The former Old Trafford manager has played for, coached or supported all the great United teams since the Second World War.

Wilf McGuinness answers your questions

A member of the legendary "Busby Babes" squad that won the First Division title, he served the club for no less than 17 years in various capacities.

As a player, he learned his craft under Sir Matt Busby and helped the club achieve its domination of the domestic scene in the 1950s.

But for a knee injury suffered a few days before, McGuinness would have been on the plane that crashed in Munich in 1958, killing eight of the squad.

Injury brought his playing career to an abrupt end at the age of 22, but he was invited by Busby to join the Old Trafford training staff.

He was an integral part of the United backroom team in the 1960s and was involved in the coaching of several England sides - including the 1966 World Cup squad.

In June 1969, when Busby took on a new role as director, McGuinness was appointed United manager.

He led the team to three cup semi-finals, but was unable to emulate the trophy-winning successes of his predecessor and in December 1970, after just 18 months in the job, he was relieved of the position.

A stint as United's reserve team coach followed, before he took up managerial posts in Greece and at York City.

Now a respected after-dinner speaker, McGuinness remains a passionate supporter and expert observer of Manchester United.

Read Wilf McGuinness's answers to your questions

Neil Reilly, Spain: Do you think Manchester United will beat Bayern Munich in the European Cup final without their midfield? Who should replace the suspended Roy Keane and Paul Scholes?

Wilf McGuinness: Without a doubt, this is going to be the hardest match of the season. This German team are so difficult to beat - we've played them twice in the Champions League and drawn twice. I'm looking forward to a tremendous match that Manchester United can win - but it's going to take a huge effort.

I think Nicky Butt is a must in midfield, and they may even surprise a few people by switching it around and bringing Ryan Giggs or Phil Neville into the middle and putting Jesper Blomqvist on the left.

They're going to have their work cut out because Steffen Effenberg is such a good player in midfield for Munich. But I'm very confident - because United have the defenders to keep them out and the forwards to score goals.

Robin Blacklock, Scotland: How good was Duncan Edwards? Did we lose potentially one of the greatest footballers of all time in the Munich air crash of 1958?

Wilf McGuinness: Yes, we definitely did lose one of the all-time greats. He died when he was just 21 years of age and what he'd done before that proved to those of us who knew him how great he was going to become. Someone like Bobby Charlton, who is one of England's best ever players, will tell you that in those days he wasn't fit to lick Duncan's boots.

Where Duncan was so good was that every time he had the ball he did the right thing with it - and then when the ball was lost he was the first to get it back. He was the complete player. Bryan Robson and Roy Keane are great players, they cover every blade of grass, and Duncan Edwards was similar to them only stronger in many ways.

James Brown, England: What will happen when Alex Ferguson retires? Could we not be looking at a situation similar to what happened with yourself once Sir Matt Busby left? Surely his success will be an enormous burden to his successor?

Wilf McGuinness: It will be very difficult for the next man - he's going to be compared with what Alex has done at Manchester United. I'm hoping it will be more than three years before this kind of decision has to be made.

It was a bit more difficult for me, because I came in as a 31-year-old who came from the reserve team and it was a bit too soon. I'd grown up with all the boys, played with most of them. Suddenly I had to pick the team, take the training and everything else - and that proved a bit more difficult!

Bernie Zakary, UK: I bet you're asked this all the time. Who is better and why, Alex Ferguson or Matt Busby?

Wilf McGuinness: Now that is a difficult question! The thing is they are very, very similar. Think of their youth policies and the way they run the club from top to bottom. But it was a lot different in the old days - sometimes Sir Matt was able to get home and spend time with his family. Whereas it's very difficult for the likes of Alex Ferguson, the pressure is so much greater these days, especially from the media.

They were very similar - they both had to be hard, managing such a big football club. Matt Busby was like a father figure, but when he needed to be hard, he was hard - and it came as more of a shock then because he was normally so gentle with you. When the decision had to be made he was wasn't frightened of making it for Manchester United.

And the same goes for Alex Ferguson - except with Alex you know right away he can be hard with you. When you get it from him you're expecting it. The big shock was when Matt Busby gave it you weren't expecting it - and it shook you up that little bit more.

