Ince stands by assertion that “anyone could have done the same” as Solskjaer at Manchester United

The former Blackpool and Notts County boss raised some eyebrows on BT Sport on Saturday when he claimed: “They needed someone to rest the ship, I think I could have done that. Steve Bruce could’ve done it, Mark Hughes could’ve done it.”

Solskjaer has led the Red Devils to eight wins in nine games, drawing the other, since replacing Jose Mourinho in the Old Trafford hotseat in December.

Ince sought to clarify his comments on Match of the Day 2 on Sunday, insisting he didn’t intend to disrespect the Norwegian but otherwise standing his ground.

“My argument was that it was easy for whoever came in after that to right the ship, and lift the players and the dressing room - and put the whole club back on track," he said.

"When I said anyone could have come in and done the same, I didn't mean to be disrespectful to Ole."

"With his results, he's then taken it on to the next level too - but even that improvement does not mean he is the right man to get the job in the summer.

"I've got absolutely nothing against Ole, but when I look at teams who have done something similar, and given permanent jobs to interim managers who turned things around in a short space of time, not many of them have lasted very long."