Ole Gunnar Solskjaer calls for “neglecting” Glazers to sell Manchester United

Rory Fleming

The Champions League winning striker has made it clear that for United to “catch up with the other teams”, the Glazers must go.

Rarely heard from since his acrimonious departure from Old Trafford midway through last season, former Manchester United manager and club legend Ole Gunnar Solksjaer has come out against the Red Devils’ owners.

The Glazer family, who first took over the club all the way back in 2005, have been much-maligned in recent seasons by fans of the club who feel that the once auspicious aura of Manchester United is slipping away under their stewardship (or lack off).

Speaking at an event in Manchester yesterday evening, Solksjaer discussed his time at the club in great detail, and also referenced his thoughts on the side’s current issues.

Solksjaer said that the Glazer family had been “neglecting” the club and that selling the club would be best for all parties. (Credit: Getty Images)

The main topic of conversation though was undoubtedly the Glazer family, who have been the subject of ardent protests this season from United fans.

When asked about the potential for the club to change ownership in the coming months, the Norwegian remarked “It needs to be done”.

“Old Trafford is neglected. The training ground has been neglected. We need to catch up with the other teams”.

The current state of facilities at the Theatre of Dreams has been a bone of contention for United fans for a number of years, with regular images of leaky roofs and other aspects of the ground in dire need of repair often circulating on social media.

There have also been calls for the stadium’s capacity to be increased, but these suggestions have not been acted on as the Glazers deliberate over the prospect of selling the club for what would be a world-record fee for a sporting franchise.

At present, there are two bids to purchase the club. Without explicitly stating who he preferred, it was evident to those in attendance that Solksjaer leaned towards the option of Sir Jim Ratcliffe over the prospect of the club being bought by Qatari bidders.

Old Trafford has seen large-scale protests against the Glazer’s ownership in recent seasons. (Credit: Getty Images)

However, the Norwegian could have to declare his lack impartiality on this matter, as he later revealed that Ratcliffe has tried to appoint him as manager of Nice, the French Ligue 1 side he owns.

Further bemoaning the decision to sack him in November of 2021, Solksjaer commented on how the presence of having multiple title contenders should have changed expectations at United.

“I feel very, very privileged and honoured to have been the (United) manager. But there was probably never a worse time to be the manager of Manchester United”.

“We never had that (multiple challengers) when I was a player. We had Arsenal, but that was it”, the former striker exclaimed.

“The competition gets harder and harder. It’s more and more difficult to stay at the top. All the other teams get more and more money. Every game is a hard one”.

Solksjaer will return to Old Trafford later on today for the first time since being relieved of his managerial duties, as he looks to see the club he still holds such great affection for defeat Wolves and move one step closer to securing Champions League football for next season.

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