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| Danny Webber celebrates with Richie Allen after Salford City reach the FA Cup second round |
DANNY WEBBER is aiming to make it a momentous week for Gary Neville by helping Salford City into the promised land of the FA Cup third round tonight.
After Neville’s appointment as Valencia boss sent shock waves through football, the non-League club he co-owns will be bidding to create another surprise by beating Hartlepool in a second-round tie at their tiny Moor Lane ground.
Webber, now 33, was a young striker at Manchester United when Neville was in his pomp as a player and was then recruited by him to help Salford climb football's pyramid.
He always believed Neville was cut out for management, saying: "He will do fantastic. He's the sort of person who whatever he turns his hand to he will do well with it. He is thorough, work ethic is relentless and he knows where his strengths lie.
"He is very well equipped to do the management side. He learns very quickly and he is well respected, which is half the battle.
"I'm not surprised. I'd have been an advocate for him to be a manager at some point. I've always thought he would be a great manager.
"He's a leader. He's not a sheep. He knows what he believes in. He led while he was in the dressing room at United. He was one of the key people who maintained those standards. It's bred in him and I think he will do very well."
Neville, unveiled at the Mestella yesterday, will not be at Moor Lane but will be keeping in close touch with the tie this evening when Webber believes the Northern Premier League team can take their another League Two club scalp after seeing off Notts Country in the first round.
"He is very well equipped to do the management side. He learns very quickly and he is well respected, which is half the battle.
"I'm not surprised. I'd have been an advocate for him to be a manager at some point. I've always thought he would be a great manager.
"He's a leader. He's not a sheep. He knows what he believes in. He led while he was in the dressing room at United. He was one of the key people who maintained those standards. It's bred in him and I think he will do very well."
Neville, unveiled at the Mestella yesterday, will not be at Moor Lane but will be keeping in close touch with the tie this evening when Webber believes the Northern Premier League team can take their another League Two club scalp after seeing off Notts Country in the first round.
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| Gary Neville owns 50 per cent of Salford along with fellow members of the class of 92 |
And if Salford make history tonight Manchester-born Webber says it is a no-brainer who he, Neville and the rest of the Class of 92 co-owners would love to draw.
"I would like to get United," he smiled. "That's the dream. If we did win, which is still a big task ahead of us, United would be fantastic.
"If it ended up 1-1 or 8-0 it wouldn't really matter. It would be great to go and have a day at Old Trafford and do our best."
Salford joint boss Bernard Morley believes lightning can strike twice. "We can win the game," he said. "I don't think we are favourites but I don't we are such underdogs.
"If you look at the league table it doesn't tell lies - Hartlepool are below Notts County. They are struggling so I don't see why we can't be confident and go for the win."
His co-manager Anthony Johnson added: “We are potentially 90 minutes away from playing a Premier League club. The attention we are getting is still really surreal and a bit crazy. It is not normal for us.
"We all work full-time, and I will be driving my wagon during the day and then come to training and people want to interview me, so it is very difficult to get your head around things. But if you are doing well and being successful, the likelihood is the more press and exposure you are going to get, so it is great to get it.”
Even if Salford go out tonight they have already hit the jackpot. So far their run from the first qualifying round has earned them around £200,000 from live TV fees, prizemoney and gate receipts.
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