Barrage of criticism for Solskjaer and his “shoddy” Manchester United team

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is under even more pressure following Manchester United’s 4-2 defeat to Leicester on Saturday, with several pundits criticising the coach and the way he has set his team up to start 2021/22.

Manchester United have lost three, drawn one and won one of their past five matches, with the sole victory coming in the match against Villarreal when the team again underperformed. The Norwegian is set to stay on at Old Trafford, but his methods have been criticised and we take a look at some of the comments made.

Gary Neville: “They’ve been shoddy all season”

Gary Neville was one of the many pundits asked about Solskjaer on Saturday and he didn’t hold back in criticising his former teammate’s side. Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville said: “The performances are nowhere near good enough. They’ve been so shoddy all season, in terms of team performances. It's scrappy and scruffy to watch. When you play a team with a clear organisation and a methodology, you're going to get pulled apart and that's what happened here. They were pulled apart by Villa, pulled apart by Everton and pulled apart by Villarreal."´

Micah Richards: “His team doesn’t have an identity”

Speaking on Match of the Day, Micah Richards blasted Manchester United’s recent performances and claimed that Solskjaer is picking players to keep them happy. He said: “They don't really have an identity. With the Manchester United of the past, you know they had wingers, getting strikers into the box, midfielders running into the box also. But now, it looks like they're trying to keep everybody happy in terms of players. Now, Ole has to make some harsh decisions. Whether he leaves some of his big guns out, puts one on the bench or just goes back to basics and finds the plan for how to get this team playing together.”

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Paul Merson: “I think he’s in a spot of bother”

Paul Merson believes even tougher times could be ahead for the Norwegian, given the difficult schedule that lies ahead for the Red Devils. Speaking on Sky Sports, Merson said of Manchester United’s defeat: “They have been beaten by four goals to two. They thoroughly deserved it. This was not a smash and grab from Leicester. I think Solskjaer is in a spot of bother. I said before this game, if he can get through November and he is still in a job, that, for me, means that Man United have every chance of winning the Premier League, because they have some shocking fixtures.”

Alvin Martin: “I think he’s in a spot of bother”

TalkSport pundit Alvin Martin was another to give an immediate reaction after the result at the King Power Stadium. He said: “This will be a massive blow to Manchester United and to Ole. To lose a game in that fashion, you’re rightly going to get criticised. When you spend the amount of money they have, you are now looking to join the clubs who already look in with a chance of winning the Premier League… but they seem miles of that. I think this result would have really hurt Manchester United today. And I think every time you make a decision now, when that result has done badly, do you start Ronaldo, don’t you start Ronaldo? All those arguments and criticisms and fingers being pointed are going to be at Solskjaer.”

Alex Ferguson: “You should always start your best player”

Even Sir Alex Ferguson has criticised his former player’s decision-making, doing so after the Everton draw when he spoke with VIP guest Khabib Nurmagomedov about Cristiano Ronaldo being left out of the starting XI. “I think that when they saw Ronaldo wasn't playing…” Ferguson said when explaining why Everton’s youngsters played so well. Khabib pointed out that Ronaldo came off the bench in the second half, to which the Scot responded: "I know, but you should always start with your best player.”

Craig Burley: “Give your head a wobble”

Comparing Ferguson with Solskjaer, Craig Burley took to Twitter to dismiss the notion that the Norwegian has earned the right to time. He wrote: “One or two balloons saying Sir Alex Ferguson was given time so so should Solskjaer! Ferguson got the Man Utd job off the back of a stellar managerial record and huge success at Aberdeen. Dethroning the Old Firm and beating Real Madrid in a European final. Give your head a wobble.”