The curse of Fergie’s potential successors: Bruce, Sven, Keane, Hughes and more
After Steve Bruce's departure from Sunderland it's strange to think at one time the ex-Man United defender was a rising star in management, tipped to potentially succeed Sir Alex Ferguson one day.
Since Fergie shelved plans for retirement at the end of 2001/02, the football world has been left guessing when the Scot will finally call it a day. These six men have all been tipped to replace Fergie at some stage and, ten years on from Sir Alex's non-retirement, talkSPORT takes a look at how they are faring today…
SVEN-GORAN ERIKSSON
Currently: Unemployed
Ten years ago, a CV including multiple domestic and European titles in Sweden, Portugal and Italy landed Sven the best paid job in football as England's top dog. An impressive World Cup qualifying campaign set tongues wagging about a move to United, but it's been downhill from then on. Quarter-final defeats against ten men Brazil in 2002 and the Portuguese at Euro 2004 and World Cup 2006 were almost played out as a sideshow to the Swede's much publicised private life. Unsuccessful spells with Man City, Mexico, Ivory Coast and, bizarrely, as director of football at League Two Notts County, resulted in a chance to lead money bags Leicester back into the big time. He was sacked 12 months later in October 2011 with the Foxes sitting uncomfortably in the Championship's bottom half. A month on, following Nigel Pearson's return to the club, they find themselves in the Championship's top six for the first time in two seasons, while Sven - if not his bank manager - is left wondering where it all went wrong.
FABIO CAPELLO
Currently: England manager
Sven, Steve McClaren, Glenn Hoddle and Kevin Keegan have all suffered from the England managers' curse following life in charge of the Three Lions. So perhaps it's a good thing for Don Fabio that he appears to be retiring from football following Euro 2012. In 2001, the curly haired Italian was one of three foreign bosses tipped to replace Fergie having secured Roma's first Serie A title in 18 years. He left acrimoniously for arch rivals Juventus in 2004, but resigned in 2006 when Juve's two league triumphs under his tenure were revoked because they were found guilty of match fixing. Next stop for the Italian was Real Madrid, for a second stint, where he won La Liga but was sacked in the summer due to his team's supposedly overly pragmatic style. The FA came calling in 2008 and, initially, Capello delivered by qualifying for the World Cup in emphatic fashion. At the finals his stock dropped spectacularly when England struggled to qualify from their group, failing to beat Algeria and the USA with a series of turgid displays. In the second round, they were then humiliated in a 4-1 defeat to arch rivals Germany. Would Man United tempt him to postpone his retirement now? No chance.
CARLOS QUIEROZ
Currently: Manager of Iran
The Portuguese coach was appointed Fergie's assistant for the 2002/03 campaign and was credited with helping reinvigorate United enough to reclaim the league title from Arsenal. His work caught the eye of Real Madrid, but a 12 month spell there was overshadowed by board room battles; Quieroz had to sell Claude Makelele against his wishes and was refused the opportunity to sign defenders because they weren't marketable. Madrid finished fourth in La Liga when their form plummeted and Queiroz returned to Man United, where many felt he could potentially succeed the gaffer. He left the Red Devils in 2008 to manage Portugal after helping Fergie claim a first Champions League trophy since 1999, but like at Madrid, his tenure was blighted by contRoversy. The Portuguese qualified for the World Cup in South Africa, where they were dumped out by Spain in the second round, but Queiroz was suspended for six months after insulting anti-doping officials and later sacked following a poor start to Euro 2012 qualification. Now in charge of the Iranian national team, it's unlikely Man United's top brass are still keeping close tabs on his progress.
STEVE BRUCE
Currently: Unemployed
Bruce was a rock at the heart of Fergie's successful side in the early '90s and moved into management towards the end of the decade. Promotion to the Premier League with Birmingham in 2002 enabled him to establish a reputation as a respected top flight boss with Blues, Wigan and most recently Sunderland. The Black Cats finished 13th in 2009/10 and 10th in 2010/11, making the kind of progress to suggest their manager possessed enough ability to take the club forward even further and one day manage at the very top level. Sunderland's owners possessed enough confidence in Brucie's ability, in fact, that they provided him with huge financial backing in the summer of 2011, when Bruce oversaw the biggest overhaul of players at any Premier League club. It didn't go to plan though; 13 games into the current campaign with the club just two points off the drop zone in 16th spot, he became the first Premier League boss to get the boot.
ROY KEANE
Currently: Unemployed/standing on various European pitches alongside Adrian Chiles
Fergie himself once tipped Keane to replace him, before back-tracking when the Irishman left the club under a storm in 2005. A great leader and captain for United on the pitch, Keano showed early promise as a manager when he took the reigns at the Stadium of Light with Sunderland rock bottom of the Championship after four games of the 2006/07 season, turning their fortunes around immediately. Under Keane, Sunderland gained promotion as champions in the same campaign and he kept them in the Premier League by three points the following year. Mid-way through the next campaign, however, he quit with Sunderland lurking dangerously in the bottom three, copping stick for having no bottle, despite later citing problems at board level for his decision. Keano took over at Ipswich in April 2009, tasked with gaining promotion within two years, but the Tractor Boys only managed 15th spot in 2009/10 and started the next season so badly that Keane lost his job in January 2011. He's been looking for work ever since.
MARK HUGHES
Currently: Unemployed
Another man who played under Sir Alex, Sparky began his managerial career as part-time Wales boss in 1999, improving their fortunes and coming agonisingly close to the Euro 2004 finals after taking on the gig full-time. He quit to manage Blackburn in September 2004, the last club he'd played for, steering Rovers clear of relegation and helping them reach a first FA Cup semi-final in 40 years. A top six finish 12 months later and UEFA Cup qualification exceeded all expectations as talk of replacing Fergie began to gather pace. Instead, Sparky joined Man City in 2008, leading them to the UEFA Cup quater-final and a respectable 10th spot finish, but after the Sheikh revolution he got the boot - unfairly in most people's eyes - following a succession of Premier League draws. He enjoyed a steady year in charge of Fulham but resigned less than a year later citing the club's lack of ambition for his decision. The club's owner, Mohamed Al-Fayed, later called Hughes "a strange man" - which is rich coming from someone who erected a tacky statue of Michael Jackson outside Craven Cottage.