If Ferguson had said no to United, who would/could have replaced Ron Atkinson?

[Strachan8]

Amazing really that Ferguson's Aberdeen beat Real Madrid in a European final in 1983 and he was still with the club 3 years later.

Different times, but if a manager achieved anything like that with a Scottish club now, he'd be snapped up by a big English club that summer!

Spurs had come close. The treatment of Burkinshaw who had won the UEFA Cup had put Fergie off.

English clubs were banned from Europe post Heysel and players like Butcher were joining Souness at Rangers who would be biggest club in Britain for a few years till English clubs returned to Europe and Premier League formed. Cost of all seater stadiums post Hillsborough weighed heavily on all including big five in England whereas Aberdeen (had done it) and Rangers were pretty much done.

Hoddle and Hately were in Monaco whereas Steven would leave Rangers for Marseillle and Waddle would join from Spurs. Unthinkable for so many of England’s national team to be playing in France or Scotland.

Worth mentioning that in March 1987 Jim Mclean’s Dundee utd would beat Venables’ Barcelona (both Hughes and Lineker played) over two legs including at Nou Camp. For all the talk of Venables being such a great coach, he bottled it in Euroope with Barcelona including against Steau. Big Ron’s United had beaten a much better Dundee Utd team (with Richard Gough etc) a few years earlier in Europe.

 

[SirMattlives]

Speculation on Big Ron was rather drawn out (sound familiar?) which gave time for a few names to be mentioned. Certainly Tel was commonly included though I recall (with horror at the time) Graham Taylor. Robson was a regular name since Atkinson's appointment (which at the time had included mention of Clough as the man to sort us out, though he seemed not to be in the running by the time Ron was axed). I may be wrong but Billy McNeil seemed to be in some discussions although it's nearly 40 years ago so memory is not the most reliable.

 

[Monmouthshire Red]

Great background. I was only born in 87. How about Bobby Robson? I guess back then it would have been just as controversial were he to have left England especially after what Revie did although didn't he take enormous stick from the media?

Bobby Robson was considered before Atkinson but had agreed to take the England job. They also looked at Lawrie McMennemy but his wife wouldn't move north (ironically went to Sunderland not long after) and Ron Saunders from Villa who turned it down, so Big Ron was 4th choice.
Not idea who was on the shortlist along with SAF. I would imagine Howard Kendal would have been high up.
I also understand that if Fergie had have been sacked in the first few years then they would have gone for Steve Coppell who was doing very well with Crystal Palace at the time.