Former Manchester United and Liverpool player Paul Ince claims that he could’ve done just as well as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as caretaker manager. Here’s why he’s wrong.
There are no two ways about it – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign as Manchester United caretaker manager has been nothing short of exceptional thus far.
Although the 2-2 draw against Burnley was a minor setback, a ten game unbeaten run in all competitions consisting of away wins against the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal is nothing to be sniffed at…
…Unless your Paul Ince, of course.
Yes, the ex-Manchester United midfielder – who later joined bitter-rivals Liverpool – has been in the press lately, bad-mouthing our interim boss.
On the BT Sports show Saturday Morning Savage, the 51-year-old claimed that, if he had been appointed instead of Solskjaer after the sacking of Jose Mourinho, he would’ve gone on to make the same impact.
Wow. Just… wow.
Let’s break down why this claim is delusional, shall we?
First of all, although Ince has been managing longer than Solskjaer, he did not manage the Manchester United Reserves or any of the other youth sides – whereas the latter has.
This means that the Norwegian has the upper hand when it comes to the inner workings of the club, meaning that he could get on with things straight away when he took over from Mourinho.
Furthermore, due to his time at the reserves, Solskjaer has actually coached players like Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard before – so he had a close connection and understanding with the squad before he had even arrived.
Finally, unlike Ince, Solskjaer is a legendary figure at the club and is revered by all United fans who remember that fateful day when the baby-faced assassin scored the winner in the Champions League final and secured us the treble.
There is no way that United’s playstyle and attitude would have changed so drastically if Ince had been at the helm instead.
Ince has recently doubled down on his comments, but he needs to get off his high horse and prove it in the dugout if anyone is to believe that he can be a top manager.
Do you agree that Paul Ince could never have done the tremendous job that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has done at Manchester United? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!