David Moyes admits it will be impossible for Manchester United to replace Sir Alex Ferguson, but insists he is ready for the challenge of defending the club's Premier League title in his first season in charge at Old Trafford.
The 71-year-old Scot departed the club this summer after collecting 38 trophies in 26 years at Old Trafford, including 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League successes.
Moyes made the move from Everton to Old Trafford this summer, and while the 50-year-old says he will call on Ferguson if he needs advice, he is ready to be his own man while trying to hold onto the club's 2012-13 title success.
"I'll not be
better than him [Ferguson]," he told reporters. "It will not get better than Sir Alex Ferguson. It just won't.
"What has to happen is the club has to keep moving forward. I do think that I am ready for the job. I worked hard at Preston. I worked hard at Everton.
"I've worked for a long time to get myself in a position where maybe I'd be fortunate enough to land one of the big jobs. In my mind I've landed the biggest job.
"I'm a rookie at Manchester United but I am not a rookie overall. I'm going to work hard to maintain Manchester United at the top of the league.
"Sometimes it's forgotten I've managed in the Premier League for 11 years so I'm relatively experienced."
The pressure to emulate Ferguson is intense, yet Moyes says his continued presence on the board can only aid the club - and even hinted that the former boss could help out with potential transfer deals.
"Look, Sir Alex is still here and I want him to be around," he continued. "I've probably had half a dozen conversations with him already. I went to see him at home the other day. He was great.
"He's recovering from his hip operation. I will use him for advice. He'll be a great mentor for me. This club has ways and means of attracting the top players to the club and if we needed to use Sir Alex he'd be more than happy to help."
Moyes faces the difficult task of continuing the success at Old Trafford while shaping the club in his own image, and admits fans will have to be patient with him while the club undergoes its first manegerial change in 26 years.
"It might take me 18 months to two years to get things changed around. At a club like Manchester United, Ill get the opportunity to do that.
"The previous manager left things in place that are really important and the most important and impressive is the winning mentality. They've won the league and now it's: 'Let's win the next one.' You feel it. The players' edge and spirit of competitiveness has really made me stand up and see the difference."
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