Harry Redknapp believes Manchester United will struggle to finish in Premier League’s top six this season after appointing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as their caretaker manager.
The former Tottenham manager has told talkSPORT he was unsurprised by Jose Mourinho’s sacking on Tuesday morning and that the Red Devils had ‘gone backwards’ under the Portuguese.
United axed Mourinho after the club’s worst ever start to a campaign in the Premier League era – they currently sit in sixth place, 19 points behind leaders Liverpool and 11 points off the top four.
Solskjaer was confirmed as his replacement on an interim basis until the summer on Wednesday, but Redknapp does not believe the Norwegian is the right man to help save United’s season.
We can confirm that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been appointed as caretaker manager until the end of the 2018/19 season.
He will be joined by Mike Phelan as first-team coach, together with Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna. #MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 19, 2018
Asked about Mourinho’s departure, the ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here’ winner told talkSPORT host Jim White: “It was going to happen.
“The results haven’t been good have they, let’s be honest.
“They’ve spent a fortune over the last couple of years but they really have gone backwards a long way.
“I think they’ll struggle to make the top six this season. I’m sure they’ll just about make it… actually I’m not sure about that now that they’ve brought Solskjaer in.
“I wouldn’t be on them to be in the top six to be honest with you. Not now I wouldn’t.”
It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for ‘Arry, who became the darling of British television as he was crowned King of the Jungle on this year’s ‘I’m a Celeb…’.
The former Spurs boss missed a heap of top football news during his time Down Under, including Claudio Ranieri’s appointment at Fulham, Mark Hughes’ sacking at Southampton and Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane leaving the Republic of Ireland national team.
And just a week after returning to Blighty, one of the biggest managerial casualties in football was confirmed as the Special One was booted out of Old Trafford.
United will wait to appoint their next permanent manager until the summer – Mauricio Pochettino and Zinedine Zidane have been closely linked with the role – with Solskjaer chosen as the man to help reunite the Red Devils after Mourinho’s turbulent reign.But Redknapp says he was ‘shocked’ by the Norwegian’s return to Old Trafford and believes a more experienced coach like Steve Bruce – a former Man United captain – would have been a better fit.
“It was a big shock to me when Solskjaer’s name was mentioned yesterday,” he added.
“I thought Steve Bruce if they were looking for a short-term appointment until the end of the season. He knows the game, he knows the club, he captained the club and he’s out of work.
“Solskjaer certainly didn’t strike me as being that person. He looks a nice lad, but he doesn’t strike me as a manager of Manchester United
“He was a good player at United, but I could just see see Steve Bruce being more of a leader than him.”