I posted this in the Nasri thread but it also applies here
There's another side to this argument which has sort of become the elephant in the room...
lets take Sneijder for example... lets say he is wooed by Fergie and wants to sign for a team that are favored to win the league and have a very good shot at winning the CL in 2011/12.
... With Ferguson as manager...
Lets say we do win this season (or even if we don't) how many more seasons will Fergie be in charge. If you were making a long term commitment to a club, with its current manager being one of the main reasons you'd want to sign here... wouldn't it cross your mind that he won't be here beyond 2-3 seasons, at most? And for as much as we want to claim the club and all of its history and traditions is a reason for players to want to come here, so is playing for Fergie and what he has done at this club. How many of us thought he might step down if we'd have beaten Barca... I thought there was a chance.
post Fergie time at Old trafford will be one of transition, no matter who steps in here. This is where the City threat will be at its greatest, and their growth as a club is timing out with Fergie's last days here.
I think this does matter to a player who is thinking of choices when it relates to his long term future