Pundit claims Solskjaer criticism is over the top

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Danny Murphy is of the opinion that the criticism Ole Gunnar Solskjaer receives is over the top.

Manchester United haven’t had the best of seasons in 2019/20 so far as they are fifth in the Premier League table currently with 34 points from 24 matches. They are currently 33 points behind leaders Liverpool who have played one match less than them.

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Solskjaer has been on the receiving end of immense criticism lately and Murphy feels that the Norwegian shouldn’t receive all the blame for United’s results given the team they have now. In his column for the Daily Mail, the former Liverpool man wrote: “You can’t push all the blame for Manchester United’s woes on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He has only had one transfer window and I think most would say the policy of signing younger players such as Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Daniel James and Harry Maguire is a good long-term move.

“There are questions why he didn’t replace Romelu Lukaku or Alexis Sanchez — if that was his choice — but I do think the criticism Solskjaer has received is over the top given the squad he inherited and injuries he’s had. The problems clearly go higher. Of course, he shouldn’t be exempt from scrutiny. I wonder why the United players seem to raise themselves for bigger matches like Tottenham and Chelsea and not so much against the so-called lesser teams.

“They’ve lost to Watford, Bournemouth, Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Burnley this season. It is the manager’s job to find that consistency of form and attitude. But I think there are enough mitigating circumstances to allow Solskjaer to see out the season and see if he can get into the Champions League, either via the league or the Europa League.”

Solskjaer’s job may not be too safe at this moment but sacking him won’t make things better for Manchester United. The Red Devils have produced some disappointing results lately but they still have a fair chance of reaching the top four as the difference between them and Chelsea is six points. However, United will need to be more consistent if they are to seal a spot in next season’s Champions League.