Why Meulensteen is the Man to Succeed Ferguson

While the shock and amazement of Ferguson's decision has taken the football world by storm, so too has the discussion about who his successor will be. No doubt it will be a massive job to fill, this is the best manager perhaps in the history of football and the next manager will be under intense pressure to succeed and replicate what Ferguson has done. With the talk of David Moyes and Jose Mourinho front runners to replace the Scot, The Whitehouse Address believes Ferguson has in fact been grooming his successor for several years. 

They say football is all about timing. And so Ferguson’s decision to step aside as manager of Manchester United and move upstairs is like he says “the right time”. As he says "It was important to me to leave an organisation in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so," he said. 

United are looking for a manager who understands the club's history and is committed to youth development while employing an attractive, attacking style of football.

So let us consider the candidates. David Moyes appears the favourite right now and it makes sense; Ferguson sought him to be his number two in 1999 while he was at Preston yet he chose to stay at the club and in 2002 joined Everton as manager.

10 years later and after a respectable career at Everton Moyes has proven his Premier League credentials, however there is a concern as to his lack of trophies and European experience. Yet that being said Everton is not one of England’s ‘big clubs’ and Moyes has done well to keep Everton challenging that top four in recent years.

Everton have given him an 'excuse' as to why he hasn't won trophies; lack of investment and finances being the single issue which has allowed Moyes to ‘succeed’ while never actually winning anything. However a move to United would put all these excuses to bed, there will be money available and so too much expectation. Winning is the only thing United are judged on and Moyes knows he will have no excuses if moves to United. 

Personally I don't know if Moyes is good enough for the job yet as the club seek a manager who believes in youth Moyes has certainly proven this willingness to nurture and develop young players. It has benefited Everton both on and off the pitch and this aspect does point to his suitability to the role. Moyes is an intense Scotsman with a will to win and it is hard to not imagine Ferguson seeing similarities to himself in Moyes. Therefore it may make it almost a ‘natural’ transition. However is a special manager not needed?

Mourinho's most sought after job

The Special One is another favourite and would be the marquee signing in the eyes of the media. Rumours have been ripe for several years of Mourinho’s love to manage United and for those who watched the documentary on Mourinho on ITV it seemed no coincidence that it was Ferguson who spoke so highly of him. 

After the exit to Madrid in Europe this season Mourinho was as humble as he has ever been post match, highlighting a perceived knowledge that he would not be encountering Ferguson again and that perhaps it was he who would fill his shoes.

Mourinho would be a success, there is no doubt about it. He is very similar to Ferguson in his preparation, media handling and 'mind games' and he would come with the reputation as the best manager this past decade. Add to this the fact he is actively seeking to get out of Madrid and you get the sense that he has been given indications that the job is perhaps his. It would be a better move than Chelsea for him.

And yet, there is something unnerving about Mourinho at United. He seems too volatile, too opinionated and seeks too much control to be working effectively under Ferguson. Rest assured this job will be a partnership where Ferguson will be a consultant and guide to the new manager. He will not allow the kind of control that he Ferguson has been given in his time at Old Trafford. 

In fact you can perceive a change in the dynamics of the setup of the club from now on. A head coach role appears more apt than a manager’s role and after Mourinho has struggled desperately to no avail to yield more control over Madrid these past couple of years, would he accept this 'head coach' role at United?

I feel that Mourinho would bring success to United yet would he instil the beliefs on which United seek? “committed to youth development while employing an attractive, attacking style of football”. Mourinho is not the uber-defensive coach which many believe, in fact he plays some excellent counter attacking football which United have played for decades. He has also shown a willingness to play youth players like Ozil and Varane basing his judgements on their talents rather than their age. However, Ferguson’s ability to nurture youth has always comes from a desire to persevere and be patient with youth to develop. Has Mourinho got this patience in him?