Rodney Gray, Cyprus: If the current side win the treble will it prove they are the greatest United team of all time?

Wilf McGuinness: The way they've been playing, I see this as one of the wonderful United teams. Through the years we've had world-class players. Charlton, Law and Best were outstanding - the three of them all won European Player of the Year awards, and we've never had that at United since.

But this team is so reliable, with all these young players working together for each other. The bonding is there and I'm positive this will go down in years to come as United's greatest team.

Kevin Lim, Singapore: If the same four or five clubs challenge for the title every season and if the gap between the top and bottom teams is so wide, won't this take away much of the joy of watching English football?

Wilf McGuinness: Well it would if happens like that - but take my word for it, it doesn't. As we've seen this season, Aston Villa did so well under John Gregory before they slipped up, and David O'Leary took Leeds up the table. These are surprise teams who came and frightened the Chelseas, the Arsenals and the Man Uniteds.

In the end it's been a wonderful Premiership chase, so although I take the point I don't think it's always the case. It does switch round - Manchester United thought they'd got it last year, but they ended up winning nothing. You do get knocked off the pedestal and you've got to be very strong to stay up there?

Neil Moir, England: Do you think the reason George Best turned to drink was the decline of the team?

Wilf McGuinness: No, I think he turned to drink before that! George was without doubt a genius. But it was the time of the Beatles and he was the first footballer to be treated like a film star. He was a great looking guy and he had the kind of adulation that no-one had experienced before. We don't know how we'd handle it, so who are we to judge a lad in that position?

It was under Tommy Docherty's reign that George went completely. He used to disappear now and again for us - but he always came back! When I was there we had Charlton and Law and other great players and I think the club should have bought more players to strengthen the team. That disappointed George, that there were no world-class players to help him.

Amy Miller, England: How much of a part has money has had to play in the success of today's Manchester United team?

Wilf McGuinness: Not that much. Think of the players they've brought through, like the Nevilles, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs - all local lads brought up within eight miles of Old Trafford. And David Beckham has been with the club since he was 14. So when you talk about money, what Alex has done is buy people like Dwight Yorke and Jaap Stam - maybe paying over the odds because it is Manchester United. But money hasn't been the biggest thing. It's just helped to build on the great foundations they've had.

If you look at Chelsea, they're the ones who've lashed the money out. It isn't a bad thing doing that, but you've got to have a youth policy as well. I always believe you get more out of people you bring up at your own club.

H, UK: How much did you get paid when you played for Man United?

Wilf McGuinness: Well that isn't difficult to work out, because there was a limit then. I broke my leg when I was just 22 and became a trainer at the club and stayed there for 18 years. But the wage before I broke my leg was £22. Nobody could earn more than that, so a lot of smaller clubs, like Preston, Blackpool and Boton, kept their good players, because they couldn't earn more by going to bigger clubs.

I don't think the former players resent what they get paid now. Times have changed everywhere and it's all relative I think. We might wish we were playing now, but we've all got our memories.

Ryan Marais, South Africa: After being in the UK for two years I came to notice the hatred for Man United by fans of other teams. Is there anything behind this other than success?

Wilf McGuinness: I think it's largely down to success, but there are other reasons - they do get people's backs up. Maybe the odd player in the past has upset people - and maybe Fergie's done the same - but the thing is Manchester United players are just blinkered to the success of the club, and that's how they should be as professionals.

All the publicity they get doesn't help matters. People get fed up of it, unless they're United supporters, and I think that's the main reason. There's resentment of the publicity the team gets before they do things, but after they've done it I think people are prepared to admit they have a lot of qualities and do things in style. It's somebody to moan at and fans don't like people hogging trophies - it's nothing more than that.

On the other side of the coin, they got a lot of support from the sympathy following the accident in Munich, and quite rightly so. The whole world was hoping they'd bounce back, and they did. That caused the flow of sentiment towards Man United, and they've got more fans through way they played since, with the Charltons, Laws and Bests coming in and since then the Cantonas, Robsons and the rest. They've played in the right manner and that's been admired. But some people get a bit fed up of it and they want a change some times.

John McLeod, Britain: Has the club sufficiently recovered from Eric Cantona's departure?

