This archive report was first published on 2 January 2020.
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has come under fire from former player Robin Van Persie, who accused him of being too nice after the team's 2-0 defeat at Arsenal on January 1, 2020.
Van Persie, a former Arsenal and Manchester United striker, made the comments while analyzing the game on BT Sport.
He said that Solskjaer's body language after the defeat was a concern, and that he needed to be more ruthless to get the best out of his players.
"I look at Ole and he seems like a really nice guy. I would like to see him a bit more edgy, a bit more mean at times. He's smiling after a game like that. This is not the time to smile," Van Persie said.
Van Persie also suggested that Manchester United players needed to fear their manager in order to perform at their best.
"You need a bit of fear as well for your coach, but first you need a game plan. If you have that then you know if you don't make those runs, if don't past the balls, you will get punished... you will not play the next game," he said.
