Republic of Ireland manager Martin ONeill had been heavily linked to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford on multiple occasions, but the closest he had come to the role was in 2001 following Sir Alex Fergusons announcement that he will step down at the end of the respective campaign. ONeill had recently won the domestic treble in Scotland with Celtic, a feat that had not been achieved since 1968, and was being tipped as the perfect replacement for the long-serving Scot. But Fergusons wife famously persuaded him to stay on with the Red Devils, as she didnt want him around the house all day, and the experienced boss rebuilt United (at least in the short term) and stayed on until 2013. Theres no doubt ONeill could have been a wise appointment at the club, with the Irishman having won eight trophies as manager, and that season he would go on to win the treble. It would have been perfect timing for new horizons in England, but it never happened for the 62-year-old, and ONeill stayed on at Celtic until 2005.
Crippy Cooke, 23, is a freelance Football Writer contributing to What Culture. He's had work featured on Zoo, MSN, London 24, The Telegraph, The Huffington Post, and was recently named Writer of the Year on FTBpro - while also a nominee for Best Male Blog in the Football Blogging Awards.
