Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been given a great opportunity after being handed the reserve-team job.

"Coaching the reserve side is a difficult job now," said Ferguson.

"You don't have a consistent squad of players because they change every week and it is only a slight advancement on youth football because there are so few teams playing experienced players in it.

"That is one of the reasons we started loaning players out in numbers.

"We have half-a-dozen going out every year now and that needs managing as well."