Former Liverpool forward Peter Crouch has criticised Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after Manchester United’s win over Atalanta.
Speaking to BT Sport, Peter Crouch has reined in on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer shortly after Manchester United’s Champions League fixture against Atalanta on Wednesday, suggesting that the manager is not being able to bring the best out of his talented bunch of players.
Manchester United did win the contest 3-2, courtesy of an inspired half comeback, with star man Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a late winner. Crouch, though, believes that the win masked what was yet another mediocre display from the Red Devils, who were humbled by Leicester City 4-2 on the weekend.
“I think if Pep and Klopp are in charge of this (United) team, I think the front four would work a lot harder, no way they would get away with it. Don’t think Ole will upset players,” Crouch told BT Sport, as quoted by Daily Mail.
The former Stoke City and Liverpool forward then went on to criticise the lack of work ethic, especially from the attackers before suggesting that the same set of players could become much more effective under Pep Guardiola or current Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
“I see body language on some players that under Pep and Klopp they would be hauled off. Arms thrown recently, that I don’t like, needs to be nipped in the bud, those two would have made sure it was,” said Crouch, who had featured in 135 competitive matches for Liverpool.
“David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne were the two hardest working players when City pumped us in a game a while back, I don’t see that at United,” he added. Crouch’s scathing attack on Solskjaer continued when the forward suggested that the Norwegian tactician simply didn’t have the experience and quality of his contemporaries.
“Ole has come from Cardiff and Molde, managing Manchester United, unfortunately, they do not have a manager of the experience of Pep, Tuchel, and Klopp.”
It will be hard to blame Crouch for his comments on Solskjaer, whose mettle will now be tested as Manchester United brace themselves for a tough run of fixtures. The Red Devils are set to face the Englishman’s former team Liverpool on Sunday, before locking horns with Tottenham, Atalanta and Manchester City, all in the space of fewer than two weeks.
