Manchester United has dominated English football for the past two decades. They are set to continue their rule over the rest of the sport’s elite for many more years to come. This is the outcome of sound club management, a result of hard work put in by Alex Ferguson. He is the longest serving manager in club history.

The Red Devils’ superiority in English football has also been shaped by a number of key players that have been nurtured or signed during Ferguson’s reign. It is a tribute to the Scottish manager's eye for talent that no other team has ever come close to beating Manchester United down from its pedestal for long. Chelsea managed to replace them as champions for two straight seasons, but that also never lasted as Jose Mourinho left his post not long after.

Eric Cantona was perhaps the first key signing that Ferguson made at Manchester United. There were others who came before him and helped stabilize the club during turbulent times. But it was the mercurial Frenchman who helped deliver the first few pieces of silverware that the club and Ferguson had wanted so badly, including selling lots of Manchester United jerseys. The arrival of Cantona also signaled a major shift of power in English football, as Manchester United took over from Liverpool as the dominant team for years to come.

Paul Scholes was a local lad and a Manchester United fan through and through. With him came a whole host of local players that graduated from the club’s academy, and were thus named Ferguson’s Fledglings. Together with the Welsh winged wizard Ryan Giggs and Eric Cantona, Paul Scholes formed the most powerful midfield the English game had seen up till then.

Many clubs with extended success were always led by a dependable goalkeeper. Manchester United was no different. Peter Schmeichel was their choice and the Dane was most famous for scoring goals from corners and penalties, as well as collecting crosses with one hand. To illustrate his abilities, Schmeichel was also instrumental in helping Denmark lift the European Championships during his prime.

Many of these key players were durable and played for the club for many years. It was also interesting to note that the club's fortunes declined momentarily when the players suffered with form or retired from the game. Manchester United's standards declined slightly for a couple of years, but that poor form did not last for long.

Recent years have seen the emergence of the Portuguese winger Ronaldo. The player was spotted by other Manchester United players during an off-season club tour in Portugal. The coaching staff have polished the raw diamond into a complete player, as shown by his achievements in winning World Player awards the past year.

Ferguson has continued to recruit young talent as he builds the club for future and long term success. There are many more players that are potentially the next big thing at the club, such as Berbatov and Anderson. But what is most important is that this stable of exciting players are bound to keep the club at the top of the heap for many more years to come.