Matt Le Tissier believes that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could become Manchester United manager on a permanent basis.
The Norwegian has been handed the job at Old Trafford until the end of the season following the dismissal of Jose Mourinho yesterday, but the ex-Southampton man thinks it could lead to bigger and better things for the 45-year-old.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “It’s a great opportunity for Ole. If it goes well then he has a chance to get himself one of the biggest jobs in world football.
“When you look at the fixture list, they’ve got nine Premier League games before they play PSG in February.
“Of those nine, there’s only one against a team that’s above them in the league and only two against teams in the top half of the division.
“He’s got a really good chance.”
He added: “I think it’s an interesting appointment. It looks like United want to go back to how they used to be.
“They need a link to Sir Alex in some way and to try to get the club back to the Manchester United we all recognised during those Fergie years of swashbuckling, attacking football.”
OPINION
Le Tissier is right to suggest that Solskjaer is in the running for the Manchester United job on a permanent basis. If the club is to avoid another damaging period of unrest, however, they should not appoint him, unless the Norwegian puts together a phenomenal run that forces the board to give him the role. That seems unlikely given the squad he is inheriting and and his managerial record up to this point. Expect United to play with less pressure and with more freedom, but the chances are this will come from knowing that this season has essentially been written off and they have nothing to lose. For United to properly grow, they need to step out of Sir Alex Ferguson’s shadow with a solid plan in place for the club’s development. Up until this point they have not had one, and it has cost them dearly. If Solskjaer does well then there is no harm in giving him a decent role in the backroom staff of a new boss, in the same way that Michael Carrick or Nicky Butt have been, but the Reds cannot afford to build their future on the ghost of Ferguson’s grand tenure.