Docherty: Meulensteen should have stayed at United

Former Manchester United manager Tommy Docherty would have kept Rene Meulensteen as part of the club’s backroom staff.

The Dutchman left Old Trafford during an overhaul of the coaching team, with assistant manager Mike Phelan and goalkeeping coach Eric Steele also leaving the Premier League champions in the wake of Alex Ferguson’s departure.

It was announced on Monday that Meulensteen had taken a new role at Russian Premier League side Anzhi Makhachkala, while incoming United manager David Moyes would be bringing Steve Round, Chris Woods and Jimmy Lumsden with him from Everton.

And while Docherty conceded that it makes sense for the Scot to assemble his own team, he insisted that Meulensteen should have remained at the club.

“There’s an old saying in football, ‘If it’s not broken don’t fix it’,” Docherty told OMNISPORT.

“I think he (Meulensteen) should have remained there because he did an outstanding job on the coaching side with the first team at Old Trafford.

“I think he did a fantastic job in the tactical and coaching side of the squad.

“But a new manager usually brings in his own people and that’s fair enough.”

Docherty, who managed United from 1972-77, is confident his fellow countryman Moyes can continue to deliver success in the wake of Ferguson’s retirement.

“Nobody can replace Fergie’s record, that’s an impossibility because people don’t live that long,” he continued.

“(But) I’m more than hopeful that he’ll do very well because I think he’s an oustanding manager.

“He didn’t have the resources to go into the transfer market at Everton, but he produced a lot of tremendous players while he was manager, and he worked for Mr (Bill) Kenwright, who was a fantastic chairman for him as well.

“But it will be a different thing altogether for David, he’s inherited a great team.

“All he can do is do his best and hopefully he can keep the team winning and keep winning trophies and keep (up) the success for the club.”