Man Utd coach McClaren identified Arsenal weakenss

Manchester United first team coach Steve McClaren appeared to understand where Arsenal were going wrong a few years ago.

The current assistant at United to Erik ten Hag identified areas that Arsenal had to improve back in 2019.

Mikel Arteta was in charge of the club at the time, but they were still finding their feet after a few poor seasons.

At the time, The Mirror quoted McClaren as saying: "All he needs to do is address their attitudes in terms of when they haven't got the ball.

"When they haven't got the ball there's no speed in recovering into shape, there's no speed in recovering the ball within five seconds, which is Man City's philosophy when they lose the ball. There's no responsibility in terms of going with runners defending,"

"There are no tackles until they get way back on the edge of their own box which is too late then. So I can see Arteta going into Arsenal and going: 'You know what, in terms of build-up possession, keeping the ball, we've got players who can do that.

"'All I need to teach this team is attitude to defend and win the ball back between five and eight seconds, which is what Man City do'.

"That's his philosophy. I think he can instil that at Arsenal, he can tweak Arsenal in terms of defenders, which I think they definitely need.

"Defenders are dropping too deep, they are not going and pressing it, they are not mobile and athletic enough to play the way he'll probably want to play. He could change that a little bit but he can also change that in the transfer market."