Dwight Yorke says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has to get tough with his misfiring Manchester United players

 

Dwight Yorke believes Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to show a far more ruthless approach to get his misfiring team back on track.

Yorke accepts his former Old Trafford team-mate is ‘not a Roy Keane by any means’ and won’t be grabbing his stars by the scruff of the neck when it comes to dishing out the changing-room flak.

But the ex-United striker believes his old colleague has it in him to get tough and start addressing his team’s lacklustre start to the season.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits he was ’embarrassed’ by Manchester United’s  6-1 defeat by Spurs

United’s players were totally outplayed by Tottenham in Sunday’s  rout at Old Trafford

United were humiliated 6-1 at home by Tottenham on Sunday – the club’s joint-heaviest loss in the Premier League – which followed defeat by Crystal Palace on the opening weekend of the season.

A narrow 3-2 win at Brighton in between means Solskjaer’s side have bagged just three points from their opening three games and are in 16th place in the Premier League table. 

Yorke, 48, who starred for United from 1998 until 2002, says the team are lacking real leadership on the field and Solskjaer has to inspire his players to get their act together.

‘The manager has to believe he can inject that energy. It looked a bit lacklustre. We need some leaders. We need winners on the football pitch,’ Yorke told talkSport.

‘Until we get that on a consistent basis, we seem to make one step forwards and two steps back at the moment. We need to find a way to be consistent.

Former United striker Dwight Yorke says Solskjaer has to get his players ‘pulling their weight’

Yorke says Solskjaer is not ‘a Roy Keane (above) type by any means’ but needs to get tough

‘I’m not sure he’s going to get them by the scruff of the neck. He’s not a Roy Keane by any means.’

Yorke added: ‘He has a different style of management but I expect him at least to be having some stern words.

‘He has to address the players in no uncertain ways and get people to be pulling their weight in the team.

‘I’m sure there will be some harsh words said. We haven’t seen this side of Ole but I’m sure he’s got that ruthlessness inside him as well.’