Ed Woodward deserves "a lot of credit" for backing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having resisted calls to axe him, according to Dimitar Berbatov.
The Norwegian has Manchester United in contention to win the title and they can go top with a win over Sheffield United tonight.
Solskjaer has endured difficult periods during his tenure, particularly at the start of this season.
United chiefs though chose to weather the storm which is in stark contrast to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich who this week sacked Frank Lampard with the Blues in poor form.
The Russian has already employed Thomas Tuchel as his successor and the managerial merry-go-round narrative continues at Stamford Bridge.
But with 11 points and eight places separating United and Chelsea in the table Berbatov feels as if Woodward's approach has been vindicated.
He told Betfair: "There are similarities between Solskjaer and Lampard. Both were legends at their respective clubs and were both managing big clubs.
"Ole was having a tough time at United with ups and downs. People are asking whether he was going to be sacked and now they are challenging for the title. In the case of Lampard, I thought he did a great job of getting Chelsea to qualify for the Champions League.
"They have met a setback this season in the Premier League but patience is not in huge supply at Chelsea Football Club.
"I think they should have given him more time to turn things around and allow the new boys to get used to the team. Maybe the reason is that Frank has spent so much on new players that they needed to do something.
"Some players need a bit more time, others get going straight away. He wanted these specific players to be bought, Havertz, Werner and Ziyech.
"I get the impression he wanted these players and if they are not producing, it is a bad thing for them, the club and the manager so you will take the blame for this.
"I just think 18 months is too short a period, especially if in the first season they qualified for the top four.
"A lot of credit should go to Ed Woodward the board of Manchester United for their patience with Ole. They have had his back no matter what and he has repaid them by United's position in the table.
"When you have the backing of your board, it is easier to work and you have confidence as you are building something.
"In business, one week you are the top and one week you are at the bottom. The patience of Chelsea probably isn't strong with the board structure. Maybe one day Frank will be back and, we witness so many cases of coaches coming and going, it is a normal thing."
