Manchester United: 10 Bold Predictions for the Post-Ferguson Era

No manager in history has been more feted than Sir Alex Ferguson—and rightly so. He has said he will decide when he will go. Most have concluded this would be after a fourth or even fifth Champions League, at the very least a 20th Premier League title.

But what would happen if United won nothing this season? There are only two trophies left—Premier League and Europa League. While it looks certain that United will automatically qualify for next season's Champions League, might he go if they won nothing?

And then there is the building of another dynasty and—closely connected—his personal pride. Which matters more, leaving on a high, knowing the next manager would have a hard act to follow, or leaving when you're not sure where the next trophy will come from?

Whenever he hangs up his training shoes, he will leave a squad in good nick but with plenty of room for development. He has carried on the Busby tradition with a highly successful Academy that could produce as many first-team squad players in the next few years as in any previous era.

All this makes it very hard for him—and a very hard act to follow. The key determinant will be his health. You can see from his press conferences that he is hardly unequivocal about the frosty mornings, and surely he and Cathy would like to share their golden years in good health.

So, one of the things that makes it hard to predict what will happen after he's gone is not knowing when he will go.

For the time being, we shall assume that he will retire this summer. A 20th title will nail it, but one is left to wonder whether his reluctance to spend has been in order to leave some flexibility to his successor—to sign his own players, to restructure the squad, or whatever.

Sir Alex is 70, and no one is saying it's time to go while he can motivate his players to come back from 3-0 down against Chelsea. But there are worse times to go, and there is a certain symmetry.

That said, some of what will happen in the post-Ferguson era will be as a direct consequence of his own departure.

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