Man Utd travel to face Everton in the Premier League on Saturday with under pressure Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hoping to redeem himself with a win after a hugely disappointing turn of form in the Premier League this season and a nasty slap in the face from Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League.
The Norwegian boss’ future at Old Trafford again seems uncertain and possibly bleak after a ragged start to the new season which has seen his side lose four matches already and Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti admits he has ‘sympathy’ for Ole who’s again come under heavy siege from irate fans since the Red Devils’ poor performances.
An upsurge in form last month for United has since turned into a nightmare which has seen them lose at home to Arsenal and away to Istanbul Basaksehir. Solskjaer knows better than anyone else that his side needs an improved performance ahead of the upcoming international break when they face Everton away today at lunchtime.
Ancelloti’s Toffees have emerged as one of the surprise League title hopefuls so far this season and the veteran coach admits he does sympathise with Solskjaer amid the intense public scrutiny the latter has again been put under.
“I have sympathy for him because our job is not so easy,” Ancelotti told talkSPORT.
“But Ole Gunnar wants to be a manager and so he has pressure now and I have pressure now.”
The Manchester Evening News revealed on Thursday that United have already made advances to Pochettino to become their next manager although is commond knowledge that there is a reluctance within the hierarchy to dismiss Solskjaer so early into the new season.
Speaking ahead of the match Solskjaer is insistent he retains the backing of the United board despite their advances to Pochettino.
“Yeah, why shouldn’t I be?” Solskjaer replied when asked if he was still convinced he could deliver success to the club.
“If I don’t trust my beliefs and values and my staff’s quality and my players’ quality, who else should? I don’t look at one or two results and fall like a house of cards.”