Solskjaer previews Man Utd v Liverpool in Premier League
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been told he is the reason behind Manchester United’s recent run of poor form. The Red Devils have won just three of their last eight games, which has seen them drop to sixth in the Premier League table.
The United boss has come under fire for his tactical and selection decisions, which have seen Everton and Aston Villa both take points from Old Trafford.
Solskjaer’s men have also had trouble on the road, with Southampton holding them to a point and Leicester exposing their defensive frailties last week.
Those poor results have derailed an expected title challenge, with league leaders Chelsea already eight points clear of United.
West Ham also knocked the Red Devils out of the Carabao Cup, scuppering another chance for Solskjaer to finally win his first trophy in charge at Old Trafford.
Many have aimed criticism at Solskjaer’s decisions for the downturn in form, with the United boss struggling to find the right balance for his side.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told 'he's why' Man Utd struggle to beat rivals ahead of Liverpool clash (Image: Getty Images)
And former Liverpool star Danny Murphy has joined those blasting Solskjaer, insisting that he is not capable of competing with United’s rivals for the title.
“Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is unlucky in that Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel are the best in the world,” he wrote in a column for the Daily Mail.
“They set the bar extremely high and, compared to them, Solskjaer is inferior. He has qualities and has done a lot of good things at United.
“After three years, the fanbase and hierarchy want more than that. They demand trophies and I don’t believe Solskjaer can compete with his rivals tactically or in making big man-management decisions.”
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United have just three of their last eight games in all competitions (Image: Express Sport)
Murphy also believes that Solskjaer is being forced to go against his better judgement in order to fit in with the ‘United way’ of attacking football.
“At United, there are too many in the comfort zone. Until there are more repercussions for bad performances, they are going to have problems,” he wrote.
“Tuchel, Klopp and Guardiola would make United more competitive with the players Solskjaer has to choose from.
“I suspect he’d like to play a more pragmatic brand of football to build results but that’s not perceived as the United way.”