‘A lot of people want a bigger name than Solskjaer at Man Utd’ – Parker sees doubters ‘out in force’

BetOdds Manchester United Premier League Everton v Manchester United UEFA Champions League İstanbul Başakşehir v Manchester United

The ex-Red Devils defender is not surprised to see questions being asked of a Norwegian coach, with change seemingly never far away at Old Trafford

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer finds himself in a tricky situation at Manchester United as “a lot of people want a bigger name” in the dugout at Old Trafford, says Paul Parker.

The Red Devils sounded an SOS call to a former fan favourite back in December 2018.

Having taken the decision to part with Jose Mourinho, the Premier League heavyweights turned to a familiar face for inspiration.

A member of their Treble-winning squad from 1999 was initially handed the reins on an interim basis, but did enough early on to land himself a three-year contract.

Solskjaer’s honeymoon period quickly faded away, with the Norwegian discovering that life in the United hot seat can be uncomfortable at times.

Questions have been asked of his suitability to a high-profile post on a regular basis, with consistency remaining elusive.

A disjointed start to the 2020-21 campaign has sparked further rounds of speculation regarding his future, with various candidates being tipped to step into his shoes.

Parker is not surprised to see the rumour mill ticking over again, with change seemingly never far away for the red half of Manchester.

He is, however, of the opinion that Solskjaer should be given time in which to get things right, with there no guarantee that a more proven performer would fare any better – with the likes of David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Mourinho having all failed to replicate the success of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Former United defender Parker told Eurosport: “Ole is doing OK. He is fighting against his doubters at the moment, but I think he is in front.

“We have been in this position before with United, making progress then sacking managers. We will have to wait and see with Solskjaer.

“The doubters come out in force when he loses a game – there are a lot of people who don’t want him in the job, they want a bigger name, they want a bigger manager.

“You can only manage the problem so far given who is upstairs. There will be highs like the two Champions League games.”

United have fared admirably in Europe this season, claiming the notable scalps of Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig, but Premier League struggles are holding them back and the club have made their worst start to a campaign since Moyes’ tenure in 2013-14 – with home form proving to be particularly alarming.

2020-11-03 18:00:02

Comments

Send Your Comment

Download Application