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Simon Jordan prediction proven right as talkSPORT pundit claimed ‘Manchester United will win nothing this season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’ back in December – and says manager ‘doesn’t have the chops’ for job
Simon Jordan reiterated his view that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not the right man to take Manchester United back to where they belong, as his prediction was proven absolutely correct.
The outspoken pundit insists he takes no pleasure in watching the Red Devils lose the Europa League final, but says it’s more proof Solskjaer is not up to the job at Old Trafford.
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Mr Jordan has officially become talkSPORT’s latest football oracle as he predicted the Red Devils would win NOTHING this season under the Norwegian coach - all the way back in December.
The talkSPORT co-host's prediction came at a time of rising optimism at Old Trafford, with United tipped as surprise Premier League title contenders after a run of seven league games unbeaten and fresh from a stunning 6-2 thrashing of Leeds United.
Roy Keane was among those in high praise of Solskjaer’s side, saying they should ‘fancy their chances’ of ending the club’s seven-year wait for the league crown.
But Simon saw through the apparent mirage of impressive results, insisting the club will never win a title with Solskjaer in charge.
And his comments made for interesting reading on Thursday morning, after watching United’s latest trophy failure as they lost the Europa League final to Villarreal in a penalty shoot-out.
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“In my view, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will deliver nothing,” he said on White and Jordan in December.
“He might get them into the top four, and if that’s Man United’s aim, fantastic, but I thought Man United wanted to win things…
“Will Man United win the title? No chance! No chance will they win the Premier League title, no chance will they win the Champions League – well, they can’t because they got knocked out – no chance will they win the Europa League, and they won’t win the FA Cup.
“I guarantee you, as we sit here today, Man United will win nothing this season.”
Jordan, who infamously told Solskjaer to ‘get his coat’ during the early stages of last season, addressed his ongoing criticism of the United boss on Thursday morning.
And while he appeared more measured in his view, insisting Solskjaer is not the only man to blame for United’s continued wait for silverware, he remained adamant the former striker ‘does not have the chops’ for the top job.
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“Agenda? It’s not an agenda, this is not personal against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, it’s just an observation, a consistent theme," he told the nation.
“I take no satisfaction in watching somebody lose and be very upset after the game but if you ask, ‘has this season been a success for Manchester United’, the answer has to be, ‘no’.
“When you get ejected from one competition and get a second chance to win another one, get draws that help you and play Villarreal in the final, you really should be winning that trophy.
“My God, if you can’t win a tournament where you’ve gone past Granada, a disco-dancing team when Tony Adams was there three years ago… then you deserve to be in this situation.
“It’s very challenging for him, Manchester United don’t operate as best in class from the boardroom down. The owners don’t operate in a way they should for a club of that stature, the management team that has been assembled around Solskjaer to help him build an elite team aren’t there.
“Irrespective of whether I think Solskjaer is the right man for the job, I just don't think he’s got the tool kit, and then you get to the players… when it comes to the moment to dig your manager out of a cart, they’re not there!
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“I said at the beginning of the season they won’t win the league or a major tournament, and then I got braver and said they will win nothing, and they didn’t.
“You can’t run the argument that one kick of a penalty determines an entire season… they have made progress under Solskjaer, he’s improved the spirit at the club from the dark days under Jose Mourinho - but they still haven’t won anything!
"This result will enable people to build up the narrative of how incompetent he is. He’s not incompetent, he is a decent football manager and I have always said that.”
He has, to be fair.
Jordan continued: “But I never thought he should have got the job in the first place.
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“The only way Manchester United are going to win something next season of any significance is if there's a massive erosion of the other sides. If Man City go into decline, if Liverpool don’t hit their straps again.
“I don’t think that’s going to happen, and I’ve never thought so, I’ve never thought so [that United will win any trophies] over the last three years.
“The one thing I’ve been consistent about is not degrading this man on a personal level, I’ve simply said he doesn’t have the chops to do what it takes to put Man United back where I think they should be.
“I couldn't care less about Man United, I’m a Crystal Palace supporter! But when we’re talking objectively about the biggest club in England football, I think it’s not good enough.
“But I think it’s not good enough from the owners, to the board room, to the dugout, to the pitch - across the board.
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"I listened to a bunch of pundits on BT Sport like Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes, who were talking absolute drivel, making excuses from the outset and then backpedalling like a quick thing from Quickland!"
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