"United ready for life after Fergie"

Posted on | Sunday, July 31, 2011 | No Comments

Manchester United, David Gill, chief executive insists that the club has plans in place for life after Sir Alex Ferguson.

Ferguson begins his 25th season at Old Trafford and will celebrate its 70th anniversary on December 31.

The Scot made it clear that retirement is the last thing on his mind and his intention to remain as a director for the Kingdom, whenever possible.

But Gill insists the club do not take anything for granted and is ready for the day when Ferguson finally retires.

"There is no crisis. It 'clearly a turning point in the club, and we must be ready," he told the Guardian newspaper.

"I will coordinate the process, but of course I will take a great importance to what he [Ferguson] said and what they say other key people in the club.

"The owners have a clear vision. All these things come together.

"It would be a collective body, not a great body, but we would all entries to make sure we make the necessary choices."

"We never discuss it [retirement of Sir Alex], put it that way. He delegates well and keeps youth football."

At the same time, Gill has criticized the fans who continue to oppose the Glazer family's ownership of Manchester United, but believes that the majority of the fans 'trust' is now home owners in Florida.

He added: "We will never win [more] people.

"If we won four European Cups in a row, there will be people who do not like the owners and what they represent.

"People here were anti-Glazer before.

"But we run the club for most of the millions of fans around the world who believe that the club is moving in the right direction.

"The minority - MUST [Fund Manchester United Supporters'], etc. - will always be against it, but most can not be satisfied with the season he had in [Glazer].

"Green and Gold campaign has not completely disappeared, but she calmed down dramatically in the last season and we go."

Manchester United will begin their season at home against local rivals Manchester City in the Community Shield on 7 August, before opening the defense of their Premier League title at West Bromwich Albion a week later.