A Manager may not be the most important person in a football team. But former Manchester United defender Gary Pallister, who played under Sir Alex Ferguson for almost nine years (1989-98), believes that despite a change of guard at Old Trafford, the reigning English Premier league champion side boasts of several talented and experienced players who will be of great help for new manager David Moyes.
Ferguson’s 27 years at the helm of United ended after the master tactician Scot hung up his boots and advised the club administration to replace him with David Moyes.
Pallister, who appeared for the much-fancied club in 437 matches and was one of its success stories during the 90s, said Moyes will achieve success.
“He did a phenomenal job at Everton and I think he will be a success at Manchester United as well. It won’t be easy to replace Sir Alex Ferguson. But he has the experience and maturity to handle new and different environments. I think he is the right man to take over for Ferguson.
“But to add to that, he will work with a great bunch of talented and experienced guys at the club who know what it takes to win and that will help him settle. He will experience new things. Pressure at Old Trafford will be much different than at Everton and he will have to deal with it,” Pallister, who retired in 2001, said on Tuesday’s 2013 leg of ‘Airtel Rising Stars’ soccer talent hunt kick off event at a city hotel.
Pallister also believes that the appointment of Ryan Giggs as player-coach and Phil Neville as first team coach will also help Moyes.
“Moyes will have his own backroom staff. So, these guys, who were great players for the club, will help Moyes in maintaining continuity in matters of team management.”
Asked if appointment of a new manager lessens United’s chances in the upcoming season, Pallister, who started and ended his club career playing for Middlesbrough, said, “It’s about keeping the players motivated and he will do that. If players perform like last season they will definitely win the EPl once again and don’t forget that Manchester City and Chelsea also have new managers.”
Goal-line technology is going to be introduced this season in EPl. The 48-year-old Pallister, who played 22 international matches for England, feels it should have been done earlier.
In the Airtel Rising Star (ARS), in the first edition, 11 kids were selected from thousands to train at United under the guidance of the youth coaches at ManU.
This edition will see 21 players to be selected from Inter-School ARS tournament in metros and cities. Apart from the ARS tournament, seven players will be chosen via a trial of candidates coming from on-line registration. Two goalkeepers will add to the list of 28 players who will be strikers, defenders and mid-fielders.