Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says that the struggles of Manchester United are difficult to see, but they may have been inflicted themselves in view of the club's decision to sell Scott Mctominay.
United has passed a turgide campaign after the dismissal of Erik ten Hag and the replacement of the Dutchman by Ruben Amorim, who had no impact.
Amorim's side is 15th in the table for Sunday's visit to Brentford, although there is still hope for silverware in the Europa League, in which they lead Athletic Bilbao 3-0 on Thursday after the first stage of their semi-final.
Central to United's struggles were their lack of success on the transfer market, such as Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte who did not impose themselves in the Old Trafford.
Mctominay went to Napoli in August and has not looked back since then, with its 11 goals this campaign the most midfielder in the Serie A.
“Scott and Fred together, they were boys where you would put your hat on every day to give 100%,” Solskjaer, now management of Besiktas, told BBC Sport.
“How you can sell Scott is beyond me.”
11 – #Mctominay scored 11 goals in the current competition, more than any other player in one Serie A campaign (overtaken law in 1961/62); Before him was the last midfielder who could score 10+ goals in a single BIG-5 campaign Charlie Adam in 2010/11 (12, Blackpool). Royal. pic.twitter.com/cuqnqjf4j0
– OPTAPAOLO (@OPTAPAOLO) 27 April 2025
The goal of MCTominay, this campaign, is indeed the most Scottish player in the Serie A in history, as a result of which Denis Law's 10 caught up in 1960-61.
The last Scotland midfielder for McTominay to manage 10 or more goals in one campaign in Europe's top five competitions was Charlie Adam and scored 12 for Blackpool in the Premier League season 2010-11.
This marks McTominay's best scoring return in a single campaign in all competitions, with his 12 this term before 10 in 2023-24 and seven in 2020-21 for Man Utd.
The season of the former United Man could still end with silverware in the Serie A, where Napoli led the Scudetto race with three points, in stark contrast to the issues of the Red Devils.
Solskjaer led United to Second in the 2020-21 campaign, with MCTominay one of his most important players, but was fired in October 2021.
“Man United is my family and will always be part of me,” he added.
“In football you don't feel sorry for someone because we are privileged, absolutely 100% privileged to work in clubs like this.
“But for me it is difficult to look at because it is your family who is having a hard time. It is never easy at the weekend when you look at the table.”