Mills slams “false” McClaren

MANCHESTER CITY defender Danny Mills has become the second former Middlesbrough player to accuse England manager Steve McClaren of being “false”.

Massimo Maccarone, who left Boro to join Italian outfit Siena on a free transfer last week, was scathing about McClaren’s stint at the Riverside.

And Mills backed the comments by Maccarone who referred to his former boss as “Steve ‘the magnificent’ McClaren”.

Mills played under McClaren while on loan from Leeds in 2003/04 and claimed yesterday: “You can see where Massimo was coming from. He (McClaren) did like the phrase ‘magnificent’ and it often was a false smile Steve McClaren would hide behind.

“Some of his comments about McClaren are difficult to disagree with.

“I experienced some of that myself. Three days before the end of the (2003/04) season Steve McClaren pulled me in and said, ‘I want you here, you’re part of my plans.’

“I already knew he was looking at other right-backs. He said he would call me, but he went away with England to the European Championships, I didn’t.

“Steve McClaren, for what he is, is a very, very good coach but for me his man management skills at times were very, very poor.”

Mills does not expect any of the current England players to comment on the criticisms in case they lose their place in the squad.

“Any personal attack on the manager and you’re not going to play,” he said. “You don’t know how long McClaren is going to be in the job so it’s very difficult.”