‘They’re not Manchester United Football Club anymore’ – Solskjaer being let down, says Parker

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faces a near impossible job at Old Trafford as the team and his employers are “not Manchester United Football Club anymore”, says Paul Parker.

The Red Devils turned to a familiar face for inspiration in December 2018 after taking the decision to part with Jose Mourinho.

A 1999 Treble winner has been charged with the task of returning former glories to the Theatre of Dreams, but is considered to be lacking the support required to deliver on that remit.

Parker claims there is little the man in the dugout can do when it is those above him calling the shots.

He feels commercial drive has overtaken sporting ambition, with the recent regression endured by United highlighting how priorities have changed at the 13-time Premier League champions.

Former Red Devils defender Parker told talkSPORT: “You don’t have to be a rocket scientist or ex-player to know what the issue is at Manchester United and that’s why it’s called Manchester United.

“They’re not Manchester United Football Club anymore because at this moment in time it’s ‘Manchester United [the brand] who come first’ and not ‘Manchester United, the football club, who should be coming first.’”

With that in mind, Parker believes Solskjaer has seen his hands tied when it comes to trying to piece together the most competitive squad possible.

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He added on a coach who has started to see questions asked of his ongoing presence amid further struggles for consistency: “Everyone’s trying to turn around and blame Ole for it [but] you’ve got to remember that he’s trying to manage and coach a professional football club in the Premier League.

“But he’s not been allowed to do that properly because people are not allowing him to go and bring in what he wants and allowing him to give it his best shot.

“This is a problem, it’s a problem for any club in any division of football but if you’re in the Premier League, at Manchester United and you’re not showing anything what people see as trying to win a football league then all of a sudden they’re going to be negative towards him and that’s what’s happening.

“He’s totally out of control of what’s happening next at Manchester United. He can only serve up what’s in front of him.

“When I keep hearing people say ‘get rid of him, do this, do that’ – all of these people who seem to know better, I tell you what, if you’re a plumber and someone takes away your wrench, and then you expect to go to work, but you can’t do it and they won’t give it back to you, then it becomes very, very difficult.

“The problem Ole’s got at this moment in time is that did he really want to go into this season without a centre-forward? Of course he didn’t but there’s a reason why he has and it’s nothing to do with him.”