Sir Jim Ratcliffe & Co. will not consult Sir Alex Ferguson when deciding who will be Manchester United’s next permanent manager
Jim Ratcliffe and Manchester United bosses have no plans to hold talks with Sir Alex Ferguson (Image: Getty Images)
Manchester United’s leaders will not consult Sir Alex Ferguson on who will be their next permanent manager.
United’s owners, the Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, have no desire to seek Fergie’s opinion on what could be a decisive decision for the club’s long-term future.
United are expected to announce an interim manager next week before making a permanent appointment in the summer. The list of candidates includes Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti and Mauricio Pochettino.
United will be searching for their third full-time manager since 2024 and seventh since Fergie left in 2013.
Fergie is known to be a big fan of Pochettino and has even lobbied for him to be appointed as United manager in the past. Meanwhile, the Scot is also close friends with Italian serial champion Ancelotti.
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But United’s top figures, including chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox, are confident they can make the right choices without Fergie’s influence.
Back in 2024, Ratcliffe and INEOS terminated Fergie’s contract as the club’s global ambassador. The move was part of the British giant’s cost-cutting measures.
However, Fergie remained a huge figure at the club, winning 38 major trophies during his 26-year tenure as manager.
He has played in a number of games and even visited Carrington’s training ground 24 hours after Amorim’s sacking to speak to club executives.
Current England head coach Thomas Tuchel is thought to be on United’s shortlist (Image: Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Some may see the decision not to consult Fergie as a major disrespect. But that won’t stop Fergie from contacting club officials and voicing his opinion if he still wants to.
The decision came hours after the former United captain sent a brutal message to his former manager stating that his presence at Old Trafford was “like a stink at the club”.
Keane, who won seven Premier League titles with United, told Sky Sports on Thursday night: “Ferguson and David Gill are still hanging around like a stink as to who is making the decisions at United.”
“Who’s making the decisions?[Sir Jim]Ratcliffe or Wilcox? Who goes into the interview process and gets a feel for them and says, ‘This person is the best fit for us.’
Roy Keane criticizes former club’s continued reliance on Alex Ferguson (Image: )
Keane urged his former employer to turn to Newcastle manager Eddie Howe to change his fortunes. He added: “I’d choose Eddie Howe. I like him.”
“I like his work. He’s managed a lot of games. When his teams are on a roll, they play good football. He has his detractors, but I like his work at Newcastle. He’s managed seven or eight hundred games. He’s still young. I love his composure. Maybe Man United need a little bit of that.”
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