This archive report was first published on 5 January 2020.
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has fired back at Robin van Persie and Paul Pogba's agent Mino Raiola for criticizing his managerial style and the club's handling of Pogba's injury.
Van Persie, a former Manchester United striker, had criticized Solskjaer for smiling in a post-match interview after the team's 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on New Year's Day. Van Persie claimed that Solskjaer should have been angry in the wake of the loss.
However, Solskjaer has hit back at Van Persie, saying that he has no right to criticize his managerial style. Solskjaer also took a swipe at Raiola, who had accused Manchester United of failing to get the best out of Pogba, who is out for up to four weeks with an ankle injury.
"I don't know Robin and Robin doesn't know me," Solskjaer said. "He probably doesn't have a right to criticize my management style and I won't change. That's definite. Robin, took my No.20 shirt and that's probably all he's going to take from me as well - because I'm not in medieval times."
Solskjaer also defended Manchester United's handling of Pogba's injury, saying that the club had done everything to get him fit as soon as possible. He also hinted that Pogba's agent Raiola should not be speaking about the club's business.
"No. I can speak to Paul about it, but I don't think I should be talking to agents or about agents that talk about us," Solskjaer said. "But Paul is our player and agents are hired by players, not the opposite way around. It's not 'agents' players' it's 'our players'. What me and Paul are talking about I don't have to talk to you about. That will be between us."
