'It would be a really strange appointment' - Alan Shearer warns Man Utd to be 'really careful' amid Ole Gunnar Solskjaer talks as Norwegian bids for interim return

Solskjaer left United at the end of the 2020/21 season, after guiding the club to two top-four finishes and a Europa League final. He has since managed Besiktas, but is now available and is clearly ready to return to Old Trafford, with reports suggesting the former striker is poised to hold talks with the club on Saturday. United are minded to bring in an interim after Amorim's departure, and have also been linked with former Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick. Now, though, Shearer has warned the club off turning the clock back, as he insists there are simply too many problems at United for Solskjaer to fix.

Indeed, he has urged United to tread carefully and potentially appoint a manager after the World Cup, depending on who becomes available. 

Shearer told Betfair: "I wasn't surprised at all that Amorim was sacked in the end. I think Ruben Amorim knew it was coming. He gave them no choice with his outburst after the Leeds game. In any walk of life, if you publicly criticise your boss, you know what’s going to happen. Once he did that, it was just a matter of time. I think he knew what he was doing, he knew the writing was on the wall and that rant was his way of trying to take other people down with him.

"It would be a really strange appointment to go back to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. I understand Darren Fletcher or Michael Carrick, but I wouldn't understand going back to a guy the club have already sacked. I know Ole played for the club, has a great history and affinity there, and did well as an interim, but they sacked him for a reason.

"I totally understand Carrick or Fletcher to get them through to the end of the season. But it does seem like a recurring thing, and they have to be really careful. If the interim does well, they have to be really careful not to get stuck in that trap again. There will be big-name managers available in the summer - maybe Thomas Tuchel, depending on England's World Cup, maybe Carlo Ancelotti depending on Brazil.

"You stop the cycle by getting a really strong, big character in and letting him do the job. It’s no coincidence that the three clubs at the top - Villa, City, and Arsenal - are all basically run by their managers.

"They have directors of football, but they work in sync. That has to happen at Man United to get them anywhere near where they want to be."

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United are currently seventh in the Premier League table and sit just three points off the top four, but Shearer does not believe their fortunes will turn around.

He added: "I’m not sure it’s going to get much better at Manchester United. I know they’ll get players back from AFCON and they have injuries, but I still think they’re a seventh or eighth-place team. I don’t think they’re much better than that.

"I’ve said that all season and been consistent with it. Fletcher isn't a magician; he can’t just wave a wand and miraculously fix it. It’s going to take a while for them to get back into the top four regularly. The performance against Burnley didn't surprise me. They are where they are, and it will be a while before they’re challenging again.

"The players have to take some responsibility, as does the manager, and the decision-makers at Old Trafford for the sacking of Amorim. They’re the ones who sat in a room with him, thought he was the right man, knew his system, and ultimately got it wrong. It’s a collective failure."

"You can’t pin the blame on just one person or group. Yes, players have failed to take chances, and the manager underperformed, but look at the decision-makers: hiring and sacking Dan Ashworth, hiring Amorim, insisting he come early... There are so many things wrong with that football club. That's why it won't change overnight.

United face Brighton in the third round of the FA Cup this weekend and will once again be led by Darren Fletcher, who oversaw their 2-2 draw with Burnley in midweek, while the club continue talks with Solskjaer.