SCOT TO SCOTT
Parker: I don’t have many friends but my phone has been pinging.. Sir Alex sent me a long text detailing how to handle modern players.. it was inspirational
SCOTT PARKER received a late-night text from Sir Alex Ferguson about how to handle modern players within hours of getting the Fulham job.
And the former England midfielder said he aims to bring the same passion as Ole Gunnar Solksjaer (right) to his caretaker role at the relegation-bound club which has become a “soft touch”.
Parker, who has all his coaching badges at the age of 38, said the remaining 10 games were an “audition” for the full-time role after the sacking of Claudio Ranieri.
And before his first match against former club Chelsea tomorrow, he has been given advice from a 77-year-old managerial legend, who is more than twice his age.
“I don’t have many friends, but yesterday the phone was pinging away,” he said.
“I had some amazing texts. Sir Alex texted me late last night, which was pretty incredible – to think he spent the time to write a long, detailed message giving me some advice on how he sees things was truly inspirational. “It was a long message. There were just some different points about the modern-day footballer. How he handled certain things and just some real bullet points for me, which was amazing really.
“The modern-day footballer @Neilmcleman now is very different to when I was playing. How you deal with the modern-day footballer – and the modern-day human being – is very, very different.
“I have got four sons and, from what I was doing at that age to what they are doing now, it is miles apart, and that comes from sociaal media and all stuff like that.
“You can either go against it – I am not for it – but ultimately you have to try and engage in it, and try and understand that they are different and I suppose that is key really.”
Fulham fans were in open revolt at Southampton as the Cottagers fell to a fourth consecutive defeat – Ranieri’s last match in charge.
“There has been a disconnect, certainly with the fans,” admitted Parker, who is promoted from his role as firsthing team coach.
“If there’s one thing you can guarantee as a football player, it’s that you leave a passion and desire on a football pitch – that’s the message I’ve given to the players.
“I really hope I can have the
same effect as Solskjaer – I hope I can bring energy and transmit my passion to the team. I think passion has been definitely missing at times.
“I feel like at times this year we’ve been easy to play against – a real soft touch – and I feel that’s why the fans have pulled away a bit.
“There’s a way to lose games. And this year at times we have lost games and people can point fingers.
“And that’s the message
I’m trying to give.”
Ranieri visited the Motspur Park training ground yesterday to say goodbye to the Cottagers’ players and staff. “As a man, he was a class act,”
Parker added.