Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Josh Challies

Phil Neville claims Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is victim of 'witch hunt'

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the victim of a 'witch hunt' from people outside of Manchester United, according to Phil Neville.

The club's Champions League campaign came to a premature end following a 3-2 defeat against RB Leipzig, with United finishing third in Group H.

That has seen the pressure on Solskjaer rise, with a number of bookmakers installing the Norwegian boss as the leading candidate to be the next Premier League manager to leave their position.

However, former United defender Neville has defended Solskjaer and believes Saturday's derby will be an important fixture for the manager.

"There's an awful narrative where the minute United lose a game it seems like a disaster. It's not a disaster tonight, but it's disappointing. United wanted to be in the last 16," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"There are Manchester United teams in the past with better managers than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - like Sir Alex Ferguson - which have gone out at this stage. It does happen, it has happened.

"It's quite a freakish time at the moment. There are managers in the Premier League who are below United in the league but have great reputations and don't get the stick Solskjaer gets.

"If United win on Saturday - and Ole's teams tend to do well in big moments, I think Saturday is a big moment for the manager and for the players.

"They played poorly in the first 30 minutes, they got punished in a group which was really really difficult and they're out of the competition. They're now in the Europa League, they've got to go out and win that.

"The narrative from inside the club is far, far different to that outside the club, where it seems there's a total witch hunt to get this boy out of the job."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.