Former Norway star Jan Aage Fjortoft has conceded that he is afraid Manchester United will not show patience with Ole Gunner Solskjaer if he does not start the season well.
Solskjaer ended last season poorly and is under pressure to get the ball rolling at the start of the campaign, despite suggestions that the club do not expect him to win the league soon.
He has been keen to carry out major surgery of the squad, but so far Manchester United have only signed Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka with a little less than a month left in the transfer window.
Fjortoft believes Solskjaer does not have the proper set-up or the protection to succeed at Manchester United at the moment.
He believes Ed Woodward could take the drastic decision to sack the manager to save himself if next season does not get off to a good start at Old Trafford.
Fjortoft took to Twitter and wrote: “He certainly isn’t [protected at Manchester United].
“And no one knows that better than Ole G.
“I am worried about the set-up around him.
"Will Woodward sacrifice him if the season starts badly? To save himself?
“And what happened to the sporting director who was supposed to come?
“Woodward has proven to be weak in the transfer market, why doesn’t he get someone ‘who can do the market’?
“Ole G with a strong and good ‘player logistics person’ would be a strong duo.”
The former player also insisted that Solskjaer should remain wary of his squad as they are the ones who could make the decision to get him sacked at Old Trafford.
He also believes that the Manchester United boss will be under pressure to win trophies despite talk of a long term strategy and is possibly in the toughest job in the football world at the moment.
“He is tougher than what many think but ‘agenda against [Paul] Pogba’?
“Statements like that would weaken him and remember it is not the Manchester United hierarchy would be first to decide that he would have to go, it is the squad.
“As a Man United legend, he has more in credit with the fans but for English journalists, there is a reason to intensify the ‘chase’.
“Ole G is a modern coach who wants to build a team and many can learn a lot from him.
“But [he needs to] ‘think long term and win in the short term’.
“If Ole G doesn’t start the season well he could face an early exit.
“He is a good guy who I sincerely wish to see success [for] but he has football’s toughest job.
“He is looking to relaunch one of the football world’s greatest brands.
“Man United want trophies and if he can’t do that – quick, get him fired.
“So ‘primitive and simple’ is our tough industry.”
