit during Fergie's years and that's why he won so much.*
I'm not doubting SAF would have gotten everything he possibly could from most of his players. But the way some people were talking was if we'd be able to win the league with mediocre players. He bought RVP because we lacked quality. It was only a matter of time before he would have had to do major surgery on defense and midfield. That was my point. Not that all of a sudden everyone else was Real Madrid and Barca. The romanticism is a bit over the top. Like SAF was somehow infallible. And it also assumes that he wouldn't regress one bit, but just always keep the same level. I'm glad he retired when he did, leaving on top. Beautiful. The club obviously made a major mistake followed by a major mistake in the aftermath of that, which shows that there was no proper long-term planning in place.
And that Leicester team wasn't bad. Yes, a bit of a fluke season, but mentally superior to other players. They were as true a team as you can see. Everyone knew their role, fought for each other, and they had some outstanding performers and the best midfielder in the league.
I don't think SAF would have kept United as title favourites in the last 4-5 years without buying major quality. I just don't.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not putting down Leicester achievement one bit, but look at the bolded part. Change the midfielder for a striker, as Fergie was usually spot on when it comes to strikers and you have basically Ferguson's United. And he kept it season after season even during rebuilding years.
Of course, he would he have to buy and fix some positions, but he also did it so many times. And if he thought some player would improve us he didn't hesitate to blow the competition out of the water like in Keane, Rio, Rooney, RVP case. Not to mention there was also some players who moved during years and can be considered "real value in the market" which he usually bought. Alcantara, Kroos and that best midfielder in the league which you already mentioned in Kante for example.
Simply, the standard of the league, until this season doesn't indicate that he would struggle one bit imo.
This!
I'm suprised more people haven't mentioned Kante. Fergie raved about him during the Leicester season. I think he would have stolen a march to get him.
I also think that in general Fergie would have really admired Leicester and the way the played. Their fast, quick style with a lot of good wide play. He would have liked Kante, Vardy, Mahrez, Drinkwater and I could see him like a good hardworking winger who can play both sides and whip a good ball in like Marc Albrighton. Albrighton would have been the type of player he would buy, most people would complain, but he would be part of a good team.
I think he would have raided Leicester.
I also don't think the opportunity for Kane would have provided itself
De Gea
Valencia Jones Evans Unobvious Left Back (someone like Grimaldo)
Mahrez Kante Kroos Nani
Sanchez Lukaku
Rashford, Lingard, Albrighton, Januzaj and Ben Pearson (a young player Fergie really rated) amongst the bench.
I also think that in general Fergie would have really admired Leicester and the way the played. Their fast, quick style with a lot of good wide play. He would have liked Kante, Vardy, Mahrez, Drinkwater and I could see him like a good hardworking winger who can play both sides and whip a good ball in like Marc Albrighton. Albrighton would have been the type of player he would buy, most people would complain, but he would be part of a good team.
I think he would have raided Leicester.
I also don't think the opportunity for Kane would have provided itself
De Gea
Valencia Jones Evans Unobvious Left Back (someone like Grimaldo)
Mahrez Kante Kroos Nani
Sanchez Lukaku
Rashford, Lingard, Albrighton, Januzaj and Ben Pearson (a young player Fergie really rated) amongst the bench.
I don't disagree with that. What I found amusing was people thinking we'd be continuing with players like Cleverley and somehow that would be good enough. Purchases like Rio, Keane, Rooney etc. in this day and age are enormous transfer deals. When people say SAF would have bought Kane and Alli, it means he would have spent 100s of millions of pounds. Which is my point, the reality of competing at the top today. To go for the 2nd tier of players wouldn't have worked, even for SAF.
We'd have spent far less and won a bit more.
It depends on his attitude to spending money, and addressing our weaknesses. Towards the end he refused to do it. After the 2011 loss to Barca he talked about how we have to catch them, the following season we got knocked out at the group stage against Basel and Fergie later claimed if we'd have made it out in the group stage then he'd have fancied us to win it 
fast forward years and we're playing 38 year old Scholes and Giggs in midfield alongside occassional midfield appearances from Jones, Rafael and Park... The quality of the Barca Bayern and Madrid sqauds over the last few years have been on another level and you'd have to spend money to catch them.
The bare minimum he'd ever achieve though would be competing for league titles. I can't see him not winning the league in the year when Leicester won it with 80 points for example.
I think fans on here are nolstalgic about our level of play before he retired, remember Noodles "zombie football" thread? That was bumped after near enough every game because our build up play was so incredibly slow and the lack of intensity in our play was infuriating. There were endless threads about how we couldn't deal with teams that press us, and there was just a genuine lack of cohesion/understanding between our attacking players (which you have to say has gotten a lot worse since he left).
However, if he'd have spent the amount of money we have since he left, we'd most likely be considered alongside the likes of Barca Madrid and Bayern these past few years. Ferguson with that level of money to spend is a scary thought.
fast forward years and we're playing 38 year old Scholes and Giggs in midfield alongside occassional midfield appearances from Jones, Rafael and Park... The quality of the Barca Bayern and Madrid sqauds over the last few years have been on another level and you'd have to spend money to catch them.The bare minimum he'd ever achieve though would be competing for league titles. I can't see him not winning the league in the year when Leicester won it with 80 points for example.
I think fans on here are nolstalgic about our level of play before he retired, remember Noodles "zombie football" thread? That was bumped after near enough every game because our build up play was so incredibly slow and the lack of intensity in our play was infuriating. There were endless threads about how we couldn't deal with teams that press us, and there was just a genuine lack of cohesion/understanding between our attacking players (which you have to say has gotten a lot worse since he left).
However, if he'd have spent the amount of money we have since he left, we'd most likely be considered alongside the likes of Barca Madrid and Bayern these past few years. Ferguson with that level of money to spend is a scary thought.
If Fergie was still manager we'd be much better and not slow.
We would of won maybe two more titles, and we definitely would not of finished out of the top 4 if he was in charge.
I wonder if he misses it?
I wonder if he misses it?
If Fergie was still here our front 4 now would be
Bale Dele Alli Greizmann
Vardy
Vardy
He would've signed Harry Maguire after his performances last season for Hull.
We would be winning the title with Jones and Smalling as our CB pairing and no one would bitch about them because our attack and midfield would be doing their jobs