Eric Cantona » Manchester United

Vote for Cantona in Greatest Manchester United XI

Linus — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:22:00 +0000

The official Manchester United website is currently running a competition for fans to vote for the Manchester United Greatest Ever XI. Vote for Eric Cantona as the greatest Manchester United forward!

The competition will run from 11 August to 1 September, with five polls in which you can choose from a shortlist for each position to make up your all-time Reds XI: goalkeeper and centre-backs, full-backs, central midfielders, wingers, and forwards. Cantona is under the “forwards” category.

The line-up that fans select will be featured on an official, four-disc DVD collection, which will be released on 14 November. Voters will automatically be entered into a draw to win a money-can’t-buy prize.

The box-set will feature fans making the case for their picks and reliving memories of mighty performances on the pitch, alongside expert analysis from a panel of pundits and a detailed look at the club’s most memorable players.

Greatest Ever XI on ManUtd.com

Cantona urges Sir Alex Ferguson to buy Sneijder

Linus — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:13:21 +0000

Eric Cantona has urged Sir Alex Ferguson to buy Wesley Sneijder saying the Inter Milan player ‘reminds me of myself’.

“He is what Manchester United needs. There’s no-one like him right now,” said Cantona, speaking at the launch of a book for the New York Cosmos.

“He’s strong. Sometimes he reminds me of myself.”

Evra: Cantona opened the door for French players

Linus — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:00:46 +0000

Patrice Evra has thanked former Eric Cantona for “opening the door” to French players at Manchester United.

Cantona became the club’s first French player when he made the switch from Leeds in 1992, and became a fan favourite in the five years he spent at Old Trafford.

Evra remembers watching Cantona on television in France, and believes the striker paved the way for French players to succeed at United.

“I already knew Cantona was ‘The King’, but I really discovered who he was when I arrived here,” Evra told the club’s official website, manutd.com.

“He is a legend. If French football players like me succeed at United, it is him who first opened the doors for us. We will never thank him enough for that.”

“During my first season, I watched lots of Eric’s DVDs and told myself, ‘You now know what the United fans are expecting from the French players’.”

Since Cantona first appeared for United, a further eight French players – William Prunier, Mikael Silvestre, Fabien Barthez, Laurent Blanc, David Bellion, Louis Saha, Patrice Evra and Gabriel Obertan – have turned out for the club.

Neville: Every fan respects Cantona for kung-fu kick

Linus — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 07:15:38 +0000

Gary Neville believes football fans have nothing but respect for the way Eric Cantona unleashed his kung-fu kick on terrace boo boys.

At the end of a week when Wayne Rooney earned himself a two-match ban for using foul language after scoring a hat-trick, Neville recalled the night 16 years ago when Cantona floored Crystal Palace fan Matthew Simmons with a kung-fu kick.

Neville said: “If you asked 100 per cent of football fans – and not just United fans – what they now think about that incident they probably respect Eric for doing what he did.

“Supporters think, ‘well yeah, he was having a go, he was criticising’, and I believe Eric now gets a level of respect for reacting like he did.

“It was all about passion and emotion. Alright, you can’t condone a player going into the stands and doing what Eric did.

“But the reality is that’s real life. That’s what football is. You’re going to get that forever more.”

Cantona: Bruce can Succeed Sir Alex Ferguson

Linus — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:22 +0000

Eric Cantona has mentioned in previous interviews he would not rule out returning to Manchester United one day, and his passion for the club where fans still sing his name remain undiminished. However, the former Red Devils legend is clear on who he believes should succeed Sir Alex Ferguson once he retires.

In an interview with The New Paper at the Four Seasons hotel last Thursday, Cantona explained why he thinks the hot seat should be filled by his former teammate.

“United, as you know, are such a big club. I think after Ferguson, maybe a few years after he leaves, it will be a difficult time. But maybe less difficult if someone comes in who knows the club.”

When asked whether he was talking about himself, the answer was forthright, “No, no, no.”

“It should be somebody like Steve Bruce, who does a great job for Sunderland and was a captain when I was there. I think it would be easier for him, even though it would be difficult because Ferguson is Ferguson. But less difficult if someone who knows the club and Bruce knows the club.”

Steve Bruce, 50, the current Sunderland manager, has managed six clubs since starting as a player-manager at Sheffield United and was Cantona’s team-mate as they lifted United’s first title in over 26 years.

Cantona was quick to deny whether he himself would be interested in the Manchester United job, indicating that he had just returned to football with an important role.

“Why not me? Because I am involved with the Cosmos and it is a great project. I really like it and I am very passionate about it. And I want to work 100 per cent on it as I always do. When I do something I focus on that and I give everything I can.”

Finally, the question all Manchester United fans want to know – whether he would consider managing Manchester United.

“Yes, of course. It is a great club.”

Cantona: Giggs is Great

Linus — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 16:07:52 +0000

Eric Cantona was at the Singapore Sports School today and fielded a couple of questions from journalists regarding Sir Alex Ferguson and Ryan Giggs.

