Ep 292 - What If Sven-Göran Eriksson Became Man Utd Manager in 2002?

Ahead of the 2001-02 season, Sir Alex Ferguson announced that he would quit as manager of the Manchester United at the end of the campaign, completing a historic 16-year stint as manager of the Old Trafford club. Ferguson reportedly suggested 3 names to succeed him at the club - David O’Leary, then at Leeds, Alan Curbishley, then at Charlton and pinpointing Martin O’Neill, then at Leicester, who would ultimately get the job at Celtic. The United hierarchy chose to ignore his suggestions (something they likely should’ve repeated in 2013) and instead turned to current England manager Sven Goran Eriksson. Eriksson was concerned about how he would be perceived for ending his England contract prematurely but he eventually agreed terms and put pen to paper on taking over at Old Trafford after the 2002 World Cup. “I knew it would be tricky,” Eriksson wrote in his book, Sven: My Story. “I had a contract with England until the 2006 World Cup and I would be severely criticised if I broke that contract. “But this was an opportunity to manage Manchester United, probably the biggest club in the world. I would be able to stay with England through the World Cup. My appointment would not be made official until after the tournament. “A contract was signed — I was United’s new manager.” But over Christmas in 2001, Ferguson rowed back on his retirement plans and committed his future to United. The question here, however. Is what would’ve happened if Ferguson had retired, what if Peter Kenyon and the others in charge at Old Trafford has chosen not to let him retract his resignation and the England manager did take charge for their home opener against West Brom in August 2002. Hosted by Luke Byron and joined by Tom Kennett