Eric Cantona has always been an interesting character. Insightful, sharp and witty, when he speaks it’s best to take note.
At 44 the French man has assumed the role of Director of Football at reformed MLS franchise New York Cosmos and having again been thrust into the limelight it appears we are set to hear a few more words from ‘The King’ than we are used to.
In an interview he did with ESPN this week there were some real gems but one of the most interesting things he spoke on was the was the work of Sir Alex:
One of the great things that [Sir Alex] Ferguson did at Manchester United and still does is to make sure not everyone is the same. He wants to have strong personalities, which is important to win games, but look at the difference between Beckham and Keane or Neville and Solskjaer . I know many managers who want everyone to be the same because that is easier, but I like players who are not afraid to be themselves. What is most important is to make them feel comfortable, to give them the confidence so they feel free to express themselves. It works not just in football, but in life.
Thee are a number of other good points raised in the interview too including his take on how his United side would have done against this current incarnation of Barcelona as well as his thoughts on kicking Matthew Simmons. Makes for an interesting read and I definitely recommend it.
