Howard praises help from Barthez

Tim Howard has praised Fabien Barthez for helping him cope with the pressure of life at Manchester United.

Howard, a summer signing from Major League Soccer side Metrostars, was handed United’s number one jersey at the start of the season with Barthez having fallen out of favour with boss Alex Ferguson.

Yet France international Barthez has been one of the main reasons Howard has been able to settle quickly.

“Fabien’s been great,” said Howard in the New York Daily News. “I enjoy his company, but it’s a really difficult situation. I wanted his job. He wants my job.

“Yet we somehow find a way to compete fairly for the betterment of the team. But that’s easy to say. It's very difficult to do.”

Howard was recently caught unawares by a photographer who snapped him with his wife and did not know of the picture until it was pointed out to him by team-mates.

For Howard, it was a clear illustration of the differences between life in England and his old one in the United States.

He added: “When you’re at Manchester United, everything is scrutinised, every little thing.

“There’s a pressure to perform every day that is greater. Pressure can bust pipes or make diamonds. I turn that pressure into something I can enjoy.

“The real unfortunate part is when I make the saves it’s ‘brilliant save by Howard’. When I make a mistake, it’s ‘the American has a lot to learn’.

“You could get consumed by that, but you have to let it slide off your back.”

Howard is also learning to cope with the demands of the Premiership, particularly after he was criticised for Southampton’s winner in the recent 1-0 defeat.

But Howard is also enjoying the chance afforded to him.

He said: “I certainly relish every opportunity because I know it’s not promised.

“I just go with it. If I succeed, great. If I happen to fail, I’ll deal with that, too.”