shareholders will turn to if they succeed in their campaign
to dethrone Sir Alex Ferguson. The Times has learnt that the
Celtic manager’s name figures prominently in an ambitious
battle plan drawn up by John Magnier and J. P. McManus as
they prepare to launch a revolution designed to overthrow
the Old Trafford establishment, with Ferguson the most
notable of several high-profile targets.
‘Magnier and McManus, who own a 25.49 per cent stake in
United, recognise that such a scheme is months, possibly
years, from fruition, but they believe that the seeds have
been sown in the form of a series of letters they sent to
Sir Roy Gardner, the United plc chairman. Sources close to
the Irish duo suggest that, while aware of the acrimony that
such a move would cause, they view the removal of Ferguson,
the most successful manager in British football, and his
replacement by O’Neill as a change that would benefit the
club.
‘The next step, which may not happen until United have
concluded an internal review of their recent transfer deals,
would be to call an extraordinary general meeting, at which
they would be confident of winning the necessary support to
have a representative elected to the club’s plc board.
‘Associates of Magnier and McManus are widely believed to
have been behind a number of recent reports that have raised
concerns about the involvement of agents in various transfer
deals.
‘O’Neill has not been approached by Magnier or any of his
representatives but, while reports continue to link him with
the vacancy at Tottenham Hotspur or any future opening at
Liverpool, an invitation to succeed Ferguson, even in such
controversial circumstances, would be hard to resist. A
fascinating subplot would surround Dermot Desmond, the
multimillionaire owner of Celtic, who, intriguingly, owns
just under 3 per cent of United and whose support Magnier
and McManus expect in other areas over the coming months.
‘Ferguson can count on the unswerving support of the United
board and supporters, but two wealthy shareholders with an
almighty grudge believe that they carry more sway than any
of them.’