Woodward and Fergie wanted Giggs as manager

[ManchesterManchester]

I just finished watching the interview of David Lyon’s (author of Fergie's latest auto-biography). He explained lots of behind the scenes untold stories but most shocking to me was that Giggs was supposed to succeed Van Gaal. This was decided by Woodward and the board and told to Fergie. Van Gaal was told his remit and knew from the start that he would handover to Giggs. Giggs was told he was going to be the next permanent manager too.

I remember hearing Van Gaal in an post match interview saying that Giggs was going to be the next manager. I even remember lots of people discussed it on here as a bizarre thing to say at the time but most writ it off as Van Gaal joking around.

Both interviews are on YouTube if you want to find them.

At the time, did any of you workout or guess this was the plan ? Why do you think we didn’t go through with it ? And do you think we would be in a better or worst position now if we had seen it through with Van Gaal then Giggs?

 

[Judas]

Was quite obvious at the time? I remember plenty of talk that it was as if he was being groomed to take over.

 

[Marcelinho87]

I dunno how we would have fared but I would rather Giggs was nowhere near the club to be honest.

 

[Damien]

At the time, did any of you workout or guess this was the plan ?

Was pretty clear as it was something actually said. Impossible to say how we would have fared but in all likelihood it'd be worse.

 

[Adisa]

Find it incredible the club was willing to make someone with that character and baggage the manager.

 

[Dominos]

I just finished watching the interview of David Lyon’s (author of Fergie's latest auto-biography). He explained lots of behind the scenes untold stories but most shocking to me was that Giggs was supposed to succeed Van Gaal. This was decided by Woodward and the board and told to Fergie. Van Gaal was told his remit and knew from the start that he would handover to Giggs.

I remember hearing Van Gaal in an post match interview saying that Giggs was going to be the next manager. I even remember lots of people discussed it on here as a bizarre thing to say at the time but most writ it off as Van Gaal joking around.

Both interviews are on YouTube if you want to find them.

At the time, did any of you workout or guess this was the plan ? And do you think we would be in a better or worst position now if we had seen it through with Van Gaal then Giggs?

Did he explain why it didn't happen in the end?

 

[Stobzilla]

I remember him saying of Martial at the time that he was bought for the next manager, it was at some speech or other and he gestured towards Giggs.

 

[Relevated]

Thank god it never happened

 

[RedDevil@84]

Not really a news. Everyone knew Giggs was going to take over, till players started getting pissed off with LVG and Jose became available as well.

 

[youngrell]

Yeah I thought it was common knowledge this was the plan they had in mind. Was also the reason Giggs got pissed off and left rather than work under Jose.

 

[RedDevil@84]

And do you think we would be in a better or worst position now if we had seen it through with Van Gaal then Giggs?

Well, the manager unable to come for training because he was in jail for assault, would have been an interesting change.

 

[Bwuk]

Everyone knew that was the plan.

Thank god in hindsight.

 

[2 man midfield]

Not really a news. Everyone knew Giggs was going to take over, till players started getting pissed off with LVG and Jose became available as well.

Yeah I thought this was common knowledge tbh. Weirdly enough we’d probably be better off as we’d got the legend stage of our post Fergie grieving process out of the way early.

 

[Bobski]

Was quite obvious at the time? I remember plenty of talk that it was as if he was being groomed to take over.

Yes, he was the assistant manager after all, they had a plan in place.

Purely on the pitch he could have been a success or not, did a reasonable job with Wales, I still think he would have been better off doing what Rooney has, dropping down, getting the day to day experience.

I can, barely, hold my nose and ignore the affairs, the majority of my extended group of friends have either cheated or been cheated on, or both. The most recent stuff is career ending(as a football manager) though, even if he gets off.

 

[TrustInOle]

Find it incredible the club was willing to make someone with that character and baggage the manager.

Agreed, shows the level of awareness the upper level of United have when it comes to restructuring since Fergie, also lends credence to the level of doubt that our next manager will be chosen wisely although hiring Ralf has been a huge step into showing they actually have a plan going forward now given his role to continue onwards with our restructure at a higher level.

Make or break summer it feels like.

 

[youngrell]

TBF Giggs’ whole life goes differently had he stayed. Not saying he stays out of trouble forever but every event has a knock on effect and changes the course of history.

Of course the previous issues were already there before he even finished playing for us.

 

[captaincantona]

More evidence that the club values actual credentials/experience/proven ability less then DNA. Weird one.

 

[ManchesterManchester]

Did he explain why it didn't happen in the end?

Just that when it didn’t work out with Van Gaal and be got sacked, the board decided to change strategy and go for Mourinho. Fergie wasn’t told until after and wasn’t happy with the direction.

 

[RedDevil@84]

Do people here believe that the club will be run differently, going forward?

 

[altodevil]

Christ

 

[ManchesterManchester]

More evidence that the club values actual credentials/experience/proven ability less then DNA. Weird one.

