Vini Jr has proven he belongs among the world's elite

The Ballon d'Or moves ever closer for Vinicius Jr

Adeyemi's missed chances ultimately doom Dortmund

Madrid are inevitable! Carvajal & Vini Jr the UCL heroes

Earps injury haunts Lionesses as England fail France test

Watch Zhang vs Wilder in the Queensbury vs Matchroom 5v5 event

Ballon d'Or Rankings: Wirtz's hopes fade after UEL heartbreak

Champions League top scorers 2023-24: Golden Boot race

Pitch invaders cause havoc at UCL final!

Why PSG are happy to see Messi, Neymar & Mbappe era end

Beckham sends 'talking football' message to Messi 

Maresca's first signing! Chelsea close in on Adarabioyo deal

📽️ | Muller writes letter to Kane ahead of Euro 2024

Article continues belowArticle continues belowArticle continues below<ul><li>Solskjaer criticises younger Man Utd stars</li><li>Accused 'Gen Z' players of 'lacking ambition'</li><li>Says many avoided post-match interviews</li></ul><script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script>

'Petty' - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer takes aim at 'Gen Z' former Man Utd players over 'lack of ambition'

Former United striker Solskjaer spent almost three years at the helm of the Old Trafford side before his sacking in November 2021 and has <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/ole-gunnar-solskjaer-snowflakes-manchester-united-dressing-room-survive-roy-keane-gary-neville-era/blt80d04cef98f8c203" target="_blank">reiterated issues he had with many of the team's younger stars</a>. He says many players refused to deliver bad news to him directly and did not want to speak to the media after games, as he chalked it up to a generational issue.

WHAT HAPPENED?

He said on the Stick to Football podcast: "No one said: ‘No’ to being the club captain, it was just for certain games – ‘I don’t want to be captain for this match’."They didn’t want to say it themselves, they had other people come up to me and say it. It was disappointing. It’s a different generation, it’s Gen Z. It’s petty and shows a lack of ambition."The Norwegian also revealed many players were reluctant to do post-match interviews, adding: "Many players said no to doing the pre-match interviews, the three questions. You had the go-tos, Bruno [Fernandes] always did it, Harry [Maguire] always did it, Victor [Lindelof] did it, David [de Gea] did it, Luke Shaw did it. The others were worried about the questions, so preferred not to do it. You’re scared of the whole reaction maybe, but you also understand some of the players’ mental health."

WHAT SOLSKJAER SAID

Over his spells as caretaker and then permanent manager, Solskjaer oversaw 168 games with the Red Devils, winning 92 of those. After replacing Jose Mourinho at the helm in December 2018, he guided them to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League. They finished third the following year and then second behind Manchester City in 2020-21. He was sacked the following November.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Now managed by Dutch coach Erik ten Hag, the 2023-24 campaign has been a struggle for Solskjaer's former team. They currently sit sixth in the Premier League and are pushing for a top-four finish, though they are now 11 points away from the Champions League places.

WHAT NEXT FOR UNITED?

'Petty' - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer takes aim at 'Gen Z' former Man Utd players over 'lack of ambition' | Goal.com Cameroon

Ex-Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said many young players showed a &quot;lack of ambition&quot; during his time in charge of the club.