Sammy McIlroy has seen it all when it comes to Manchester United's attempts to replace a manager who molded the club around his own personality.

They signed the Northern Irishman as Sir Matt Busby's last professional player. Then he spent 11 years at Manchester United as other managers failed to live up to Busby's legacy.

It was only until the arrival of Sir Alex Ferguson that the curse of succeeding Busby was lifted from McIlroy's shoulders at Old Trafford. We're living in a time loop.

In 1971, Busby's second tenure as Manchester United manager ended, and Ferguson was the fifth permanent manager to succeed him. United are now on their fifth try to find a successor to Busby, who has a stand named after him, a statue outside the stadium, and a seat in the directors' box.

When it comes to the Ryder Cup, McIlroy has been watching everything unfold from the stands rather being on the field, as an analyst for MUTV and a frequent matchday presenter in corporate boxes, and he is clear about what the focus should be this summer.

According to the Manchester Evening News, "personality is a huge factor for me today as a manager; they need to have a strong personality but they must also have experience, European experience, a winner, a man with a vision who understands what United's history is all about."

In order to win games, you must also be entertaining to the other players. A manager must enter the club with the understanding that it is all about winning trophies, entertaining, and dealing with pressure.

"Although it appears to be a good thing to be on the outside looking in and thinking 'it's Manchester United, they have a long and illustrious history,' once you get inside you realize what it's all about and it can consume you. Having the ability to deal with pressure on a continuous basis is essential."

There are plenty of managers who can attest to the fact that this is a club that can eat its managers and then spit them right back out. However, despite the fact that United have won a record-breaking 20 English titles, only three managers have ever lifted the Premier League trophy at Old Trafford, with the most recent of these having achieved the feat more than a century ago.

At this club, only Busby and Ferguson can claim to be outliers. Those in the old boys club that have a larger membership are the ones who only have horror stories to share about how difficult the work is.

What this summer's savior will have to deal with is that. An insatiable desire for success from a fanbase that has grown tired of the drought that has lasted nine years weigh heavily on this team.

McIlroy has reservations about Erik ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino, the two men leading the selection process, because there isn't a clear choice.

"Perhaps 18 months ago, Pochettino was considered a heavy favorite, but after seeing his record at PSG, I'm not so sure now. A year and a half ago, I would have agreed, but I'm not sure today "McIlroy made the remarks while promoting his new book, The Last Busby Babe.

"Is Ten Hag satisfied with his accomplishments? I'm not sure what to say. My heart isn't really in it, so I can't just lay my palm on it and say, "Go get him." There's no one that stands out to me as a sure thing, someone who makes me think, "Go get him."" I believe that the next decision we make will be one of the most significant we will make in a long period of time. It is hoped that when the manager arrives, he will have enough time to put things up and ensure that the team is successful. Hopefully, we will be able to get an experienced individual who will be able to handle everything, which I believe we will require.

It's important to believe that things will begin to turn around in two or three years if we choose the right man, whoever that may be. However, with a club like United, they will undoubtedly come under pressure at some point."