United host Brighton at Old Trafford on Saturday
Saturday 19 January 2019 11:18, UK
Manchester United caretaker-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has rejected the idea that player power is a growing problem in football, but he accepts "times are changing".
In Jose Mourinho's first sit-down interview since being sacked by United, he told BeIN Sports that "in modern football there is a problem between the coach and the player" and said clubs need to protect managers.
While at United, Mourinho fell out with club-record signing Paul Pogba over his social media activity - with their feud boiling over into a frosty exchange on the training ground captured by Sky Sports News.
Solskjaer, whose positive man-management style has rejuvenated the squad Mourinho failed to inspire, believes coaches must adapt their approach for the modern player.
"I think [you have to treat players differently now] - times are changing," said Solskjaer ahead of Saturday's visit of Brighton.
"I'm old enough to have worked with older players and older managers so I know that type of player and management school.
"But I'm young enough [to understand modern players], and I've got kids - an 18-year-old - myself, and I have worked now with young players back home. It is a different era.
"I wouldn't say they are more powerful but it's different because with social media the society they grow up in - I sound so old now - it is such a different era.
"Now everything is just on Twitter, Facebook or whatever it is straight away. As long as it is not malicious [it's fine], that's just the reality we live in.
"They still have to have the values of a team. If players want to help the team, they deserve to be here. If they don't want to help the team, they don't deserve to be here. Those values and beliefs don't change."
