Commanding defender a priority for Red Devils — Parker

Former Manchester United man Paul Parker believes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must improve his backline if the club are to compete for titles again.

Ex-England international Parker, 57, made more than 100 appearances for the Red Devils between 1991 and 1996 and still holds the club very close to his heart.

Yet the former right-back believes a lack of leadership in United’s defence needs addressing urgently before they can be considered serious contenders for the Premier League.

Parker said: “They desperately need a centre-back who is commanding.

“It has to be someone who has a bit of authority and can control the backline because they went without it all season, to be honest.

“Harry Maguire has surprised me since signing, to be fair. I still think he was overvalued when they bought him, which put more pressure on his shoulders, but he’s done okay.