John O’Shea believes that Solskjaer is the perfect man to take Man United forward
John O’Shea is jealous of his former United team-mate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but he believes that the Norwegian is the right man to restore the club to its glory of the yesteryears.
O’Shea will make a return to Old Trafford with Reading for a FA Cup third round fixture that will see the Royals take on a rejuvenated Manchester United on Saturday.
United are yet to lose a game under Solskjaer, with the Norwegian guiding his team to four consecutive victories in the Premier League after taking over the reins following the sacking of Jose Mourinho.
O’Shea, now 37, wants to go into management once he hangs up his boots but he feels that it is unlikely for him to manage a club of United’s level.
He told a media conference: “I’m jealous of him, you look at the players and team and the club that it is. What an opportunity and he’s taken it with both hands.
“Ole is the perfect man at the minute, [with] the principles of success and he must be a front-runner to take over the role full-time.
“He has come in under the radar, but in the [Alex] Ferguson mould, bringing his own freshness.
“He’s kept it simple. Ole would have more pressure if he was announced as the next manager. He’s got that bit of freedom in being a caretaker.”
United have struggled since Ferguson’s departure in 2013 with David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and, most recently, Mourinho failing to replicate the Scot’s trophy-laden era.
“I always felt it would be difficult to replace Sir Alex and his success,” said O’Shea.
“I felt they would have been able to cope a bit better but respect to the other teams and their improvements.
“It’s a balancing act, a new manager brings in his signings, a couple in and a couple out, it’s a difficult one to get right. [But] because of the success and financial power, I thought they would have been a bit closer.”
