Cristiano Ronaldo was compared to Roy Keane by Steve McClaren

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Manchester United could be set to bring back Steve McClaren as assistant manager to work with Erik ten Hag, report The Guardian.

Ten Hag and McClaren worked together at FC Twente, and the pairing would relish the opportunity to try and bring the good times back to Manchester United.

McClaren has been working on and off as a pundit over the past year, and has made comments to the media on Manchester United, so let’s take a look at what he has said.

McClaren compared Ronaldo to Roy Keane

McClaren spoke after Manchester United’s 2-2 comeback draw against Atalanta earlier in the season, hailing Ronaldo as an inspiration, with the Portuguese star scoring twice.

McClaren told The Mail: “You see from his body language, you saw it from the game against Atalanta, he’s driving the team on, it’s reminding me a little bit like Roy Keane.’

‘He was more vocal, direct, honest but I see that body language that I need more from these players, we’ve got to do more. Bringing in a person into the dressing room like that can make or break you. He can do the job, he can do it.

‘What you have to do is use him, he’s the solution but he’s also the problem, if you don’t handle him right then that can be a problem for the manager.”

McClaren on Solskjaer before his eventual sacking

McClaren was right that the Ronaldo signing had brought a ‘make or break’ scenario for Solskjaer, who did not last long beyond the Atalanta game.

Speaking to Talksport after United’s woeful defeat at home to Manchester City in November, McClaren blamed the way the team was set up, and a total lack of intensity.

He said: “They are not good enough without the ball and we’ve been saying that for quite a while.

“They are not compact. There are too many spaces between back, midfield and front and Manchester City have exploited that.

“They don’t press with intensity. They don’t work hard enough. They don’t stop balls being crossed. They don’t stop balls going in behind defenders. A lot of people are blaming the defenders but it’s also what happens in front.”

McClaren on Harry Maguire

McClaren does not get everything right, just look at his England spell, and one of his predictions which did not work out surrounded Harry Maguire, who he hailed as the best signing of 2019.

He was quoted by The MEN: “For me, the signing of the summer has been Maguire. Because sometimes one player can make a huge difference, to a dressing room, to a team and to a club.

“Maguire, just like with Van Dijk at Liverpool and wow they’re challenging, I expect that from Maguire because that is exactly what they needed.

“They’ve got good players going forward, they’ll score goals, and with Maguire at the back, his leadership, the way he is, his personality, he’s a very good signing.”

Whether McClaren still feels the same way about Maguire in 2022 remains unclear, but his comments suggest the England defender may get the benefit of the doubt, rather than being replaced, unless Ten Hag feels strongly the other way.