"He could be a great fit" - Gary Neville reacts as Lionel Messi's Inter Miami appoint Javier Mascherano as new head coach
Gary Neville has backed Javier Mascherano to be a success after he took over as the manager at Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami. The Manchester United legend claimed that the Argentine will need to figure out how to get his message across to the senior players.
Speaking on The Overlap's It's Called Soccer, Neville stated that Mascherano will find it easy to fit in at Inter Miami. He believes that the former Barcelona player will get the best out of his players and said:
“Having worked with the youth teams at Argentina, the way MLS works is you have these fantastic stars and then a group of players who are a bit younger that aren’t as well-paid, it’s almost like having two separate changing rooms. So Mascherano having worked with youth teams could have that ability to flip what would be dealing with the senior players and then the rest of the dressing room, how does he connect with them, how does he get the best out of them and coaching them? Working with younger players, he’s got that dynamic of being able to work with these players, so he could be a great fit.”
Javier Mascherano replaced Tata Martino this month after the latter resigned from his position. Reports suggest Lionel Messi played a key role in getting his former teammate the role at the MLS club.
MLS legend claims Lionel Messi forced Tata Martino out of Inter Miami
MLS legend Landon Donavan has claimed that Lionel Messi was one of the reasons behind Tata Martino leaving Inter Miami. He believes that the Barcelona legend wanted a change at the club, saying on Unfiltered Soccer:
“Usually I think when a manager says they’re stepping away, that means the club pushed you out. I will say, as someone as experienced as Tata Martino, I could see a scenario where he’s said: ‘I truly need to step away for a while.’ However, that all changed when all these Mascherano rumors began."
"If he steps away and you have a decision the next day, guess what, that decision is being made for months ahead of time. I think it’s pretty clear what happened here, I think Leo and everyone said: ‘It’s been great, but if we don’t win it [MLS Cup], this is what’s going to happen, he’s going to resign and we’re going to bring in our boy.',” he added.
Inter Miami won the MLS Supporters' Shield this season after finishing the Eastern Conference with record points. However, the Lionel Messi-led side lost to Atlanta United in the first round of the MLS Cup.
