It wasn't all that long ago that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was being treated as an interim manager and nothing more than that.

Even when Solskjaer was delivering superb results as the temporary boss, there was still a furious debate as to whether he was the right man to lead Manchester United permanently.

And even though results at Old Trafford have improved in recent weeks, you can be sure that plenty of United fans remain sceptical about Ed Woodward investing his faith in the club legend.

Tensions seem to have thawed since the defeat to Bournemouth, but events at Tottenham have sought to unsettle the applecart at the 'Theatre of Dreams' again.

That's because Mauricio Pochettino had been viewed as the best possible alternative and now that he's been replaced by Jose Mourinho in north London, he's suddenly available for employment.

Pochettino finally available

Forget Daniel Levy demanding lucrative signing on fees, the Argentine is there for the taking if any of Europe's top clubs fancy it. That includes United, of course.

And it begs the question for United fans: would they rather grab Pochettino while they can at the expense of Solskjaer?

It's a more difficult question than it seems at first glance, but somebody who feels very strongly about the topic is former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore.

Swap Solskjaer for Pochettino?

Writing for the Mirror, Collymore spectacularly claimed that United should bring down the axe on Solskjaer and replace him with Pochettino while they have the chance.

"If you are Ed Woodward and Manchester United, you should already have had a chat with Mauricio Pochettino," the player-turned-pundit penned.

"It’s a no-brainer and I wouldn’t be waiting until the summer to make the cruellest cut of all in sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. I’d be doing it now. 

'Pochettino will make United a force'

"Pochettino is hurt, he’s stung, he’s bitter, he’s angry and he’d pour all those emotions into making United a force again.

"I love Ole, but if he had played for any other club than United, he would not have been in the frame for the job when Mourinho was axed.

"Poch is a better manager, he has a better track record and he is a better choice for United.

"And if they don’t take him now, they will deserve all the what-ifs that will come their way in years to come - because he will go somewhere else and get success."

It seems pretty harsh on Solskjaer, but you can understand the point in terms of United's long term trophy hunt.

Is Collymore on to something?

You could argue that the sacking of Louis van Gaal to pave way for Mourinho would be similar, only Woodward doesn't have the excuse of poor results or a summer change to fall back on here.

It looks for all intents and purposes that United will keep their faith in Solskjaer and hopefully his philosophy of breeding positivity and promoting youngsters will translate to consistent results.

Otherwise, Collymore's words might take on a whole new level of resonance and United will be ruing the fact that Pochettino's exit came at such an inconvenient time.