Sir Alex Ferguson heavily involved as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer concerns grow

Manchester United's owners, staff and players are continuing to lean on Sir Alex Ferguson as concerns over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer grow, 90min understands.

United's hierarchy, including Ferguson, had the utmost confidence in Solskjaer - even rewarding him with a long-term contract earlier this year - and did not anticipate having to think about a change of manager at any point this season.

But after an alarming dip in form, and performance level, things have changed.

A title challenge was not necessarily anticipated, despite finishing second last term, but the gap between United and the Premier League's top three is now a huge cause for concern for everybody at the club.

The Old Trafford maulings dished out by Liverpool and Manchester City in back-to-back home games merely underlined the worst fears of United's chiefs - bringing in Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo has made little difference and the team have seemingly gone backwards in terms of overall cohesion.

90min has been told that Sir Alex - still a hugely popular and influential figure at United - is at the heart of ongoing discussions at the club, and members of the coaching staff and players have talked with him to convey their worries about how things are going.

Ferguson is not a board member at United but even he is thought to be shocked and disappointed by the downturn in United's form, and is struggling to picture a future where Solskjaer is still at the helm.

Ultimately, the decision over whether to axe Solskjaer will be made by Avram and Joel Glazer - the two highest ranking members of the Glazer family on the board, and the two who take the most interest in United.

The latter has more day-to-day involvement - though both have a large say and interest in the club's long-term future - but is keen to not act hastily. Indeed, a board meeting was held after the Liverpool hammering and it was decided that Solskjaer will remain - for now.

90min has been told that the Glazers still intend to stand by Solskjaer, though their commitment to him may be a reflection of the lack of options to replace him. The board have previously met to discuss potential candidates but there's nobody who is standing out from the crowd.

One thing is for sure, United have asserted that a top four Premier League finish is a minimum expectation - whether Solskjaer is there to see the job through is another story.


Source : 90min