United Legend Offers a Convincing Message to the Club’s Chief

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Manchester United chief Ed Woodward must deliver new signings for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the summer but only those who fit the right DNA to make it at Old Trafford.

That’s the view of former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand.

Solskjaer was only expected to take charge of the Red Devils on an interim basis but his record in charge since replacing Jose Mourinho has been nothing short of remarkable.

A 2-0 defeat to PSG in the Champions League is the only blip on his record to date as he continues to climb the Premier League table with his side.

An impressive 3-2 win over Southampton on Saturday sees them fourth in the table, one point above fifth-placed Arsenal.

And for Ferdinand, he feels executive vice-chairman Woodward can’t NOT give the Norwegian the gig full time in the summer.

However, he reckons United can’t afford to waste money on signings that don’t buy into Solskjaer’s vision and appointing a sporting director will be key to helping drive the club forward in the direction they want to go.

“Ole gets a blank canvas now to go in and do what he wants to do at the club and move the club forward,” Ferdinand said.

“It doesn’t matter how many players because the turnover has been so many over the last seven or eight years.

“You have to get the right players, ones who are fit to play for Manchester United, players who play on the front foot, players who are brave.

“There’s a DNA that should be going through a player who goes to Man United.

“I’ve seen players who have arrived in previous seasons who don’t fit that DNA.

“Hunger needs to be brought into that squad. I look at the squads I was in and there were hungry people in there.

“Forget abilities sometimes. Are you hungry enough? Have you got a desire to come in and improve yourself and try to improve this team?

“So if United do get a sporting director, they have to all be on the same page.

“Because if it’s a sporting director buying players that Ole isn’t fancying or into, it doesn’t work.”

Ferdinand knows United’s DNA courses through Solskjaer’s veins and he is certain he is the man to replace Jose Mourinho full time.

He said: “Ed Woodward can’t do anything else but take him on. He has forced Ed’s hand.

“When Ole signed, I wasn’t saying, ‘This is the best signing we’ve got, brilliant, I’m delighted with this’. But I wasn’t saying, ‘He’s rubbish’ either.

“But he has exceeded everyone’s expectations and has made it nigh on impossible for anyone to say, ‘No’.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

“He has changed the whole perception of the football club – it feels like Manchester United again.”

United are next in action on Wednesday night when they travel to the French capital for their second-leg of the last-16 European tie.

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