Longer it goes on the more I think its gonna be Ferguson. If we had announced him straight away, the plotters would've complained that it showed we have no plan, regardless of facts, and it would've been assumed we hadn't looked and/or had no ambition.
By taking a couple of weeks, interviewing potential candidates we have ended up making the appointment sound like a best case scenario in face of alternatives. We release a statement saying that after careful consideration and after interviewing a number of potential managers, none of them shared the vision of the board at this time and that as Pre season fast approaches, Duncan will take charge in an interim capacity. We will continue to look for a long term replacement for Ancelotti, but for the time being we are pleased to announce Ferguson will take the reigns with immediate effect and will work closely with Marcel Brands in developing the squad for the coming season.
All things considered, he ticks a number of boxes. He has done the job before, albeit briefly, and knows the club inside out. He has already established good working relationships with everyone at the club. He knows the squad as good as anyone, having worked with them for best part of 6 years, so there's no need for months of assessments and more time to adjust and bed in.
He is loyal, committed, a natural charismatic leader and has the clubs ambitions along with his own. Players and fans love him and look up to him. And the fact we are trying to move forward with the DOF model, he wouldn't have to worry about transfers etc.
Appointing anyone at this stage, to replace a name like Ancelotti, is going to be problematic. You would struggle to get anyone with a comparable CV or reputation without spending even more and hoping they don't walk in a years time when a bigger job comes around. Anyone lesser is a gamble with some big shoes to fill and a very difficult crowd to win over.
Ferguson on an interim basis means we can assess his performance as we go without committing to a huge contract that we have to pay off it it doesn't work. It means we can legitimately keep our options open if the right man should become available, or if we are struggling, we can appoint someone with little fuss. But if its working, there is no need to rush into an appointment that is wrong but convenient. He would also be gaining valuable experience all the time and it's a good test of his abilities over a longer period. Essentially, it's the equivalent of a Loan before you buy but for a manager.
If no one is named by the end of this week, I can see this being announced. And I for 1 would be happy with it, especially in the face of the other realistic options available.
