Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time could end at Manchester United if he loses derby, says Paul Merson | Football news

Paul Merson says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time at Manchester United could end if he loses the Manchester derby on Saturday.

After exiting the Champions League on Tuesday night following a 3-2 loss to RB Leipzig, Solskjaer and United face Manchester City on Saturday, live Sky sports, having found some form in the Premier League.

Although Merson feels the game could suit United’s style of play, the Sky sports The expert says a loss for Solskjaer should spell the end of his time at Old Trafford, but only if United’s management continues to regard the club as one of the best in the world both on and off the pitch.

Here, Merson also looks at United’s reliance on Bruno Fernandes, why Dean Henderson should start on Saturday, how the game could work out, and insists that if City win 1-0, it’s game over for United.

Saturday, December 12 5:00 pm

Start 5:30 pm

Defeat could spell the end of Ole

For me, this is a great soccer game. I’d say if he doesn’t get over this, it could be that. I think it’s a hit or miss for Ole. That is, unless Man Utd has a different plan and thinks differently about this club than everyone else.

Does Manchester United want someone else? Are you comfortable with this situation? They run the show, no pressure, do you like that? Do the people who run Man Utd think it is the biggest club in football? Do they think like me or do they think ‘we’re not that team anymore’?

Would Zinedine Zidane be in the position today if Real Madrid had not reached the knockout stages of the Champions League? Definitely not. They would have abandoned the idea that they are the biggest club in the world and would have made that decision.

I would love to know if the people who run Manchester United are happy where they are. I don’t have that feeling on the board that they think they are the greatest team in the world.

But it could be the perfect game …

2:17

With no people there, if you ask Manchester United who do you want to play with this weekend: Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham or Man City, who do you want to play against? They would choose Man City, because it suits them.

Man City will have the whole game, and Man Utd is very good at counterattacking. That is the way they will play.

Will Man City be able to keep him tight at the rear like Arsenal didn’t? Does Man City have the patience to attack and not get naked from behind? I’m not sure they can.

The game will be adapted to Man Utd. They are horses for courses. They will sit, 10 behind the ball, and attempt to play on the fast break.

Man Utd can’t be left behind

1:07

If Manchester United go down 1-0, you can say good night. They cannot be left behind in soccer games. It will only last so long. If Manchester City raise a goal, they may lie down and try to tear them to pieces at half-time.

Solskjaer came out after the West Ham game and said it was a massive result because West Ham had scored points here and there. This is Man Utd. Just because West Ham beat Aston Villa, Sheffield United and Fulham. How can you say that if you are a Man Utd manager? You should come out and say, ‘We should beat these teams, we are Man Utd, we have better players.

Man Utd continues to give teams an advantage. The Saints game, the West Ham game, the RB Leipzig game, they shouldn’t have lost against PSG. They were terrible in the first half against West Ham, and I mean terrible.

3:01

Man Utd cannot add 90 minutes, and I think they are going to take a beating soon as they did against Tottenham.

I think Marcus Rashford is a huge asset from the bank, when people are the most tired. With his pace, skill, and finish, he’s a weapon off the bench and Solskjaer may need to play him that way at times.

Play Henderson, not De Gea

David de Gea should not play this season. He jumped out of the way for the third goal, if Ole has a bit of him he will say, “You’re out, Dean Henderson is in.”

People say: “You can’t play with him in such an important match” … there is no one in the stadium! Play him now when no one is watching, and then when all 75,000 fans return, he has games under his belt. This is the time to play with him! What are they waiting for?

Too dependent on Fernandes?

I think the Man Utd players are starting to trust him. They’re thinking, ‘Let’s wait for Fernandes to do something.’ He’s your man to turn to. I think it is dangerous to depend on a player.

It is Pogba’s chalk and cheese. There is a player playing freely, trying things and another not.