Should he remain at the Old Trafford helm?

Ferguson, who changed his mind about quitting at the end of last season, is due to stand down as Old Trafford boss in two years.

His side finished trophy-less last year despite spending millions on new players, and are currently nine points behind League-leaders Arsenal.

It seems this has prompted Ferguson to consider staying on longer, in order to re-build his struggling squad.

Should he postpone his retirement once again?

Fergie should not stay on to rebuild - in actual fact he should go upstairs now before things become even more embarrassing for him and the team. If we are talking of rebuilding then surely that must start from the manager. New blood in the hot-seat, leading to new ideas and a hopefully an improvement in the sharpness and desire of the side.

Don't get me wrong, Fergie has done wonders for us and I will forever be indebted to him for the glory he has brought my team. But I feel now is the time for change and for him to move on.
Dean Vincent, England

Yes, please stay on so Arsene's Army can prove that you're finished. The reason United have fallen is because Fergie has stayed on past his sell-by date.

You can't deny what he did for Man Utd over the years, but nothing lasts forever and it's time for some new blood to step in. There isn't anything more he can achieve as he has won every trophy, so the desire has now gone.
EJP (Gooner), England

Supremacy without change only lasts so long. Every team has a lifespan, and this one has reached its sell by date. Sir Alex has already built three teams which have swept all before them. Why not a fourth?

Remember when he sold Ince and promoted a load of youngsters? Everyone said he was mad. So let's hope Fergie stays and see whether Arsenal fans really find it that enjoyable.
Chris, Belgium

He should stay - we don't want Man United getting good again, do we? Besides which, the brilliant Seth Johnson might be available for �30m next year if Ferguson is interested.
Stewart Stirk, Leeds

Letting go of an icon will be difficult for United, but Ferguson must go for the sake of the team. At best, he is a good experienced manager of an exceptional team, which has made him look good for several years now.

If he belongs in the Premiership it would be with a lower order team. United have outstanding talent, and if they are to achieve their potential they need a manager who knows modern football and who can manage his bench.
Doug Smith, Canada/UK

It depends what he's going to do if he stays on. If we're just going to see another two big money signings who aren't worth half of what was paid for them, then no, he should retire now and give someone else a go.

If he plans to get rid of the players that aren't doing a job for the team anymore and replace them with youngsters, I'd be happy to support him through a couple of barren seasons to see a new side make some progress.

Ultimately, it's obvious that Fergie doesn't want to go out as a loser - he wants to do what Schmeichel and Cantona did so well and leave at the top. It's a question of motivation really. At the moment nobody's scared of Fergie anymore. There's no backlash from the players when they lose, and they're never up for the big games.

Liverpool? Man City? Arsenal? We just never seem to care whether we win or lose, and whether he stays or not depends very much on him getting that drive and hunger back in to the players - whoever they turn out to be.
Alex Allen, England

Fergie was a great manager. He brought the team from a 'so so' side that would dominate the Premiership for a decade. He is, however, losing his touch. He has a team full of world-class talent that just cannot hit points when it counts.

He is not solely to blame. They have had their injury problems this season and it hasn't ended yet, with Beckham and Rio on the treatment table. But it is time he hung up his coat and let some new blood into his seat.
Nick, England

Fergie should definitely stay - no question. He is the one of the best, most successful managers that football has ever had. To lose a man of his calibre would be a tragedy to football. Bobby Robson is almost 70, and he still manages successfully with Newcastle.

People like to give Fergie grief because he is the best in the business, and they are jealous that they have not got a manager of such stature. Even if Alex Ferguson goes in two years, his legacy will live on at Manchester United and his name will be chanted from the terraces for decades. Long live Sir Alex Ferguson.
Martin Abrams, Manchester, England

Another Premiership game, another below-par result from the ailing stars of the 1990s. I know West Ham are no pushovers and Man Utd were depleted, but there comes a time when every manager has to know when to walk away. He must read the warning signs and make the right decision.

Ferguson must retire soon, or risk damaging his current reputation. With Roy Keane as manager, United would have fresh vigour pumping round their veins. Maybe Keane is the next Dalglesh - give him a chance to redeem his tarnished reputation by turning the club around.
Lorna Mickelstaff, Dunfermline, Scotland

I agree with most people here. He's had an amazing bunch of youth players and can virtually go out and buy anyone he likes. A decent manager in charge at United would see them winning most things. But as a Liverpool fan, yeah, I'd love him to stay on.
Alex, UK

I cannot believe what I am reading. Firstly, to the Arsenal fan: go and win the European Cup before you start making observations about Fergie.

Thirdly, United are fifth in the Premiership and through to the semi-finals of the second phase of the Champions League - I make that just one group exit from eleven groups in the Champions League in the last decade. Fergie can stay for the next decade for me. A United legend.
Nick, England

I think Alex Ferguson should leave Manchester United and manage Scotland. United need new blood from a managerial point of view, and so do Scotland. Fergie's country needs him more than the club.
Si, UK

As an Arsenal fan, I would be delighted for Fergie to stay on.
Keith Waller, England

To be quite honest, I really do not see the board at Old Trafford giving him the option of staying on. He should have left, as planned, at the end of last season.
J Salusbury, Turkey

Of course Sir Alex should stay. I'll not be the least surprised if he stays on another three or four years.
Erik Levin, Denmark

Ferguson was, and still is a lucky manager. He timed his run of glory with the emergence of several good young players at Man Utd. He was lucky to still be the manager then, as his record for them was poor prior to that. The team of 'kids' more or less managed themselves.

Now he has to do the 'real' managerial tasks he fails miserably. For example, controlling wild players (Cantona, Keane), transfer success (Veron, Jordi, Forlan etc) and off-the-field dealings.

He lets his players get away with anything, controls their International appearances according to his agenda, and never publicly condemns them - no matter how bad the incident. In summary - retire now, as your luck has ran out.
Asif, UK

Fergie will regret staying on too long, just as Cloughie did at Forest. United won't go down or anything like that, but it will tarnish Fergie's record to go out with no trophies.

That decision to stay has changed football history. It has spelled the end for United's period of dominance and probably stopped Eriksson from taking over. What if...
Alf, England

Ferguson should go. He's already running the risk of losing all the respect he has earned over the years. He should do a runner now and let Man Utd be someone else's Failure.
Leon, UK

Give it a rest, Fergie! He has failed to galvanise a team that is full of world-class players. Something has changed at Old Trafford. Perhaps, after over a decade at the helm, his management is going stale. Time to hand the reins to someone with a fresh outlook, who will bring the team up to the level demanded by its enormous fan-base.
Graham, England

I don't know about him staying on. I have a feeling that if he fails to win anything this year it will be taken out of his hands and he will be sacked. Maybe he has gone on too long and should have retired at the end of last season.

He has made some big blunders in the transfer market in recent years - Veron being the biggest - but seems unable to motivate the players like he used to. At their best, Man Utd would win, not just by talent but by attitude, but that seems to be disappearing.

He has been a great manager but now is the time to pass the torch to someone else - probably Martin O'Neill.
Pete, Hull, England