Wilf McGuinness: Well, they've won the title this season, but let's not forget - and I'm sure we never will - Eric Cantona's contribution to Manchester United. He was the catalyst for the club, he opened the door. Without a doubt he was the one. People used to say they could never win anything without Eric - and quite rightly so, because when he was suspended they didn't win the trophies they should have done and last year they didn't win anything either. Now though they've got over that myth that was beginning to form.

Eric Cantonoa will always be remembered, but there were other players who played their part - Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce, Mark Hughes - so many wonderful players who helped return the club to greatness.

Richard West, England: Will United concede more goes after Peter Schmeichel leaves this summer?

Wilf McGuinness: I would think so, but as long as we score more we'll get there in the end! We mentioned Cantona, but for me Peter Schmeichel has been the Eric Cantona of the defence. Cantona created and scored goals, and Schmeichel stopped them. My favourite image of Schmeichel is of him making saves when people are clean through - they see this giant in front of them and think "Oh my goodness, I still can't score!" All the United fans and people who love great goalkeepers would thank him for his displays for Manchester United. He's been exceptional and I wish him well.

Nikki Davis, England: How hard was it to get trials for Manchester United?

Wilf McGuinness: The best way to get a trial is to play as well as you can. People say "Why go to Manchester United, you've no chance there". Well, the young players coming through have shown you've got a chance. I was at Bury for 11 years and the Nevilles used to come training there, because their dad was there, and people at Bury wanted them to sign. But they knew, the best thing to do was go to the best club. And if you do happen to fail, slip down a notch - then you can always join Arsenal!

Ben Jenkins, UK: Do you think you would have become a better manager if you had taken up your first managerial post away from Old Trafford? And did Brian Kidd make a wise decision in leaving United to take up a post at Blackburn, who have since been relegated?

Wilf McGuinness: Everyone who supports Man United and all the professionals in the game know that Brian Kidd has played a marvellous part in this wonderful spell with Alex Ferguson. He has been brilliant. I helped coach Brian in the early days and he was a lad with his own mind - he's not swayed by anybody. He's worked tremendously hard for United and I'm sure all the supporters will thank him. He's had disappointment now, but that makes people stronger and harder. It's a learning process and let's hope he and Blackburn bounce right back.

Brian felt Alex was going to last a long time and there were no guarantees he was going to be the next man and then this wonderful opportunity - it looked wonderful at the time, particularly financially - came up to go to Blackburn Rovers. And no one came blame him for taking that. It's a lot different being a manager to a coach, though, he'll tell you that. But it's all good experience for Brian and he feels if he'd waited longer he'd have missed the boat.

As for my own situation, when you get asked at the age of 31 to take over Manchester United, you don't say, "No, I'm too young." I had a wonderful career in the game, I played for England at every level from schoolboy up to full by the time I was 20. I made my debut at 17, I had a championship medal, I had it all going for me. But then after my injury I coached and trained and managed England's Under-18s, England's Under-23s, and I helped with the England World Cup squad of 1966 with Alf Ramsey. So I had good pedigree, but looking back I was a bit too young and there were grey areas that I wasn't able to come up with. But I wasn't going to turn it down. My only disappointment was I wasn't taken on as Sir Matt's number two for a longer period.

Roger, England: What happened to John Fitzpatrick after he left Man United?

Wilf McGuinness: Yes, played in the Sixties, a terrier-like wing-half who enjoyed a good tackle. Well, his knees and hips went and he went back to Aberdeen, where he was appearing on radio shows and I think had his own wholesale wine distributors. He's only recently had a hip replacement and the news I heard only this weekend, was that he was on the mend and walking better than ever.

Di Wei Ng, Malaysia: Should Manchester United bring in another world class midfielder? How about Parma's Dino Baggio or Zvonimar Boban of AC Milan?

Wilf McGuinness: They look class players at times, but sometimes they look like strollers as well. They're in the world class range, of course, but who would you pair with Roy Keane, who I think has shown this year is world class? Whether it's Nicky Butt or Paul Scholes, I'd stick with one of the young players who have come through the ranks. They always give everything to Manchester United and never, ever let the club down.