One of the most quoted post-retirement musings of Alex Feguson has been his belief that a great team has a cycle of just four years.
It was back in September 2013, just months after he stepped down after 27 years as Manchester United manager, when Ferguson was asked to hand over some of his tricks of the trade to the Harvard Business School.
"I believe that the cycle of a successful team lasts maybe four years and then some change is needed," he explained at the time. "So we tried to visualise the team three or four years ahead and make decisions accordingly. Because I was at United for such a long time, I could afford to plan ahead. I was very fortunate in that respect. The hardest thing is to let go of a player who has been a great guy – but all the evidence is on the field."
