David Moyes says Manchester United should "trust" Jose Mourinho.
The former United boss – sacked after a year in charge – reckons the current struggles at Old Trafford show his own problematic reign “wasn't just down to David Moyes.”
The Sunderland chief says he was the first of three men “following the finest manager” in Sir Alex Ferguson, and that would always be “tough.”
He said: “In some ways it does show that it maybe wasn't just down to David Moyes.
“The Manchester United job will be tough for anybody who takes it, whether it be Jose Mourinho or Louis van Gaal, David Moyes, it's always going to be a tough job, because you're following probably the finest manager in our time.
"Manchester United need stability, and it's a football club that has always trusted itself, trusted its managers, believed in their managers, and certainly given their managers time to do the right job. It's a great club.
"If you don't mind I don't want to get too in deep with Manchester United, because I don't really want to get involved where I say this or that about Manchester United.
Watch Next
“I had my time there, and it's passed on to somebody else. I'm just saying it's a great job. Jose's a top manager, as was LVG, but it's difficult for whoever goes to Manchester United.”
Asked if Mourinho and Van Gaal's struggles put his reign in context he replied; "I'm glad you're saying that, because I've always felt that. I felt that it would take time, but it's football.
“Part of the journey a football manager is that you have to have bad times, as well as good times.”