The Norwegian’s position has been brought into question on occasion this season and the former Red Devils striker could see him being sacked
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should consider this season a success if he simply manages to stay in his job until the summer, according to former Red Devils striker Dimitar Berbatov.
Solskjaer’s position has been placed under scrutiny in recent weeks after a run of three defeats in seven games across all competitions.
That included a convincing 3-1 home defeat by rivals Manchester City in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg last week, a result that highlighted the gap between the two sides at present.
Premier League defeats to Watford and Arsenal over the Christmas period also made the club’s task of qualifying for the Champions League even harder, with the Red Devils currently five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.
Solskjaer has previously acknowledged the high expectations that come with managing a club like Manchester United, but at the same time has asked for patience as he looks to rebuild the side with a number of young players.
Patience is a word rarely used in football though, with the pressure to succeed often forcing owners into what many see as hasty decisions.
Berbatov therefore feels simply surviving until the end of the campaign should be considered a success for Solskjaer.
“As harsh and difficult as it sounds, in a position where he is attacked from every side based on performances, a success is probably going to be [Solskjaer] being in charge until the end of the season” the former Bulgaria international told BeIN Sports.
“And for Man Utd, [the target should be to finish] as high as possible in the table. It’s going to be a difficult road because after every loss you start with [calls to] change the players or change the manager. This is not good for the current manager, he will not feel good.
“Sometimes people react under influences like this, when you read things in the paper or have people telling you to change the manager. And you make the wrong decision.”
When asked what he wanted to see from Solskjaer during the second half of the season Berbatov, who scored 56 goals in 159 appearances for Manchester United between 2008 and 2012, added: “I’d like to see him live and work in peace as much as possible.”
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