Finally what makes Mourinho’s potential appointment problematic is his history this past decade. Three years is his period of management, whether because of his own boredom, or his players losing their intensity under him. United require a longer term manager to continue Ferguson’s work, I do not envisage a three year managerial reign.

Unless….they are viewing the contracts of both Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp whose contracts expire in 2016. Is it possible Mourinho comes in for three seasons and then one of Pep or Klopp take the reigns for the long term? It is more than possible.

Yet if this is the case could not a manager like Heynckes or Ancelotti be more of a safer bet? Both are proven in European football and therefore could give United a chance to succeed in these coming years. Both are less ‘problematic’ than Mourinho and both would step aside in 2016 without fuss.

However United are required to announce their manager in the next 48 hours and while Mourinho is still under contract at Madrid it seems very unlikely. Moyes and Heynckes are both set to leave their respective clubs this summer and could sign a pre-agreement which can be announced this week.

The best decision, a decade in the making

However, would the best decision not be Rene Meulensteen? In 2002 Ferguson wished to retire and Sven-Goran Ericcson was lined up to replace him. Now Sven had achieved success in management yet did he understand the club? No. It would have been a risk to bring in a man who did not know the club and Ferguson decided to continue himself. 

After McLaren Ferguson brought in Carlos Quieroz as his assistant. After a year the Portuguese went to Madrid to coach yet it only lasted a year and he returned back to United and put in place a new foundation for their future. It would be a great period of success for United, from 2006-2012 it was their greatest period in the clubs history.

Now rumours were that Ferguson was lining up Quieroz as his successor around 2008 and was disappointed when he decided to leave to coach Portugal. By all accounts Quieroz was having more influence on the team and Ferguson was in the process of a handover. Yet when Quieroz left Ferguson had to make a new decision. Although Mike Phelan was brought in as assistant it was the promotion of Rene Meulensteen to first team coach which was significant.

In 2001 Alex Ferguson wanted to improve the technical skills of the youth players. He chose to bring in Rene Meulensteen, an expert technical skills coach who was given the remit to overhaul United’s academy system. He was instructed to improve the technical foundation of players and improve their skills, dribbling and confidence to beat players 1v1.  

In the following decade the Dutch coach would oversee the whole academy structure and lay down the foundation for United’s future. As his progressed at the club he moved up to coaching the reserves and then became first team coach. You can see it now when you observe Ferguson on the sidelines that Meulensteen is his right hand man.

Now if you were looking to handover a club you have managed for 26 years, would you not be planning this kind of handover long in advance? Meulensteen has been at United for over a decade and has been given the remit to lay the future of the club. Would it not make sense that a natural progression would be to move him from first team coach to head coach? 

Ferguson will still help and support yet Meulensteen would take the reigns of the club and team in which he has been part of for a decade. He is regarded as one of the best coaches in world football and when United seek someone who knows the club, who believes in youth development and who seeks to play attractive football, there is in fact no-one more qualified for the job.

For those who say he doesn’t have experience of management then in some ways you are right. He left United to go and manage Brondby in 2006 yet when he was denied more control of clubs matters Ferguson told him to leave and come back to United. Yet is there a better apprenticeship for the role at United than to spend a decade at the club under the guidance and tutoring of Ferguson? Surely not. He will have the respect of everyone and there will be no surprises. He will simply be part of an evolving process. This sounds much more viable for United than a radical change from 'outside'.

I spoke at the start of ‘timing’. Moyes was offered the chance to work under Ferguson and he chose against it. Quieroz couldn’t resist the approaches of Portugal when the United job was almost in his grasp. This time Ferguson appears he has the right man to take over and thus he sees now as the right time to step aside. 

Yes Moyes and Mourinho appear available this summer, yet perhaps Ferguson believes Meulensteen knows the club more than any other manager out there and perhaps he believes his apprenticeship has ended and he is now ready to take over the running of the world’s greatest club.

The Whitehouse Address @The_W_Address