Manchester United players concerned by training sessions and have doubts over coach Kieran McKenna

Some Manchester United players have reportedly expressed concerns about the club’s training sessions under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with reservations about the level of coaching. The Red Devils were soundly beaten 2-0 by West Ham last season – extending their wait for an away win, which goes back all the way to February – and Solskjaer has come under fire for United’s performances this season. Although a galvanising force when he first took over from Jose Mourinho, United have only won five of 17 games since he was handed the job full-time, conceding 24 times during that run.

Now The Telegraph report that some of the squad have privately raised questions about the ‘uninspiring and old-fashioned’ approach to coaching at Carrington. Solskjaer opted to have a rigorous and physically demanding pre-season having identified the fitness of United’s players as the key area they needed to improve, though they have been hampered by a host of injuries to key players in recent weeks.

Solskjaer, much like his great managerial inspiration Sir Alex Ferguson, is not believed to be particularly hands-on in training, with McKenna – along with Michael Carrick and Mike Phelan – taking the lead in sessions. But some players feel his methods and sessions are better suited to the academy, adding to the sense of unrest that is starting to creep in at the club. United currently sit in eighth place in the Premier League table, but their performance at West Ham set off a few alarm bells and sparked plenty of criticism – notably from old boss Mourinho, who suggested they had regressed since he was in charge and would struggle to finish in the top six.