The Red Devils boss is keen to develop the club’s youngsters, but more experienced players maybe needed alongside them to help fulfil their potential
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must be “selfish” and push to sign experienced players in the January transfer window, according to club legend Gary Neville.
The Red Devils sit ninth in the Premier League table following a thrilling 3-3 draw away at Sheffield United , leaving them nine points adrift of the top four.
Solskjaer has delivered just four wins from 13 league matches this term and pointed to a lack of experience for his side’s latest setback at Bramall Lane.
The Norwegian has put faith in a number of young players across his 11 months in charge, but Neville has urged his former team-mate to recruit more experienced heads if he is to save his job and help those youngsters fulfil their potential.
“Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has to go and spend the club’s money in January, for himself,” Neville told Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football. “He has to go and spend the club’s money on two or three experienced players, he must demand it.
“He’s not going to be there to see the fruits of the labour that he’s putting in, the foundations he’s laying, because there’s a lot of good young players out on that pitch, that I actually enjoy watching.”
Neville, who won eight Premier League titles in his career, added: “Ole’s going to have to be selfish, he’s going to have that ruthless streak that a [Jose] Mourinho has, or [Antonio] Conte has, and spend the club’s money to protect himself.
“Put two or three experienced players in amongst that group and they could come alive, who knows what they could become for the club. But they need good, experienced, top quality players in around them, because they don’t know the game at all yet, especially away from home.”
Mauricio Pochettino was sacked by Tottenham last week and has been strongly linked as a contender to replace Solskjaer, but Neville is unsure whether it is time to make a change.
“Personally, two and a half years ago when Louis van Gaal got sacked by Manchester United, I said Mauricio Pochettino should have been appointed before Jose Mourinho, so I can’t sit here now and say he won’t be the right person for the football club.
“But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed eight months ago, the club have taken a different track.”
Be the first to comment