“He is a great player (Giggs) and he is a great man too. He was there when I arrived in Manchester. He was already a player in the first team, he was 17, so I admire him, I admire a player who can stay in the same club for so long, maybe because Manchester is a special club,” Cantona said.

“But there are just a few players like (Paolo) Maldini and I don’t know, Bobby Charlton, players like this, who can stay so long at the highest level for more than 20 years. It is unbelievable.”

Cantona also praised Sir Alex Ferguson as one of the best tacticians in the world, and admitted replacing him at Old Trafford would be an almost impossible task.

“Alex Ferguson is at the club, he is successful, he is unbelievable, he is one of the best managers in all time, in the world. He is still successful, he adapts to all kinds of generations, it is unbelievable,” he said.

“So I think after him it will be difficult, Manchester United is one of the biggest clubs in the world, so it will be always one of the biggest clubs in the world, but when he stops after, for a few years I think it will be a bit difficult.”

Cantona had earlier refused to rule out a return to Manchester United when Sir Alex Ferguson eventually retires.

Cantona Refuses to Rule Out Manchester United Return

Linus — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:13:13 +0000

Eric Cantona made a surprise return with the New York Cosmos in January, after more than 14 years out of the game. The dying question undoubtedly by Manchester United fans around the World were – would he one day return to Manchester United as manager?

He spoke at great length about his admiration for Sir Alex Ferguson, and undoubtedly the passion for the club and the fans who made him their KING still runs deep within.

“He is one of the greatest of all time all around the world. For more than 20 years he has stayed at the same club with different generations of players.

“I admire him. He is a great psychologist. he adapts himself to all generations of players. He is a kind of genius.

“I learned from him, but now I am a free bird with my own wings. Now I am involved with New York Cosmos.

He refused to rule out a return though, when asked whether he would make a return to Old Trafford when Sir Alex Ferguson eventually retires.

“But we will see in the future.”

Cantona Interview: New York Cosmos, ‘Gandhi’ Ferguson and more

Linus — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:50:10 +0000

Were there aspects of your professional football career that prepared you for your life as an actor?
I’ve always wanted to act. On the pitch, it’s a kind of acting. First you learn to walk, then you find your spontaneity.

You were very theatrical on the field in so many ways. Is it something oh so French?
Was it theater? Yes. Old Trafford is the Theater of Dream. Sometimes people ask me different questions about players and acting. I started to think about it and there is a lot and found a lot of similarities. It’s not just a game, you play on the set, the pitch. I’ve always wanted to play and see beautiful football, but winning was always very important.

Who are your favorite directors?
[Jean-Luc] Godard is one. Fabulous. Today, Jérôme Bonnell, who is not very well known, even in France. He’s very good. His films are very special. I’ve never worked with him, but admire his films.

You were the star, the alter ego in the recent film “Looking for Eric.” It looked like a perfect role for you.
I wanted to do the movie and [director] Ken Loach was on our list. I met with him and he was very happy with the possibility to work on the same story. If you ask 100 directors you will get 100 different films. But our ideas were very close with Ken Loach. I was very happy with the film. I got to meet all these people and, of course, he was a wonderful director. It was most important to work with great people. There was humility and humanity.

What do you think the biggest change in the game has been since you last played for Manchester United?
Many things have changed, that’s expected. I think that TV is involved more and more. With the sponsors, there’s more and more money. The players are in the middle, and they take their part.

I think there is talk of this every time. In my time, people said players earned too much money. But me, when I was a child, I just dreamed of playing, being the best player and playing for the best team. I became very rich through football. I’ve got my memories of great moments with great clubs.

What were some of your greatest moments in the game?
They were all with United. With United, I played my best level, when I was between 26 and 30. I spent my best years at Manchester United with some of the world’s greatest players. [Alex] Ferguson is one of the best managers of all time. I was very lucky. And it was the type of game that United played, yes, winning, but it was something I enjoyed.

For me, the greatest moment was when we won the double [the Premier League and F.A. Cup titles in 1995-96] with a new generation of young players

You were among the first wave of players from outside Britain to star in the Premier League. Was it a challenge?
Well, for example, when I first went to England I spent a week on trial with Sheffield Wednesday. I thought I was there to sign a contract, but after a week on trial with Wednesday they asked me to stay for one more week. I mean, I had already played for France, how can you imagine playing for France and having to stay on trial with Wednesday? In this time, no one knows French players and no one cared. I don’t think that people realize how it was in that time for a foreigner in England.

English football at the time thought it didn’t need foreign players. It was a kind of arrogance. The worst thing is to one day realize that maybe you need foreign players to succeed. Now I think there are too many, it’s the opposite. Too many foreign players in the clubs, and I think the clubs should work for the national team. With me and the Cosmos, we work hard with the academies working for the club and for the national team.

I’ve seen some stories that said you are staying away from Manchester United until the Glazers are no longer the owners. Is that true?
All I will say is that I think Ferugson will stay as the manager, after that, there will be more problems. Today, he is like Gandhi on the game side.

Are there any entertainers in the game today who have your attention?
I don’t want to sound like an old man. In every generation, you have players you think are the best players with a strong personality. If you have that strong personality you are an entertainer, but now, with different attitudes. But somebody quiet can be charismatic and can be an entertainer, like [Lionel] Messi.

