When SAF was supposed to retire in 2002, who was your favorite successor?

cyril C

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Serie A was definitely the top league in Europe back then.
Honestly, we were incredibly reckless and naive in Europe, it was end to end stuff and were completely outclassed and out-thought by Bayern and Madrid.
Definitely thought we should be more tactical and cautious in Europe, which is exactly what happened between 07 and 11.
Agree. Could do with some of the LVG passing tactics back then. We need to improve on ball possession back then. May be LVG would be a bold choice back then? (p.s. LVG was at Barca 02-03 and wasn't successful back then, so controversial whether he would have been successful at Utd)
 

dogwithabone

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I was happy with the Sven rumour at the time but always hoped we'd appoint Bryan Robson at some point.
 

DelBanco

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Kuper or Lobanovski, but he died just in 2002(my favorite manager)
 

beedoubleyou

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Sven was more than a rumour, I believe he had it all sewn up.

Martin O' Neil might not have done a bad job at the time. He's a lot smarter than David Moyes and I could imagine him have taking a much more patience approach than sacking the entire backroom staff.

Who knows?

I don't really believe in the cult of the manager. For me it's more down to the right personality at the right club at the right time. That's not to say tactical knowledge isn't important, but probably less important than we make out.
 

Siorac

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Agree. Could do with some of the LVG passing tactics back then. We need to improve on ball possession back then. May be LVG would be a bold choice back then? (p.s. LVG was at Barca 02-03 and wasn't successful back then, so controversial whether he would have been successful at Utd)
Is this some ironic jab at Van Gaal's football? You could have smuggled in a 'sideways then' somewhere if so.
 

#07

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I was just shocked that Sven Goran Erikson was being ripped!

Lippi was my guy.
 

RedTillI'mDead

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Don't really remember, don't really care!

Definitely not Sven. I specifically remember that name being branded around and thinking hell no! I was not impressed with him as England manager.

Wenger would have been a coup.
 

cyril C

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Is this some ironic jab at Van Gaal's football? You could have smuggled in a 'sideways then' somewhere if so.
To be fair to LVG and put him into perspective. Is LVG a terrible coach? I don't think so, he has had enormous success both at club and country level. Could he be out-dated, possible and I won't drill into it.

Man Utd was lacking capability on ball possession and we didn't know how to pass the ball, so LVG was a good choice. We were terrible in our passing game does not mean it was entirely LVG's fault, it could be many factors. I think it was due to Mourinho's availability that prompt the club to haste his departure, although I doubt he would be able to drastically improve our game given that he has failed miserably on MF procurement, so relying on Fergi era of ageing MF won't make the cut.

Assuming we keep LVG for another 3 seasons and should the club spend another 200m on MF improvement given that he has failed in 1st attempt, I don't think so.
 

Juan King Dead

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English people hating Rooney while in the same time they like Sven Goran Erikson is a mystery to me.

Erikson's England played some of the worst football I have seen by an English team (the national or an EPL team). On the other hand, Rooney played some of the best football I have ever seen by an English man. A boring hoofballer vs a passionate all around forward.

Sometimes, I don't get Englishmen.
 

Siorac

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To be fair to LVG and put him into perspective. Is LVG a terrible coach? I don't think so, he has had enormous success both at club and country level. Could he be out-dated, possible and I won't drill into it.

Man Utd was lacking capability on ball possession and we didn't know how to pass the ball, so LVG was a good choice. We were terrible in our passing game does not mean it was entirely LVG's fault, it could be many factors. I think it was due to Mourinho's availability that prompt the club to haste his departure, although I doubt he would be able to drastically improve our game given that he has failed miserably on MF procurement, so relying on Fergi era of ageing MF won't make the cut.

Assuming we keep LVG for another 3 seasons and should the club spend another 200m on MF improvement given that he has failed in 1st attempt, I don't think so.
It was more of a cheap jab at you using the phrase 'back then' so much that it doesn't even feel like real words any more, rather than any serious opinion.

