Former Liverpool and England midfielder Stuart Downing has backed his old boss Steve McClaren to have a positive impact at Manchester United as part of Erik ten Hag’s backroom staff.
Downing, who also worked under McClaren at Middlesbrough, believes United are “so ill-disciplined” and that their returning coach is the man to snap them back into shape.
“The one thing I will say about McClaren is that he’s a very good on-field coach, and I think that team does need coaching a little bit,” Downing said, as per The Star.
“When I watch United they’re so ill-disciplined, and [McClaren] is really good at organising the team and getting them how he wants them to play, and I’m sure he and Ten Hag have got the same sort of ideas.”
Downing is obviously going to speak highly of the manager who handed him his professional debut in 2002.
“We were very well organised as a team,” he added. “McClaren overachieved with us, instilled a winning attitude, we got to the UEFA Cup final and beat some amazing teams just by pure hard work and being very well drilled.”
