Arsenal legend slams Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for lacking principles

Tony Adams says Solskjaer's principles are not visible at Manchester United
Tony Adams says Solskjaer's principles are not visible at Manchester United

Arsenal legend Tony Adams has hit out at Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's lack of principles. The Norwegian has endured an indifferent start to the season, where his team have been flawless in cup games and Europe, but have struggled in the Premier League.

And another example of their inconsistency was evident over the weekend. After demolishing RB Leipzig 5-0 in midweek, Manchester United gave a poor account of themselves against Arsenal on Sunday. The Red Devils lacked bite and intensity, losing the game 0-1. It piled up the pressure on the Norwegian and raised questions about his effectiveness at the hot seat at Old Trafford.

And one man who is yet to be impressed by Solskjaer’s methods at Manchester United is former Arsenal footballer Tony Adams.

Adams says Solskjaer’s principles are not evident in the Manchester United team

The Englishman began by praising Mikel Arteta, mentioning that the Spaniard’s philosophy is taking shape at the Emirates.

"Arteta, if you analyse his record, it’s maybe not as good as Emery in the first few games. But what we can see of Arsenal and of Arteta is that he’s got a system and knows what he’s doing. You can see what he’s trying to do, he’s trying to get all his players to work hard."
"You’ve got Aubameyang running back, every player giving 100 per cent. The fans react on that, they see the attitude of the players."

Adams then pointed out that unlike the Arsenal manager, Solskjaer’s principles are not evident at the moment. He also indicated that the Norwegian’s efforts are yet to bear fruit in the Manchester United team.

"I can’t see that with Ole, I can’t see what are his foundations, his principles. I know Man Utd principles and they’re not coming up to that class at the moment."

The Manchester United manager himself appeared baffled after another defeat at home. Solskjaer struggled to pinpoint the exact reason for the loss at the end of the game.

There are many reasons. Of course, but it might be a reason when you play well and you think you take your foot off the pedal. But that's not how it works because this was a big game and they're a very good team. You have to be absolutely spot-on with everything.

The Norwegian also hinted that Manchester United’s lack of consistency is turning into a concern.

With the highs of the PSG game, it was a little bit okay against Chelsea and we were very good against Leipzig. We're down again today and it's the consistency. That is the amount of players we've got and, today, we didn't get the response we hoped for.

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