It is about time Solskjaer won trophies, says former Man Utd team-mate Sheringham

It is about time Ole Gunnar Solskjaer delivered trophies for Manchester United despite the progress he has already made since taking charge of the club.

That is the view of the United manager’s former treble-winning team-mate Teddy Sheringham ahead of the Red Devils’ key Champions League clash with Villarreal on Wednesday.

Although they have made the latter stages of multiple competitions and finished as high as second in the Premier League, United have not won a trophy for four seasons.

An impressive transfer window that saw the Old Trafford club sign World Cup winner Raphael Varane, long-term target Jadon Sancho and returning hero Cristiano Ronaldo raised expectations for them in 2021-22.

But after a bright start, the past fortnight has seen United lose to Young Boys in their Group F opener, crash out of the EFL Cup at the hands of West Ham and suffer their first league defeat of the season to Aston Villa.

Sheringham believes Solskjaer will deliver much-needed silverware but thinks the Norwegian can have few complaints about the expectations.

Asked if it was time for Solskjaer to step up as a manager, Sheringham told Stats Perform: “Without a doubt. 

“You only have to look at the signings that Manchester United have made this season.

“Looking at Varane, Sancho and then Ronaldo becoming available, and then they got him as well – it was just unbelievable. 

“But that increases the pressure for Ole, and he knows that. He’s in charge of the biggest football club in Europe, maybe even the world, and he knows he has to win things. 

“The pressure is there for them to win things, and I’m sure they will this year as it’s about time.

“There’s been steady progression for the club over the last two or three seasons, but it’s about time they won something.”

 

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 29, 2021

United need a positive result against Villarreal to get their campaign on track in the Champions League. 

The four previous Champions League clashes between United and Villarreal have all finished 0-0, making it the most played fixture in the history of the competition to see no goals scored.

United also suffered a painful Europa League final defeat to the Spanish side on penalties last season.

Despite being one of the biggest clubs who typically qualify for the Champions League, United have not got past the quarter-finals in Europe’s elite club competition for a decade.

“It’s tough,” added Sheringham. “When you look at Sir Alex Ferguson and his record in the Champions League, it didn’t happen overnight.

“It was again a steady progression. They got to the quarter-finals, got knocked out, got to the quarter-finals, then they got to the semi-finals, and then they won it. 

“So, if Ole can gain the experience, the players that he’s got there, if they gain the experience along the way, then hopefully everybody’s ready to win it. 

“Then you need to get a little bit of luck when you need it, and you come out on top.”

While he hopes United will get there, Sheringham is more confident that the other English clubs could dominate the competition this season after Manchester City and Chelsea contested in an all-English final last year.

He added: “I think they [English clubs] will [dominate again].

“I expect probably three of those four English teams to get into the semi-finals – that is how dominant English teams are at the moment.

“We were talking about the chances of Manchester United and I don’t really think they are one of the best teams in England at the moment. 

“You have to say that Manchester City [have a chance], Chelsea without a doubt, and Liverpool will also feature as well very high.”