On BBC Radio 5: Football What-If Alex Ferguson takes over at Arsenal in 1986

This what-if came up on Radio Five last night during a programme regards to the 1986 world Cup.
Jim Leighton Scotland's goal-keeper told the story how Alex Ferguson had been interviewed and agreed to become Arsenal's new Manager (Arsenal had sacked Don Howe towards the end of the previous season), Ferguson who was acting-Manager of Scotland was in Mexico. The stubbling block was that Arsenal wanted to make the announcement from Mexico but Ferguson refused saying it would take focus away from the job he was doing. Fellow scot George Graham who was then the Manager on Div 2 Millwall (but had only 4 years in management) had agrreed to become Ferguson's assistant. Of course without Ferguson Graham become Arsenal's Manager.
This not only impacts on Arsenal's history, but also Manchester United, assuming that Manchester United still have a bad to the start to the 86-87 season and sack Ron Atkinson as it happended I wonder who takes over at Old Trafford. Very interesting. As a football geek it was something I had never heard off.
 
Wow I hadn't heard this before either. Funnily enough i was thinking about starting a thread of what if Alex Ferguson had not won the FA cup in 1990 and was sacked because of the poor form in the league.

I think Arsenal would switch places with Utd in terms of success although I'm not sure they would have won as much as OTL Utd because they dont have the same funds available.

Possible other managers would possible include the choices previously to Atkinson, Lawrie McMenemy, Brian Clough and Bobby Robson.
 
Only alternative to Fergie that I could think of now, would be that dynamic young manager over @ Watford, Graham Taylor. Or Barca's own Terry Venables, if the money was right...

Graham Taylor wasn't a bad club manager, but the game moved on and he didn't keep up. El Tel would have been hilarious. Expect big money signings of anyone with a Cockney accent and a fake tan.
 
I can't see that Bobby Robson would have taken the Man U job. You could maybe look to the Mexico 86 World Cup and Robson was getting flack in the press early on in the tournament for England's shakey start. But they picked up and when England went out in the quarter finals all the focus was on Maradona and his 'Hand of God' goal rather than any blame being put on Robson.

The FA had no intention of Robson, and Robson wasn't unhappy, despite the tabloids printing photos of him by himself listening to a walkman, suggesting he was isolated (he recalls in his autobiography that he was relaxing and listening to Frank Sinatra tapes.)

Robson is loyal and sees seing out a contract in full as the honarable thing. The prime example is back in 1998. Despite winning the Copa del Rey and the European Cup Winners Cup with Barcelona and being voted European Manager of the Year in the 1996/97 season, Barcelona moved him to what was basically a glorified scout, with Louis Van Gaal coming in as Barcelona's new head coach. Newcastle got rid of Kenny Dalglish, who wasn't working out. They approached Robson, who was sorely tempted, but he turned the move down because he had another year on his contract at Barcelona and felt obliged to see it through.

That was a situation, where despite winning two major tropheys he was moved out the way, combined with the chance to his favourite team, it would have been understandable if he had left Barcelona. Many other managers under the same circumstances would have. But as a person he had to honour his contract. So I think you can rule Robson out of taking the Man U job in 1986.
 
Wow I hadn't heard this before either. Funnily enough i was thinking about starting a thread of what if Alex Ferguson had not won the FA cup in 1990 and was sacked because of the poor form in the league.

I think Arsenal would switch places with Utd in terms of success although I'm not sure they would have won as much as OTL Utd because they dont have the same funds available.

Possible other managers would possible include the choices previously to Atkinson, Lawrie McMenemy, Brian Clough and Bobby Robson.
The story was even on the Five Live sports news this morning!!!!
McMenemy was United's first choice in 1981, before Atkinson got the job, but by 1986 his career was on the wain. He was at Sunderland by this point, his first season at Roker Park had ended with the club just escaping relegation to Div 3 (old money), and would be sacked by Sunderland in late March 1987 and the team was relegated in May 1987.
Taylor would be the clear obvious choice, he was reaching almost ten years at Watford at this point, and would leave Watford in May 1987. He had been approached for the Spurs job that summer when the job went to David Pleat instead. Taylor would be United's best bet.
As for Ferguson losing his United job in 1990.... I think he would be kept until the end of that season. I can think of an obvious choice at at the point would be Former United favourite Steve Coppell, who was making a name for himself at Crystal Palace (without United in the 90 FA Cup, Coppell's Palace side would almost probably have won the Cup that year).
 
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