David Moyes expected to succeed Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager

The third-longest serving manager in England's top flight after Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, Moyes has a shrewd tactical ability and work ethic which have enabled Everton to compete towards the upper reaches of the league despite a relatively small budget.

Like Ferguson, Moyes was born in Glasgow and he appears to be cut from the same cloth. A ferocious stare demands respect from his players and, while clearly a strong leader, Moyes has also proved himself adaptable.

He took Everton into the top four in 2004-05 but lost in the final qualifying round of the Champions League. While never having won any silverware for Everton, Moyes has overseen consistent improvement and they challenged for the top four again this season.

"What we are looking for is not someone to come in 10 months or three years, we want someone to come stay there and give stability," former United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel said Wednesday. "When we talk about Moyes, he has been a decade at Everton and done a fantastic job on limited funds." 

Personality-wise Moyes would be a natural replacement for Ferguson but the downside is that he has never endured the kind of pressure associated with being in the hot seat at one of the world's biggest clubs.