Eric Cantona spoke at length to the crowd who hung off his every word. Having scored so many great goals, he struggled to single out one, but after prompting from the audience named the FA Cup final goal against Liverpool. He claimed not only was this great because it was against our rivals and it won us a trophy, but that it inspired the next generation of young players. The Class of 92, as they’re now referred to, won the Double in their first proper season in the first team thanks to Cantona’s presence.

Still, for all the success Cantona had in England, all the incredible goals he scored, he spoke about the one perfect goal he would loved to have scored.

“It’s one that nobody has scored in the history of football,” he said. “We’ve seen spectacular goals, wonderful goals, but we’ve never seen the simplest one. The goalkeeper touches the ball once and gives it to the right-back. And then to the centre-half, then to the midfielder. Ten of the players all touch the ball once and then the last one just taps the ball in to the net. This goal is very simple but we’ve never seen it. If you want to see it, ask for me as manager of United!”

Cantona was critical of the way that United play now, with Mourinho always playing it safe, which he believes contradicts the philosophy put in place by Ferguson.

“It’s the way you play,” he said. “You can lose games but you take risks. You lose against Juventus and they have 70% possession of the ball at Old Trafford. Could you imagine that with Ferguson on the bench? I suffer. And I suffer even more when I see City play so wonderfully. But I think kids needs to have an example. They need great players, great movements, creative football to identify themselves to a player or a team. And I think they are now losing a generation of young players. These young players identify themselves to the way City play. Can we accept that? No.”

Cantona went on to talk about the love and respect he had for Mourinho, but insisted “it’s not the right man for the right woman.” He wants to see an ex-player given the job.

“We see Zidane, who was an ex-player of Real Madrid, never managed any team before and he became the manager of Real Madrid. They gave him a chance,” he said. “Guardiola was the same for Barcelona. Antonio Conte at Juventus, Ancelotti at Milan. They were all ex-players at these clubs and they were given the chance and they won so many things for them. At United, they never give a chance to a player who knows the club from the inside, who knows the identity and philosophy of the club. They should give the chance to…” At this point, the crowd began calling for him to take on the job. “I don’t want people to think I’m saying this because I want to be manager of Manchester United,” he continued. “It’s just the truth. Giggs? Any player who wants to be the manager they should give them the chance.”

Cantona went on to claim that the Glazers don’t know anything about football and if they won’t give the job to an ex-player, then it should be Zidane who becomes our manager.

Cantona has spoken before about how much he loves United fans still singing his name but fears that one day that it will stop. But the Frenchman isn’t too sure why he is the one the fans still hold in the highest regard, yet doesn’t want to understand either.

“Why do you love me? I don’t really want to know why people love,” he said. “I don’t want to know why my wife loves me. I don’t want to know why I love her. Because when you try to understand and when we know why, it’s over!”

Read part I of an audience with Eric Cantona here.




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