Robin van Persie has criticised Red devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for smiling during his post-match interview after Manchester United’s 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on New Year’s Day.
United delivered a poor performance at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday as first-half goals from Nicolas Pepe and Sokratis Papastathopoulos was enough to secure a 2-0 victory for Mikel Arteta’s side.
During his post-match interview with BT Sport, Ole Solskjaer saw a replay of Arsenal’s two goals and briefly laughed before putting his head in his hand.
And former Arsenal and Manchester United forward Van Persie was not happy with the Norwegian’s reaction.
‘I listen to Ole, he sounds like a really nice guy,’ Van Persie told BT Sport.
‘But I would like to see him a bit more edgy, a bit more mean at times. ‘[Angry] yeah, sometimes, it’s part of his job as well. Just be angry.
‘I see him smiling now, after a game like that, you know. ‘This is not the moment to smile.’
Asked if there’s a lack of fear from United’s players towards their coach Solskjaer, Van Persie replied: ‘Probably, by the looks of it I think so.’
However, Rio Ferdinand said that Solskjaer does have a nastier side which the public do not get to see in the dressing room.
‘I understand what he’s saying and you what a reaction in the changing room,’ Ferdinand said. ‘The difference is there might be a different Ole in the changing room, and that’s what you’re hoping probably.
‘There’s a different side to Ole, I know he can be very cutthroat, very cold, things he said to players can be very cutting when he was a player, and I’m sure he’ll be similar like that as a manager.’
