UnitedViews

The perennial question about when Sir Alex Ferguson will hang up his hairdryer and concentrate on mastering the piano at home in Prestbury or start plotting Team GB’s campaign at the 2012 Olympics has been somewhat overwhelmed this year by the Ronaldo circus. Curiously both questions could be answered by a single phrase ‘One more year.’

Image by gordonflood.com on Flickr

I don’t believe that Ferguson has made his mind up one way or another on a departure this year. I do believe, however, that he is considering it more seriously than at any time since he doubled back on retirement plans in 2002. He made it very clear after reversing that decision that he wouldn’t make the mistake of letting people know he was going before he went next time around. Back then Ferguson was a dead man walking with much of the respect he had previously commanded within the club disgracefully evaporating as the season wore on (Stand up Mikael Silvestre). This time When it happens it will come as a surprise to the media, his squad and quite possibly David Gill.

Now this year, at the age of 66, he said in the Sky interview with an apparently comatose David Frost that he will carry on for another 2 or 3 years. It won’t be 3 years. If he left it until 2011 then everyone would know it was his last season and the problems of 2001/2 would be visited on him once more. I guess he could say he’d changed his mind again but I’m not sure anyone would buy that at the age of 68. So, this season or next season will be his last, of that much I’m sure.

Whether he goes this year will depend on the success or otherwise of the campaign. If he could repeat last year’s achievements and defend both league and Champion’s League (an enormously difficult task) then I’m sure he’ll go at the end of the season. He’ll have matched Liverpool’s haul of 18 League titles and have 3 European Cups to his name putting him up there next to Bob Paisley (whose sides overcame the might of Borussia Mönchengladbach, Club Brugge and… all right Real Madrid to win the trophy).

It is, of course, a nearly impossible task to repeat the success of 2007/8 but I think Fergie feels they can do it… as long as he can hang on to Ronaldo for one more year. And that is exactly what I think he will have asked for from Ronaldo; one more year. He can’t afford to lose him this year and nor can the club afford the destabilising effect of Real Madrid’s attentions on an annual basis.

So one more year of Ronaldo, another league title, another Champions League title and a farewell to Fergie. Could be a busy year!

Of course, if he fails to win either or wins one title but not the other I can see Fergie being with us for another year. I’m sure he wouldn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to knock Liverpool right off both their perches.

None of this should not be mistaken as a call for Fergie to go. Even back in 2005/6 when he seemed to have lost touch with the demands of modern football and a number of sites (especially the much missed UnitedRant) were calling for his head I felt he had given too much of himself to the club to deserve to be cast aside without another chance. I never want to be in the position of telling my son about United’s greatest ever manager (a debate for another day) and explaining how I was one of those who called for him to be sacked.