Yeah it shows we were stuck in the past And a bit of nepotism. I think that’s hopefully changed now that we have finnaly brought in someone external behind the scenes in Ralf.

 

[Atheist]

The boys club won't change.

 

[Natener]

I remember him saying of Martial at the time that he was bought for the next manager, it was at some speech or other and he gestured towards Giggs.

End of season club gala I think. I remember there was some discussion whether LVG was just drunk.

 

[Big Andy]

Yes, he was the assistant manager after all, they had a plan in place.

Purely on the pitch he could have been a success or not, did a reasonable job with Wales, I still think he would have been better off doing what Rooney has, dropping down, getting the day to day experience.

I can, barely, hold my nose and ignore the affairs, the majority of my extended group of friends have either cheated or been cheated on, or both. The most recent stuff is career ending(as a football manager) though, even if he gets off.

It’s not a career ender by any stretch, there are plenty of sexual assaulters/domestic violence perpetrators knocking about in football I’d wager.

just look at that Raith Rovers bloke

 

[Cloud7]

Do people here believe that the club will be run differently, going forward?

I’m really hoping so. Woody has already gone. Hopefully after the Ole experiment ended “United DNA” is gone too and going forward we actually make sensible decisions rather than nostalgia based ones or whatever the hell Woody used to do.

 

[Vidyoyo]

When you put it this way, it makes sense why we were so quick to give Ole the full job.

 

[Dave Smith]

Thought this was common knowledge. I think the reason he didn't go on to be manager was due to:

A) They felt he didn't do enough as an assistant.

And/or

B) They got wiff of his private life/someone had a rare moment of clarity and thought that having someone with his baggage (even then) wasn't the greatest look.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

I’m really hoping so. Woody has already gone. Hopefully after the Ole experiment ended “United DNA” is gone too and going forward we actually make sensible decisions rather than nostalgia based ones or whatever the hell Woody used to do.

What's Fletcher doing here again?

 

[MUFC OK]

Would give some context to why we were subsequently ready to hand the reigns to Ole long term even with our great start under him, to be honest his appointment even as an interim was a bit bizarre. This club..

Really wouldn't be surprised if we had tried to convince Carrick/are lining up Fletcher as other have mentioned.

 

[Plant0x84]

Well known at the time. Bringing in Mourinho when we did was the reason Giggs left, because he didn’t get the job he’d been told was his.

 

[Oranges038]

Find it incredible the club was willing to make someone with that character and baggage the manager.

I though it was pretty common knowledge at the time. Jose came in instead, he got pissed and left.

All the stuff about banging his brothers wife / ex wife came out in 2011 when he was still playing. He stayed with the club throughout the whole thing, won a couple more trophies, finished his career and stayed on as a coach.

The domestic abuse case was well after he had left the club. If that happens and he's still at the club, you'd have to think he be given the boot regardless of his role.

 

[Sandikan]

Thank god it never happened

Exactly, we might have ended up with a squad in a right old mess, miles off competing for things....

 

[Samid]

I’m really hoping so. Woody has already gone. Hopefully after the Ole experiment ended “United DNA” is gone too and going forward we actually make sensible decisions rather than nostalgia based ones or whatever the hell Woody used to do.

Sweet summer child. Woody was just a puppet for the guys above him.

Club is rotten to the core and nothing of note will change until the leeches feck off.

 

[Skills]

Exactly, we might have ended up with a squad in a right old mess, miles off competing for things....

And a manager arrested

 

[Not a plastic hoe.]

Good thing it never happened...

 

[Yagami]

Club has a bigger blind spot for managers than central midfielders

 

[Abraxas]

This was 100% known at the time, even among the fanbase. Well, not categorically known as these things never are but there were murmurings within the media and fans and it was a fairly logical conclusion to arrive at. Giggs getting experience under a (hopefully) successful, experienced manager.

 

[edcunited1878]

This was common knowledge at that time. United wanted continuity, as did LVG when it comes with successors or retaining coaches from a previous staff. LVG had a 3 year deal and was prepared to do as the club told him as far as his successor (potentially Giggs) and was preparing Giggs. He was assistant manager, not just a coach if I remember.

An authoritative player, who you couldn't question, club legend, who lived through Fergie and learned under LVG for 3 years. Knows the club through and through.

When LVG got sacked as a lame duck, as in only 1 year left after winning the FA Cup, everything was thrown into the air. All while Jose became available towards the end of the second season.

United, more like Woodward, made the decision to go for the big name manager plus Pogba, Zlatan, Mkhitaryan, and whoever else I already forgot.

Common denominator....Ed fecking Woodward. Even when Sir Bobby didn't want Jose, Woodward made a decision that was not near unanimous. I still believe Jose should have come straight after Fergie left and gotten that older team with a couple new faces another PL or two, if not CL. But he already had been committed to Chelsea, iirc.

 

[devilish]

SAF should have been shown the door the moment he retired. We made the same mistake we did with Busby instead.

 

[Skills]

The club has been obsessed with finding a manager who'd stick around for 20 years, so i'm not surprised.