Having accomplished one of the greatest managerial careers in football, the Scotsman will take his place as director for Manchester United knowing that he leaves behind a remarkable chapter in the club's, and football's history, as well as some unforgettable quotes, such as “squeaky-bum time”.
Ferguson will stand in the Old Trafford dugout for his final time as manager this Sunday afternoon when his team face Swansea City, on a day which will no doubt be extremely emotional for him, his team and Manchester United’s entire fan-base too.
As the ‘king’ of Manchester United leaves his long-term role as manager behind, we now know that the club will be welcoming current Everton manager, David Moyes to follow in his immense footsteps. Moyes has already established a strong relationship with Ferguson, and as well as building his own empire and legacy at Everton. He has shown himself to be a highly driven, passionate football man, with a very similar work ethic to Ferguson.
Whether it’s in football or any business, when recruiting for such a hugely important role, succession planning is crucial. With a first-class football club such as Manchester United already running so successfully, if a major figure leaves, it makes sense to look to replace them with a similar individual to ensure continuity – basically, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
However, if you’re in a situation where an establishment is struggling and the structure of the company may not necessarily be right, it is likely that the business will decide to have a complete shake-up, maybe bringing in a different type of individual, or even numerous roles to change the configuration of the company completely. In most cases in football, managerial change comes about following perceived failure, so major change is the norm.
Obviously each situation is different when recruiting; therefore it is vital for any business to plan as well as they can for future occurrences. Everton Football Club will now be going through the exact same process as Manchester United, and with the awareness that Moyes' contract was coming to an end and hadn't be renewed, hopefully they will have laid some groundwork already.
As an established, well run club themselves with a manager who has served them extremely well over a long period of time, do they too bring in another experienced English Premier League manager at an equivalent level, with a similar outlook, or do they go for change to bring a fresh approach? It is clear that succession planning has been fundamental for Manchester United, and will be for Everton too…
For all those avid Manchester United fans out there, you can view a picture gallery of
Sir Alex Ferguson’s highlights, courtesy of the Manchester Evening News.