Which players and which teams do you like to watch now?
I prefer to say Barcelona and Manchester United. As teams, they are entertaining.

With Manchester, I prefer to say, to think, to realize that Ferguson is a kind of genius. He had so many different generations of players now. He’s 70 and works with players 18 years old but adapts himself to all generations. This one is especially different. With [Dimitar] Berbatov, he worked hard and waited because he knew he had a great player.

Ferguson takes strong personalities and works with them psychologically. It is very important. It worked for me, 100 percent. It was for the team. I accepted everything because he gave me freedom on the pitch. He gave me the No. 7 shirt and it became important to me though I might not have realized its importance in the beginning. I never felt the pressure. He had a kind of confidence in me to give me the No. 7. It was an honor.

Other than playing in the Beach Soccer World Cup, you have basically been out of the game for the last 14, 15 years. How did you get interested in joining this Cosmos project?
Around Christmastime, the club called my brother, who works with me, and explained they wanted me to be part of their project. I knew the story of the club. It is very important for me. I didn’t want to go if the idea for the club is different from what it was. I liked the project. I have a strong image of this club, that it was something special in football that was a mixture of everything.

I like this idea of player development here and I think there are many, many players now in the U.S. I’m sure that before 20 years the U.S. will win the World Cup because players like Franz Beckenbauer and Pelé came here. Young players started to look after them and became interested in the sport and started to play soccer. I don’t think they get enough credit for the great job for development of the sport they did here. I think the Cosmos helped people realize that football could be an art form.

You truly believe the U.S. will win the World Cup within 20 years?
Yes. I am sure. The U.S. wins the World Cup and the Cosmos will do a great job in the academies and give the national team its best players. We already have good players in the academy, I’ve seen kids 8, 9 years old that are great. There are 18 million kids playing soccer in the U.S.

The U.S. played very, very well in the World Cup in South Africa. They are not ready to win a World Cup now, but I think they have improved every time. Now they are quicker and better skilled than in previous years. And yes, I believe they will win the World Cup.
Q.

You are among a number of players who, like George Best, never got to represent their country in the World Cup. Is that a source of disappointment for you?
I achieved a lot of things in my career and I cannot think about the disappointments. I prefer to think about the good things and I had a lot. When I started to play, I wanted to win everything, but then you realize you cannot. What is most important is to try and win and play your best game every time. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you don’t give 100 percent. Sometimes you’re lucky. Sometimes not. Luck is important.

What does this job with the Cosmos mean to you?
It’s about creating something. I have my own vision of the game and will try to bring it here and win. Ajax in the ’70s created something. [Johan] Cryuff at Barcelona created something, a new revolution. The Cosmos can create something, too, that’s never been seen. Every 20, 30 years there is a new movement. You have to look to history and take inspiration from things and use them to create your own future. I came here with this kind of idea.

It is about the style of coaching and young players. We want to be successful and to do that you need to be physical, technical and the best mentally. To have tactics that nobody can understand. It took so many years for people to understand Cruyff at Barcelona because the first season he got there he didn’t use an attacking player up front. There were people on the wings up front and up until then he was the only one in history to do that.

He played to his style and made the other teams adapt. It means you control the game.

You are coming here with those ideas in mind, but how much do you know about M.L.S. and the way it works? And does any lack of knowledge worry you? Of course, this is all assuming that the Cosmos end up with a team in the league.

Yes, I don’t know M.L.S. very well, but I have Cobi [Jones] with the Cosmos and he’s a resource. I want to learn more about the league and will work very hard, watching games, tapes. And I think I will know very well and quickly. I realize I need to learn things.

I think he was surprised by the player I was and became because no one knew what to expect from me. It’s better to surprise. Otherwise it becomes boring.

Cantona dismisses Manchester City’s title challenge

Linus — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:00:42 +0000

Eric Cantona has dismissed Manchester City’s Premier League title bid, despite their colossal spending spree this summer.

Cantona had a good spell playing against the Blues during his playing days for United but their new found financial might could mean they would be ready to mount a challenge for the Premier League title. While Sir Alex Ferguson has so far only bought youngsters Javier Hernandez and Chris Smalling, Roberto Mancini has already signed David Silva, Yaya Toure and Jerome Boateng & Kolarov — with more signings expected.

Cantona insisted that Manchester City remained off the pace – referring to Michael Owen and Paul Scholes’ last minute winners in meetings between the two sides last season.

“If they (City) play a game against United for 89 minutes, maybe they’ll have a chance!” Cantona joked.”

“But I think United have a team that is experienced and they have young players also – they still work on young players.”

“Chelsea don’t look so good, Liverpool seem to have problems. Arsenal? Maybe.”

Cantona Back At United

Linus — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:59:28 +0000

Spotted at: Manchester, England

For: Visiting Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United’s training ground, Carrington.

Cantona was reunited with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson on Monday.

The Frenchman was in town and took the opportunity to pay his old boss a visit at United’s Carrington training ground.