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Ed Woodward has made ‘crazy decision’ at Man Utd just to make fans happy - Burley
MANCHESTER UNITED have made a “crazy decision” appointing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as their permanent manager.
Solskjaer was appointed to ‘appease fans’ claims pundit
That is the opinion of former Chelsea and Scotland midfielder Craig Burley.
Manchester United announced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the permanent successor to Jose Mourinho last Thursday.
The Norwegian had a stunning three months in interim charge, leading the Red Devils to the quarter-final of the Champions League and in serious contention of a top-four spot.
However, defeat to Wolves on Tuesday now means United have lost three of their last four matches in all competitions.
The decision to give Solskjaer the job full-time, I think it’s a crazy, crazy decision
Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward initially said a permanent manager would not be announced until the summer.
Burley says it was wrong not to wait until the end of the season at least before giving Solskjaer the job.
And he reckons the appointment was more sentimental than looking at the long-term future of the club.
“The decision to give Solskjaer the job full-time, I think it’s a crazy, crazy decision, particularly now before the end of the season,” Burley told talkSPORT.
“Manchester United are one of the biggest clubs in the world and, on the evidence of what we’ve seen recently, they need a massive rebuilding job to be fighting back with Liverpool and Man City.
“To give the job to someone who is so inexperienced, with a so-so managerial record become he arrived, that’s not got ‘long-term strategy’ written all over it to me.
“That’s got ‘sentimental claptrap to appease fans’ written all over it.
“Manchester United have got shareholders and should have a longer-term, more clinical view of what the strategy is, rather than, ‘Oh, Ole has done great…’
“He has done great. He’s picked them off the floor.
“They were so miserable and when he came in they were happy and they started playing better.
“But the air has started coming out of the balloon and that’s the concern.”