On Sunday when Michael Edwards takes his seat in the old box of Trafford directors he is going to face Sir Alex Ferguson. The name of the manager of Manchester United is going to be a reminder of the difficult task Michael Edward has taken on at Anfield.
Manchester United has been trying to replace him for 11 years after his stepdown following a 13th Premier League title in the space of 20 years. Erik ten Hag became the fifth permanent manager of United since 2013 when he arrived from Ajax in 2022. With the team facing difficulty qualifying for the next season in the Champion League, it looks like the club will roll the dice and raise number 6 this summer.
Manchester United have been criticized for the mistakes they have committed since Ferguson stepped down. Some of the mistakes were out of their control. There is already a sense that Liverpool is facing some similar and unavoidable issues.
When David Moyes was announced as the successor of Ferguson only 24 hours after the confirmation of his retirement, the Everton manager was called “the chosen one,” with the spin of PR projecting him as the hand-picked replacement of Ferguson.
But the reality was that Moyes was the 6th twice of United because the club was either very slow to see the deal with more qualified candidates or rejected by whoever they chose.
With Klopp telling FSG in November that he would be leaving this summer, Ferguson told United in February of his final season. Liverpool had plenty of time to find a new manager, but Edward’s return last month was the real start of the process. There has already been one significant hurdle in the road, with Xabi Alonso rolling him out of the running by giving his future to Bayer Leverkusen. Alonso, who is a Champions League winner, has been a player with Liverpool and Bayer and is widely regarded as the emerging star coach of the game after taking Leverkusen to the brink of their first ever Bundesliga title in his first full season as the manager.
As compelling as the challenge of managing Liverpool might be regarding the fortunes of Barcelona and Bayern, it will also score highly for any top coach, and the picture could be further complicated for Liverpool if both United and Chelsea enter the market for a new manager this summer as well.
