Dimitar Berbatov believes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has justified Manchester United's patience

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Dimitar Berbatov believes Manchester United's recent form shows that the club were right to keep faith with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Solskjaer came under pressure earlier this season as United's chances of a top-four finish appeared slim.

However, the Red Devils were unbeaten in 11 games in all competitions prior to the season being placed on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.

United beat Manchester City 2-0 in their most recent outing to remain within three points of fourth place in the Premier League table, and Berbatov thinks Solskjaer has now proved that he is the right man for the job.

“Very few people were expecting to see Manchester United beat Pep Guardiola's Man City both home and away in the Premier League this season," he told Betfair.

“To beat them twice was a big feat. I have said this before, but for me, City are not the team they were last season, they are in the shadow of Liverpool and they know it.

“Sometimes, that can play on your mind and it can affect the way you perform and the way you perform - if you are a clever enough opposition you will know how to use that and it was a perfect example of how to exploit City's weaknesses.

“The two league results against City are a real positive for the club, it gives the manager and players the chance to say, 'you see, we are capable to beat the reigning champions and we can do it'.

“Yes, United have had some bad games this season but they have proven that they are fully capable of turning up and putting on a strong performance against one of the best teams in the league.

“Sometimes, patience is a virtue, but when you work and follow your philosophy, in the case of Ole, at some point it will pay off.

“Looking at both of the games against City in the league, I really enjoyed to 2-0 at Old Trafford. Both of them are results that need to be cherished and both of them brought points to the table, but the match at home was proof that the first result wasn't a fluke, they proved themselves.”

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Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).