Keeping Van Gaal for another three seasons would have been the stuff of nightmares though. Giving him another 200m is unlikely to have helped, considering how much money he wasted on terrible signings anyway.
 

The Boy

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Trying to remember who was actually in the frame at the time, O Neill had just started at Celtic so wasn't available, Sven had just started with England so that was difficult too. Hitzfeld was bandied about but not sure he was too interested in leaving Bayern. I don't remember LvG being mentioned at the time, though I know he claimed he was in the frame when he became manager years later, guessing he'd have been back at Barcalona at that time. Kenyon must have been over the moon when SAF changed his mind as there wasn't really anyone available!
 

Robbo's Shoulder

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I honestly can't remember who i wanted but wasn't Walter Smith touted at 1 time? I know he came in as assistant in 04? but I'm sure some wanted to take him from Everton.
 

Gio

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O'Neill and O'Leary would have been the Caf favourites at the time. O'Leary had done very well at Leeds and O'Neill's first two seasons at Celtic had been dominant. Eriksson was mooted. He was an easy link to make, being the national team manager and a fancy foreigner that folk knew about, but I don't think there was much of a clamour for him.
 

ROFLUTION

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Was only around 15 at the time, but from what i recall O'Leary

When he really retired: Mourinho (probably a lot of us had that feeling)
 

Raees

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Hitzfeld or Lippi
Pretty much this for me. Never wanted Wenger has I hated him due to the rivalry and SGE didn’t really set my world on fire... Capello could have also been an option but he was renowned as falling out with players so was a bit wary of him.
 

TRUERED89

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Del Bosque at the time was considered a top option too, having won CL in 2000, LaLiga in 2001.
 

GBBQ

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Definitely O'Neill at the time, had done great things with Leicester and his Celtic side were good to watch.
 

stevoc

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Me too. I wanted him after Moyes also. He was/is great manager.
He was a great manager, i loved his Ajax side and as we seen here he believed in promoting youth. Sadly by the time he did manage us he was past his best.

I think he would have been a good fit in 2002, a better fit than the likes of Capello or Eriksson anyway.
 

Class of 63

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And you probably would have still been defending him on here in 2009 saying he wasn't given enough time. ;)
Doubt it mate, it wasn't till circa 2014 that I gave Tinterweb a second glance ;)

But you're probably right.

It would have been interesting to see how he'd have got on at Old Trafford as he is, and always has been a massive Manchester United fan, a lot of head verses heart decisions methinks.
 

Class of 63

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stevoc

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Doubt it mate, it wasn't till circa 2014 that I gave Tinterweb a second glance ;)

But you're probably right.

It would have been interesting to see how he'd have got on at Old Trafford as he is, and always has been a massive Manchester United fan, a lot of head verses heart decisions methinks.
Not a fan of Allardyce's style of football but he was a good manager at one point. He probably should have got a chance at a big job but then his time at Newcastle probably scuppered that.

Didn't know he was a United fan though.

It's well known the reason SAF changed his mind was because United were close to an agreement with SGE

Three cheers to the board, hip hip.....
That and his wife decided he wasn't retiring.
 

Saffron

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Luiz Felipe Scolari for me - the good version not the crap Chelsea version.
What good version? Chelsea was the only European club he ever managed, and I still can't believe they went for Mr. 1-7 just because he won an international trophy once with one of the best Brazil squads ever assembled having an extremely easy route to the final.

Their road to the final was: China, Costa Rica, Turkey, Belgium (the shit 2002 version), England and Turkey again.
 

Web of Bissaka

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Sven is the popular choice somewhat at the time, or at least the most noise I recalled. Even to the point he's that close to joining, not sure true or not.

Heard the rumour, but personally at that time I don't follow United too deeply up to the coaches and the manager Ferguson as I do now, being younger back then, so I just don't care. More of a Beckham fans at that time only care to see Beckham and co playing. Thus, no favourite successor.