Manchester United Football Club

• Nickname:Red Devils
• Founded:1878
• Manager:Sir Alex Ferguson

• Ground:Old Trafford
• Capacity:68174

Fergie: Pressure on Capello

14 Dec 2007 - 13:56:51

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Sir Alex Ferguson has warned Fabio Capello that he will be under the most intense pressure when he begins work as the new England manager.

The 61-year-old Italian is expected to be confirmed as Steve McClaren's successor in the next few days after the Football Association approved his appointment on Thursday evening.

Representatives of the experienced former AC Milan and Real Madrid coach remain locked in negations on the finer points of his contract, which is believed to be worth around £6million per season and last up to four-and-a-half years.

However Ferguson, who conceded Capello is the right age for an international job, has warned the Italian to expect plenty of pressure as soon as the role commences.

"There's a tremendous pressure on the English coach, which Fabio will understand when he's two minutes into the job," he said.

"It's not going to be an easy job. There's a lot of work to do with the England team to get them to the level everyone expects, so I hope he'll get the support he needs.

"But what Fabio has got is experience. I've spoken for a long time about the necessity of a national team manager to be experienced and to have a good CV and a presence and be the right age. Fabio Capello has all those things.

"He will definitely command the respect of the players."

Meanwhile, Ferguson has played down suggestions that Capello's limited grasp of the English language will prove a stumbling block in his ability to communicate ideas to his players.

"Fabio's English is okay," added Ferguson. "I've never had any problem speaking to him. I was reading about the problem with the language Rafael Benitez had when he came to Liverpool.

"But maybe Rafa couldn't speak English, whereas Fabio can. That's a big advantage."