‘Ole Gunnar Solskjaer deserved more time as Manchester United manager - we did amazingly and we were on the way to doing something big’ Nemanja Matic on life under Ole at Old Trafford

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s three-year reign at Manchester United remains something of a talking point among Red Devils fans.

While there was plenty of frustration among supporters during the Norwegian’s time in the Old Trafford dugout, as he failed to kick on from back-to-back top three finishes and reached four semi-finals and a final without claiming anysilverware.

But the club’s record since his November 2021 departure suggests there is more to his legacy than meets the eye - a view backed up by a number of his former players.

Matic on life under Solskjaer at Old Trafford

For ex-Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic, Solskjaer had plenty of offer as the Red Devils boss during the transitional post-Sir Alex Ferguson period.

“We finished second and third under him,” Matic tells FourFourTwo. “There was an atmosphere in the team that we weren’t happy finishing second, but when you see the results now, we did amazingly.

“I think Ole deserved more time – and when I say Ole, I also want to mention his staff, like Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna. They were going the right way to bring United back.

“Of course, they made the decision to sack Ole based on his final couple of results, but he was an amazing person with the right profile for the club. He and his assistants understood football – training was perfect and had every little detail ready for us.

“I felt sorry because Ole was a great guy and we were on the way to doing something big. I wasn’t his first choice in the midfield and never liked a coach when I didn’t play – I’d fight with them.

“But Ole was the first coach I didn’t fight with. He brought the players who weren’t in the starting XI together.

“He knew the club and the fans loved him.”