Man Utd bounced back from Solskjaer's first defeat with a win over Chelsea on Monday
Tuesday 19 February 2019 11:44, UK
Paul Merson would be shocked if Manchester United didn't give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the permanent manager's job if they beat Liverpool on Super Sunday.
United bounced back from their first defeat under Solskjaer against PSG last week with a fine 2-0 victory at Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday night.
It means United have won 11 of their 13 games under Solskjaer and are in a good position to reach the top four, and a victory against their bitter rivals on Sunday should seal it for the Norwegian, said Merson on The Debate.
"To bounce back like that, I see them going into this game on Sunday with every chance of beating Liverpool. I think if Liverpool come away with anything, it's a good result. That tells me Ole is doing something right at the moment.
"If they beat Liverpool, I'd be shocked if he didn't get it then.
"That place was going absolutely nowhere three or four months ago. They're getting ripped to shreds by PSG at the end of the game, and Ole still has 60,000 people singing his name.
"If you're the owner, you're sitting there thinking: 'How great is this?' Three or four months ago, it would have been toxic.
"Watching Monday's game I'd be shocked if they didn't get in the top four, and I think that's as big as winning the FA Cup, because they looked a million miles off it. This is the biggest club in the world in my opinion, and they need to be in the Champions League."
Chelsea Women's manager Emma Hayes says there is a slight risk in not confirming Solskjaer now - either publicly or privately - due to the workload new managers take on when appointed in the summer.
"If you don't sign him up now, the end of the season might be too late. You have to do all your preparation for the following season. I'm telling you, as a manager, the hardest work is in that pre-season period.
"He'll have had six months to understand the responsibilities of being Manchester United manager, under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson."
