Shearer says Ole's still the man for United; Redknapp disagrees
Former England striker Alan Shearer Newcastle insists that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remains the best candidate to be Manchester United's next permanent manager, despite two back-to-back defeats.
The Norwegian, who was installed as caretaker manager in December, suffered his first domestic loss two Sundays ago, when Arsenal defeated United 2-0 in the English Premier League. That loss was followed up by last Saturday's 2-1 defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
However, United's progress under Solskjaer and his impressive record of 14 wins, two draws and three losses, including reaching the Champions League quarter-finals at the expense of Paris Saint-Germain, make him the right man for the job, says Shearer.
"Had Jose Mourinho still been in charge, I'm pretty sure United would have been out of the Champions League by now and wouldn't be challenging for the top four," said Shearer in his Sun column.
"He is absolutely the perfect fit for the role and nothing which has happened recently has dissuaded me from that view.
"The fact they have lost two in a row makes things look worse than they are. United were desperately unlucky to lose to Arsenal... The wheels haven't come off, this is just a little puncture."
Teddy Sheringham also plumped for his former United teammate, saying "he's got to get the job".
"Last two games a bit of a blip, but he's been a breath of fresh air," the Express quoted him as saying.
"He's brought in all the old traditions of what Sir Alex (Ferguson) used to portray to us - what it's like to play for Manchester United, the privilege of the players and all the players who have played before us, you know, a real honour to wear the shirt.
"That's been instilled in the players again. They've got a life about them. A desire to work hard for the shirt and really put in a shift. He's obviously doing a fantastic job. He's excelled his expectations since he's gone in there. He's got to get the job."
However, Jamie Redknapp outlines three reasons why Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino is a better fit for the United role.
The former Liverpool star points out that Pochettino develops players, he can work with the squad he has and he's not going to Real Madrid now that they've swooped for Zinedine Zidane, the Mirror reported.
"Pochettino was the No. 1 candidate to replace Mourinho," Redknapp said.
"He has an outstanding track record when it comes to improving players and has established Spurs as a top-four side, despite having his hands tied in the last two transfer windows.
"He remains the strongest candidate and would become an even more attractive option, should United's season not finish on a high."
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