Manchester United treble winner takes aim at Solskjaer critics

Former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke has claimed criticism of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is rooted in “pure jealousy” and has praised his ex-teammate for “sticking to his beliefs”.

Solskjaer, after spells at Cardiff City and Molde, was named interim boss in late 2018 following the sacking of Jose Mourinho.

He won 14 of his 19 matches in charge before being awarded the title of permanent manager in March 2019. His first full season yielded a top-four finish and now, less than two years later, his side are sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table.

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Solskjaer’s tenure, however, has not been plain sailing. Concerns over his tactical acumen have been persistent, with the situation reaching boiling point earlier this season when United were knocked out of the Champions League group stages following a ropey start to the season.

Yorke, however, feels Solskjaer has been scapegoated at times by the media, citing his limited experience as a factor. The former treble winner told The Sun: “There is a lot of jealousy towards Ole from within the game. People don’t want to see him be successful for some reason.

“I have been looking at it and listening to people talk about the football club and it is pure jealousy.

“He did not do great at Cardiff and managed Molde then gets one of the top jobs in world football.

“People in football are begging for an opportunity and he has got this one, he’s won the jackpot.”

On Solskjaer’s thick skin, Yorke added: “He has ignored all that talk, stuck to his beliefs and, let’s remember, used all his experience from his time at United as a player and working with the Under-23s.

“He has grasped this and now look at where they are.”