What seems to be one of the impossible dreams for Manchester United fans was almost fulfilled years ago, as a few excerpts from Sir Alex Ferguson's book were leaked, in which he explains how he wanted Pep Guardiola to take over the team's managerial duties.
The legendary Scottish boss revealed he even had dinner with Pep during his one-year hiatus prior to taking control of Bayern Munich's job.
"I had dinner with Guardiola in New York, and even if retirement was not on my calendar, I told him to call me before he took any other job. He didn't do so and he was hired eventually by Bayern Munich," Ferguson's book states.
Later in the book, Ferguson discusses how other managers he had on his short list were dismissed in order to facilitate David Moyes' arrival to Old Trafford. Among those names considered to succeed him were Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, and even current manager Louis Van Gaal, but none of them was available back then.
"It became apparent that Jose Mourinho had given his word to Roman Abramovich that he would return to Chelsea, and that Carlo Ancelotti would succeed him at Real Madrid. We also knew Jurgen Klopp was happy at Borussia Dortmund, and would be signing a new contract. Meantime, Louis van Gaal had undertaken to lead the Dutch attempt to win the 2014 World Cup," the coach added.
Manchester United has struggled to win more trophies since Ferguson left the coaching seat in 2013, failing to qualify for any European tournament under Moyes, who was sacked before the end of the 2013-2014 season. Last year, Van Gaal was unable to win any silverware for the Red Devils, although he managed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League play-offs.
