OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER is feeling the strain of the Manchester United job after another defeat, with fans saying the once baby-faced assassin “looks like he’s aged 25 years.”
Newcastle beat the Red Devils 1-0 at St James’ Park, leaving them just two points clear of the relegation zone.
The Norwegian was famously referred to as the baby-faced assassin for his youthful looks as a player for United.
But just two months into the season as manager, Solskjaer seems to be experiencing the same stress that Jose Mourinho suffered towards the end of his tenure, with deep frown lines and in need of a haircut.
The Special One once cut an isolated and disheveled figure on the Anfield touchline in his last game in charge of United as they fell to a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool last December.
In contrast, a fresh-faced Mourinho then stunned fans by appearing ten-years younger when he was pictured the morning after his sacking.
One wrote: “Btw how old does solskjaer look all of a sudden. He’s aged about 25 years in 8 weeks. It’s like one of those before and after meth photos.”
Another said: “Anyone noticed how much Solskjaer has aged this season? It’s like watching Smeagol becoming Gollum in Lord of the Rings!”
A third added: “Solskjaer’s aged about 30 years this season. He looks like a hungover cauliflower.”
Fans are already prediciting Solskjaer will face the same fate as his predecessor when his struggling United side face Liverpool in two weeks.
United’s loss to Newcastle, their third defeat of the season, has left them with just nine points from their opening eight games.
Speaking after the game, Solskjaer said: “It’s my responsibility. I need to sort their heads out.
“Young boys lacking confidence, they need some help from experienced players and staff.”
But former striker Robin van Persie questioned whether the 46-year-old knows how to bolster his players confidence.
The Dutchman told Optus Sport: “You can see here’s struggling there, if I’m really honest, during that interview.
“And I get it if you’re manager of Manchester United during this period of time.
“So he’s searching for words, maybe he chose a few wrong ones there. ‘Because as a player, what does that mean, ‘sorting the players’ heads out’, what does that mean?
“If you’re a player you’re a little bit like, ‘my head is fine’.
“Even though you can see the players are low in confidence, he needs to find a way to reconnect again and to get their confidence high.
“As a manager, when you’re team is low in confidence get them up, when your team is too high in confidence, when they are becoming a little bit too much, you have to get them back to the middle again.
“At the moment, based on this interview, and based on what I’ve seen in the game, I’m not sure if he really knows how to find the buttons there.”