Manchester United have been told to give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer more time to turn results around despite a 5-0 home humiliation at the hands of Liverpool.
Pressure on the United boss has never been bigger after overseeing a remarkable drubbing at the hands of their long-time rivals, prompting the board to consider a change of manager.
A number of names have been touted as successors to the Norwegian, with Antonio Conte and Zinedine Zidane among them.
However, former Liverpool star John Barnes has told the club to stay patient and has made it clear that there aren't many top-tier candidates available.
"I don’t think a better coach will come in at this moment in time. Ole has to be given an opportunity to turn it around. That is what United have to now focus on: not the individuals but the balance of the team and the responsibility of the players," he told BonusCodeBets.
"The players know when they lose they’re not going to get the blame and it’s going to be Ole’s fault. If Manchester City, Liverpool or Chelsea lose no one blames the manager, so their players know unconsciously that they have to put in a performance with effort and commitment.
"I’m not accusing United’s players of not trying - I said the same thing when Liverpool had managers before Klopp and Arsene Wenger at Arsenal - but they know unconsciously that if they lose they won’t get the blame.
"Antonio Conte is out there but Solskjaer is in the job. I would never call for a manger to be sacked - I always look to the players and think they have to take responsibility. If a new manager comes in and they start to perform, why weren’t they performing under Ole.
"It’s too easy to blame the manager. Guardiola, Klopp, Tuchel and Pochettino are probably the best around but they’re in jobs. Conte’s the only one out of work who could come in, but I don’t think there are many big name managers out there.
"It might have to be someone else with a good reputation. But Ole is there and I don’t think changing it now would make that much difference. They will have to wait and see how they perform between now and the end of the season and make a decision then."
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