Solskjaer backed for Manchester United job by Yorke

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should be given the Manchester United job on a permanent basis, says Dwight Yorke.

Solskjaer has a perfect record of eight wins from eight games in all competitions since taking charge of the Premier League giants on an interim basis after December’s departure of Jose Mourinho.

The club’s former striker will set a record if United beat Burnley at Old Trafford on Tuesday, becoming the first man ever to lead a team to wins in their first seven Premier League games in charge of a club.

Despite Solskjaer’s success, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is still widely considered a leading contender for the United post, although his claims have been dented by EFL Cup and FA Cup exits in the space of four days.

And although Pochettino has a reputation as an excellent club-builder due to his fine work at Spurs since 2014, Solskjaer’s old team-mate Yorke is in no doubt who is the right man for the United job.

“Is a bigger way winning games, being successful playing attractive football?” Yorke told Omnisport, speaking at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. “The fans have been happy. If he’s doing that. There’s no reason to change it in my opinion. And I think that’s the way to go.

“I’m sure everyone who knows Ole like I do, having spent four years with him, I didn’t really see him coming in and in the first place and getting the job, however the decision was made, you know he’s a close friend. We want to see him do well.

“He’s inherited a very good team and he’s been at the club for a very long time, so he understands the way that the club plays and I think that’s all he went in and did, he didn’t have to alter too much. It’s the same players, give them the way to play forward, play attacking, the Man United brand of football.

“And I didn’t think he has to tinker too much because at the end of the day it’s the same players. You’ve got to give him a lot of credit to go through winning eight games back to back. That’s incredible, to be mentioned alongside the greats of Sir Alex [Ferguson] and certainly Sir Matt Busby, it’s just incredible.

“It’s fantastic and I think everyone is really delighted how well he has done and how well the team has really responded to his method of being positive and playing on the front foot.”

It’s #MUNBUR later tonight — let’s make it   #MUFC wins in a row!   pic.twitter.com/Jyc3QrPE0x

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 29, 2019

Solskjaer flopped at Cardiff City in his previous experience of Premier League management and Yorke concedes he has been taken by surprise at the impact made by the Norwegian.

“He’s very unassuming, very shy, only spoke when he’s been spoken to, he never spoke out of time or context,” Yorke added. “He is very dedicated to his sports vision. I could see him involved with the younger kids and really doing well at that level.

“I just didn’t see him really going into management because being interactive with people, he’s very nice but you know the interacting and communicating with people wasn’t one of his biggest strengths but he seems to have really taken it on.

“We know looking back at Cardiff, not particularly great there, but certainly at United, he feels very comfortable there and had a great rapport there with the fans and a great opportunity to show his managerial skills and he seems to have taken the bull by the horns which is fantastic to see – and I can only wish Ole continued success. 

“He is a very good friend of mine and I only want him to see him do well, not just for himself, but I want to see the football club and the players do what Man United always does – compete in games and being entertaining, scoring fantastic goals – because when you have the players and the attacking flair that we have in our team there is no reason why we shouldn’t be where we are.

“And you know if someone were to point their finger and said, you know Liverpool and City are 17 or 18 points better than us just halfway through the season, that is just a myth. So there was something obviously not particularly right at the football club and Ole’s come in and changed that whole concept and mentality.”