Dimitar Berbatov has heaped praise on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after Manchester United did the domestic double over Manchester City.
Defending champions City lost home and away to United in the Premier League this season and are an incredible 25 points behind Liverpool in the race for the title.
United have managed to step up in big games against their local rivals this season and Berbatov thinks those victories are an indication that Solskjaer is leading the Red Devils in the right direction.
‘Very few people were expecting Manchester United to see beat Pep Guardiola’s Man City both home and away in the Premier League this season,’ he told Betfair.
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‘To beat them twice was a big feat. I have said this before, but for me, City are not the team they were last season, they are in the shadow of Liverpool and they know it.
‘Sometimes, that can play on your mind and it can affect the way you perform and the way you perform – if you are a clever enough opposition you will know how to use that and it was a perfect example of how to exploit City’s weaknesses.
‘The two league results against City are a real positive for the club, it gives the manager and players the chance to say, “you see, we are capable to beat the reigning champions and we can do it”.
‘Yes, United have had some bad games this season but they have proven that they are fully capable of turning up and putting on a strong performance against one of the best teams in the league.
‘Sometimes, patience is a virtue, but when you work and follow your philosophy, in the case of Ole, at some point it will pay off.
‘Looking at both of the games against City in the league, I really enjoyed to 2-0 at Old Trafford.
‘Both of them are results that need to be cherished and both of them brought points to the table, but the match at home was proof that the first result wasn’t a fluke, they proved themselves.’
Solskjaer has been heavily criticised this season as he works to arrest United’s slump.
Former boss Jose Mourinho said at the start of the campaign that United had got even worse since he left and there were rumours in December that Solskjaer was facing the sack.
The arrival of Bruno Fernandes has worked in Solskjaer’s favour as the playmaker injected new optimism into the squad and the Old Trafford fanbase.
Solskjaer and his squad are currently on lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic and it could be some time before the Red Devils return to action.
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