Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not the problem at Manchester United and making another managerial change would not “make any difference”, says Louis Saha.
Questions are once again being asked of the Norwegian coach at Old Trafford on the back of a stunning 6-1 defeat to Tottenham.
All too familiar issues presented themselves again during a humbling outing against Spurs, with defensive frailties and a lack of discipline costing United dear in their latest reunion with Jose Mourinho.
There have been calls for tweaks to be made on and off the field, with another transfer window about to close, but Saha believes problems in Manchester run much deeper than the man in the dugout.
The former Red Devils striker told Stadium Astro: “I’m talking about the club’s ability to reach another level, United have that in their DNA.
“The club is the problem here. There is something not right. It’s not about just the manager, it’s the players and their attitude and the structure of the club. Why are they waiting until the last minute to do things?
“Solskjaer is in Manchester United, not Cardiff. Mourinho has struggled, [Louis] van Gaal has struggled and [David] Moyes. With their credentials it didn’t make any difference.
“Everyone is to blame. It is not just the players or the manager, it’s the club as well.
“The overall structure is sometimes stable, 10-15 games, but that’s not enough. To win a trophy it’s about facing big clubs. The structure needs to be stable to win the championship and trophies, you can’t be shaky.
“It has to work – Liverpool have done it, Manchester City have done it. You can’t be changing managers and trying to find a solution every two years, it doesn’t work.”
Saha feels a lack of leadership from the very top at United is further highlighted by the fact that, having only landed Donny van de Beek so far, the Red Devils are still scratching around to get deals over the line on deadline day.
Asked if a move for former Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani, who is 33 years of age and has been a free agent since July, looks a little desperate, Saha said: “A bit, yeah.
“When you look at the strength and attractiveness of United all over the world, I imagine many players want to join that side.
“I don’t know how things are inside the club. Everyone who knows football will question this, it’s not normal. If you have that power you should be able to sign those players with enough time and be in a better position.
“They thought they had solved the defensive structure. They thought it was sorted. The focus was to find some creativity, those aspects with [Jadon] Sancho. He is a player that they need. The players like [Anthony] Martial, [Marcus] Rashford, [Mason] Greenwood, [Bruno] Fernandes – United are about scoring goals.
“They managed to defend better last year and made a mistake in failing to recognise that the defence has been fragile the more they are attacked. There are too many mistakes. I can’t understand what’s happened in the last few months.
“They are just not good enough. They need some people who are nasty. It’s really bad. I don’t like it at all. I want nasty, I want attitude, that is what this team needs.”