Manchester United news: 'Solskjaer's team no different than Mourinho's,' says former United midfielder

What's the story?

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Ince has claimed that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United side is no better than Jose Mourinho's, stating that the Norwegian manager's progress at Old Trafford has stalled of late.

In case you didn't know...

Since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure, Manchester United have struggled to maintain their aura of invincibility, instead evolving into an under-performing side lacking the winning mentality.

The Red Devils endured a tumultuous season, marred by locker-room feuds and controversy, under Mourinho last year. The Portuguese was sacked in December and was replaced by Solskjaer who initially played an interim role as manager.

United appeared to thrive under the new boss, who maintained a winning streak in the Premier League and led the side to the quarter-finals of the Champions League with an incredible comeback win against Paris Saint-Germain.

The fan favourite was soon handed a permanent three-year deal at Old Trafford, but almost immediately suffered defeats in the FA Cup and the Champions League, while also moving out of the Premier League top six.

The heart of the matter

Ince believes that United's progress has come to a stand-still under Solskjaer, with the former midfielder telling Paddy Power, "It’s a very, very tough job for Ole to take this team forward. People are going to have to be patient because United are miles behind their rivals."

"What worries me is, since Ole’s been named permanent manager, they look a different team. They’re playing in a different way. When he was the interim manager they were creating chance after chance, and now he has the job permanently they’ve gone backwards!"

"I always said the pressure would be on if he got it permanently. I said this would happen months ago. This is why I said it at the time – I’ve seen it loads of times that while a manager is interim the mood picks up and everyone feels like they have a chance. But when he becomes the manager, they’re worse than they were before."

The former United star added that he thinks the Norwegian's team is no better than Mourinho's. "They’ve lost their way, and how they’re playing now is no different to how they played under Jose Mourinho – allowing teams to come at them."

What's next?

The Red Devils are next scheduled to face Everton in the Premier League on Sunday. After crashing out of the Champions League at the hands of Barcelona, United will look to bounce back with a victory.