Manchester United 'deserved' week off training despite recent poor form

Manchester United players deserved a week off training, despite their recent poor form under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

That is according to former Aston Villa and England forward Gabby Agbonlahor who insists United's fringe players still need some rest time, regardless of United's recent results.

Solskjaer headed into the international break under extreme pressure after presiding over a run of just one win in their last six Premier League games.

That pressure was compounded by back-to-back home defeats to major rivals Liverpool and Manchester City which has left United nine points adrift of league leaders Chelsea and five points beneath the top four.

As such, speculation continued over Solskjaer's future in the dugout, with the likes of Brendan Rodgers, Zinedine Zidane and Erik ten Hag linked with replacing him at Old Trafford.

Nonetheless, the Norwegian remains in post but drew further ire from his critics after he flew home to Norway for the first week of the international break, handing those players in his squad not called up for their international sides a week off training.

However, Agbonlahor has defended Solskjaer and has highlighted the importance of giving his under-fire players some time away from the game.

“I don’t mind them being given time off,” Agbonlahor told Football Insider.

“When I was a player you had your three or four days off during the international break. There are so many players that are away on international duty, it is nice the players that are left to get a little rest.

“People don’t realise, just because you are in bad form it doesn’t mean that you’re not using your legs and playing hard games. You still need your rest.

“I’ve got no problem with it, people just want to pick holes in things.

"What you’ve got to understand is the majority of the starting line up are away on international duty.

“It’s the fringe players and the players that haven’t been playing as much that have been given the time off."

Sign up to our United newsletter so you never miss an update from Old Trafford this s eason.