A number of Manchester United’s stars are now questioning whether Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the right man to lead the club forward after the defeat to Liverpool, according to reports.
United shipped four goals in a poor first-half display at Old Trafford en route to a 5-0 defeat that leaves them eight points adrift of Premier League leaders Chelsea after just nine matches.
Pressure is now mounting on Solskjaer after another disappointing showing and large swathes of supporters and pundits feel the time has come for the Norwegian coach to step aside.
That criticism is not only external, either, with The Guardian claiming that several members of the United team are openly questioning whether Solskjaer can take the team any further.
While the manager is well-liked by the players, the manner of the defeat to Liverpool has ‘crystalised’ a lack of belief in the United boss which had been festering since the start of the campaign.
Some of the players feel Solskjaer is not quite good enough for the club – particularly in a title race with so many elite managers – and consider him to be ‘tactically underwhelming’.
United made the mistake of trying to press high against Liverpool with players not equipped to do so, leaving themselves exposed as Jurgen Klopp’s side ripped through their defence with ease.
Asked about his approach against the Reds, Solskjaer told Sky Sports after the game: ‘The coaching staff are very, very good. Brilliant. I choose the way we approach the game and, today, we weren’t clinical enough going forward.
‘There were spaces for both teams and, when you give good players spaces, they score. You know it’s a good question [why not play on the break?] I can say anything but we’re at home, playing against Liverpool.
‘They’ve come here over the last two-and-a-half years and we had a similar approach to go high press and, today, they scored on their chances early on. They hadn’t done that before.
‘I think Manchester United should always try, at home, to go and stamp our authority on the game, like I said before.’
When addressing his future, he added: ‘I do believe in myself, I do believe that I am getting close to what I want with the club.’
