Manchester United: 8 Candidates to Replace Sir Alex Ferguson When He Retires

At times, it seems that Alex Ferguson will go on forever, but the Manchester United manager is as mortal as the next man and his own personal day of reckoning—the day he retires—will eventually arrive.

The moment he finally decides to call time on his illustrious career—a decision that will surely be made sooner rather than later, given he turns 70 years of age at the end of this year—will mark the end of an era.

But it will also mark the start of a new one.

With Ferguson retired, a new man must be found to take over what some see as an impossible job, given the huge success Fergie has enjoyed during his time at Old Trafford.

To maintain those high levels of achievement will be mighty difficult and it will take a brave man to step into the hot seat.

Yet Manchester United is one of the most glamorous clubs in world football, and the manager's job could be considered the pinnacle of a coach's career, so despite the challenges awaiting the new boss, there will be no shortage of candidates willing to confront them.

Here we look at eight names linked to the post, their suitability and the likelihood of them actually taking it.

Ferguson has already said whoever succeeds him needs to be experienced, and who is more experienced than the French tactician? Wenger seems to have hit a brick wall at Arsenal, who he can take no further and whose fans are beginning to turn on him. At United he would have the funds he has been so sorely deprived of at the Emirates, a batch of youngsters he himself would be proud to have discovered and a squad of players worthy of his skills as a manager. Why not?

Former United greats are persistently linked with the job at Old Trafford, as though having played for United and knowing the machinations of the club automatically makes them good candidates. That is not necessarily the case, and very few former players who return to their clubs as a manager succeed.

Steve Bruce, Roy Keane and Paul Ince have all been mentioned as possible replacements for Ferguson, but it is Hughes who is the most experienced as a manager. Still, he's probably not right for United, and it would be a shame to spoil his fine reputation as a player at the club. 

Another former player, but one of a different class as a manager to the others. Blanc, who spent two seasons at Old Trafford at the end of his playing career, shot to prominence as a coach at Bordeaux before taking over the French national side.

The former defender has shown he has the balls to handle big-name egos—he suspended all 23 players from the 2010 World Cup squad from his first game in charge—and he has already plotted the downfall of the likes of England and Brazil, while guiding France to the cusp of Euro 2012 qualification. Popular with United fans during his stint there, Blanc appears to be a decent outside bet.

Most people's favourite for the United job, Mourinho certainly has the personality and charisma to handle such a big job. He also ticks the experience box, despite his age, having already managed four of Europe's biggest clubs in his relatively short career. And he exudes a certain blinkered arrogance, the kind of which has served Ferguson so well over the years, while his Machiavellian side would go down a storm at United, who are pretty adept at adopting a siege mentality when required.

A one-time favourite to take over from Ferguson, O'Neill has been out of a job since August 2010 and his period off work seems to have taken the edge of his candidacy somewhat. Nevertheless, he still offers plenty of Premier League experience, having managed both Leicester and Aston Villa, while following his spell at Celtic he is still extremely well thought of north of the border. Whether that proves enough for United to get him on board remains to be seen.

Capello's contract with England runs out at the end of the next summer, leaving the Italian free to look for a new job. That may tie in nicely with any potential retirement of Ferguson, although it is unlikely that Capello will be a popular choice with fans, given his work with England. That said, the Three Lions boss, a famous disciplinarian, should be able to handle the pressure cooker atmosphere at Old Trafford and there are few coaches out there more experienced.

Back in 2009, Everton manager Moyes got Ferguson's seal of approval to succeed him at Old Trafford. "David hasn't got the credit he deserves," Fergie said. "When you take everything into consideration, he's done an incredible job at Everton." He's right—Moyes is an incredibly talented manager who works wonders with what he has given. Imagine what he could do with the resources available at United.

Currently out of work having been sacked by Bayern Munich at the end of last season, the Dutchman was heavily linked with United back in 2002, the year when Fergie first threatened to retire. A deal fell through then, but the former Ajax, Barcelona, Holland and AZ Alkmaar coach is sure to be in the mix once again when Fergie finally does make a definitive decision of when to quit. Hugely experienced and with a long list of honours to his name, Van Gaal's penchant for attacking football would go down a storm at United.