Considering the ongoing crisis at Old Trafford, a laid back attitude is far from expected. However, Manchester United players and staff were surprised to be given a week off after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer flew back to Norway with his family on Monday.Following the dire Manchester derby defeat, under-fire boss flew back to his home country and given that a large portion of United’s squad are on international duty, the manager decided to give the rest of the players and his backroom team a break rather than having them in for training at Carrington.Solskjaer has faced criticism for losing six of the last 12 games and over the manner of the humiliating home defeats by City and Liverpool.Times are bad to be a Manchester RedRegardless, he is expected to remain in charge for the visit to Watford in eight days and club sources indicated again on Monday night that the 48-year-old’s job is not under immediate threat.Solskjaer’s colleague from the golden days at Old Trafford, Rio Ferdinand, has been one of many ex-United players to voice support for the Norwegian. But Ferdinand’s hopes in United’s title ambitions nosedived completely.”I sit here now and I don’t think we can challenge to win this league,” Ferdinand said on his Vibe with Five podcast.”I look at our team every week and I’m wondering what are we going to do tactically. I don’t see any philosophy or an identity in the Man United way of playing, whatever that should be from the management. I sit here confused, looking at the team.”##NAJAVA_MECA_5967308##Ferdinand said that he felt there is a need for a change and that the fact that United had made steady progress during Solskjaer’s nearly three years at the helm should be Ole’s legacy. “I was always deep down a bit sceptical,” said the 43-year-old. “Could he take us on to be champions? I wasn’t sure, I wasn’t fully convinced – I hoped he would be able to do that.”But the showing with the squad that he accumulated, to the beginning of this season – and what I’ve seen this season – I just feel it might be about the time now for the baton to be handed over to somebody else who can take us on now. “And I think Ole would leave now with his head held high because from when he came in to where he got us to the beginning of the season I think it’s positive.”Furious Keane: I would grab Ole by the collar: why do you play Fred?’When Solskjaer comes back from Norway, worries will be waiting for him, especially those injury related. Raphael Varane arrived at United’s headquarters on Monday for treatment on his hamstring injury, Varane’s compatriot Paul Pogba is set to be sidelined until the New Year after withdrawing from France duty due to thigh injury while kicking a ball in training last night. Additionally, Marcus Rashford withdrew from international duty with England – he hasn’t been feeling fully recovered since returning from shoulder surgery last month.
