Molde chief slams Solskjaer over Villa talks

Molde chairman Oystein Neerland has criticised Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for holding talks with Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner on Friday.

The 39-year-old flew to Birmingham on Lerner’s private jet for initial discussions over the vacant manager’s role at Villa Park, although Solskjaer insisted talks were ‘informal’.

Villa have moved swiftly to fill the position left by Alex McLeish, who was sacked on Monday after 11 months in charge, but have not revealed any candidates on their shortlist to replace the Scot.

Neerland revealed Molde will now speak with Solskjaer regarding his future and admits the club’s trust has been ‘put to the test’.

“We were made aware of the interest and the conversations, but it was still a disappointment that he chose to travel to England on Friday to speak with Aston Villa,” Neerland told Romsdals Budstikke.

“It seems we do not know anything about it. The trust is put to the test, and we have to get it back again before we work on. We expect that there will be a constructive conversation with Ole Gunnar on Saturday.

“We will take this worry within the club and explore the situation. So we will work hard to focus on the sport. There are three important games before the holiday and the first is already on Sunday.”