Pochettino should handle Manchester United if not Solskjaer – Rooney

REUTERS: Manchester United interim director Ole Gunnar Solskjaer deserves to be replaced as permanent director, while Mauricio Pochettino of Tottenham Hotspur is the best alternative, according to former club captain , Wayne Rooney.

Solskjaer replaced José Mourinho in December and guided United to seven wins and a draw in the Premier League to argue for his appointment before the favorite of the first bookmakers, Pochettino.

The Norwegian helped United to be within two points of the top four while restoring a flowing football style that had disappeared under Mourinho.

"It would be nice to see Ole Gunnar continue using this form and have a permanent job," said Rooney, United's record holder, in an interview with CNN World Sport.

"But if that's not the case, if the club chooses somewhere else, I think Pochettino would be the good guy."

Pochettino had previously stated that he was fully committed to getting results in his current job, but that hardly prevented speculation about his future in Tottenham.

The Argentinian, who joined Tottenham from Southampton in 2014, allowed the London club to rank in the top three in the league, but he still has not won a trophy.

Solskjaer said last week that the owners of the Norwegian club Molde, who had sent him to Old Trafford with their blessing, had asked him to try to make his temporary stay a permanent one.

United should make a decision about his manager at the end of the season.

The Solskjaer team will face Fulham in the league on Saturday.

(Report by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru, edited by Amlan Chakraborty)