Former Blackburn and Celtic striker Chris Sutton doesn’t believe that sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will help Manchester United transform their fortunes.

The Red Devils have handed large amounts of cash to a number of managers since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, but Sutton thinks that despite the poor form under Solskjaer, the club are going with the right approach by focusing on youth:

“If you chopped off his head, what then? Bring in Massimiliano Allegri, who will take the club in a completely different direction and want to spend big? Try to get Mauricio Pochettino who, like Allegri, would also want to see the cash splashed?”

“Can United afford to spend more than half-a-billion pounds in a bid to become top-four competitors again? It didn’t work with Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho. I’m not sure ripping up the manual and appointing a new manager is the answer.”

Young players need time and inconsistent performances are inevitable, but this United side lacks quality and the lethargic performance at the London Stadium sums up the team’s slide into mediocrity.

The likes of Mason Greenwood, Daniel James and Scott McTominay, in particular, have the potential to become real stars, but they need to be partnered with top internationals who can help the team get results.

Patience is already wearing thing among some supporters with Solskjaer’s approach, and the question has to be asked, as Sutton states, whether a return to a Mourinho type manager is the best solution.