Molde Offer 'No Comment' on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United Links

Molde have offered "no comment" on the possibility of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer replacing Jose Mourinho as manager of Manchester United.

Solskjaer predominantly played as a striker for the Red Devils for 11 years, famously scoring the winner in the UEFA Champions League final to help the club win the treble in 1999.

He has been linked with the United hot seat after the club announced Mourinho had been dismissed on Tuesday. Plans have been outlined to appoint a caretaker manager for the rest of the season.

Following Mourinho's departure, BBC Sport's Simon Stone reported 45-year-old Solskjaer is a candidate to fill the role, while Sam Wallace of the Daily Telegraph wrote that United could also bring back Mike Phelan as assistant. Phelan worked in the same role under Sir Alex Ferguson from 2008-13.

Having Solskjaer and Phelan in control would no doubt pacify United fans aghast at how far the club has fallen since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

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Both were part of Ferguson's glory years, with Phelan a core and longtime member of the Scot's coaching staff. Phelan and Solskjaer represent a United of more successful times built on different values.

Attacking, stylish football and youth development were prominent in those values, with Stone reporting failures in both areas prompted Mourinho's exit.

Solskjaer could restore them as central to the way United do things, even if there are questions about his track record. He won two domestic titles and a Cup with Molde, before being relegated with Cardiff City in 2014.

While he's since returned to Molde, not everybody thinks Solskjaer's past failings in the Premier League should count against him:

Putting a familiar figure like Phelan alongside Solskjaer may ease concerns about the latter's ability to handle a big job. There's no doubt the to-do list at United would be daunting for whoever replaces Mourinho, both in the short-term and beyond.

Getting misfiring attacking talents Paul Pogba, Alexis Sanchez and Anthony Martial back on track is a must. So is fixing a threadbare defence routinely picked apart since the start of the season:

While Mourinho couldn't get big-money signings to perform consistently, somebody with Solskjaer's knowledge of the club could build on the youth development Louis van Gaal started.

Mourinho's predecessor elevated the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Timothy Fosu-Mensah to the first team. The Dutchman was sacked in 2016 despite guiding United to a top-four finish and an FA Cup win during two seasons in charge.

While Rashford and Lingard still featured for Mourinho, it's debatable they have progressed much from the exciting prospects they looked like under Van Gaal.

Appointing Solskjaer would help United return to a familiar way of doing things that offers a reminder of better times. The prolific former super sub has maintained ties to his old club:

While Solskjaer may be comfortable at Old Trafford, his limited track record would raise concerns he could revive a club 11 points outside the top four and looking a long shot to qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League.