Queens Park Rangers boss Steve McClaren has tipped Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to upgrade his position from interim Manchester United head coach to the club's permanent manager.

Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho at United in December, and the club's former striker has overseen nine wins and one draw from his 10 matches in charge of the Red Devils.

McClaren was Sir Alex Ferguson's assistant while Solskjaer was a player at Old Trafford, and the current QPR head coach has said that United "will have an easy decision to make" regarding the Norwegian if the team continue picking up results.

"I think everyone was astonished at the appointment," McClaren told Sky Sports News. "[But] I know Ole well. He's a thinker and he's intelligent. He's a very good communicator with players. He's come into a situation where some people said he had nothing to lose - but he had everything to lose.

"No pressure? There's enormous pressure. It's one of the three biggest clubs in the world, so that's pressure in management. You put pressure on yourself because you want to do well, and I know Ole's ambitions.

"I think he's exceeded all expectations. They've played exciting, attacking, Manchester United old traditional football. And if it continues to work, I think Manchester United will have an easy decision to make at the end of the season.

"I've got to say he has tremendous staff around him; Mike Phelan must be a great help. The players have bought into it all very quickly and adapted to what they want and it's working.

"Ole proved in the Tottenham [Hotspur] game last month what a good tactician he is and United will be a threat to all the top teams. And who knows - if you go on a run - anything can happen."

United looked to be out of contention for a top-four spot in the Premier League when they lost at Liverpool on December 16, but the 20-time English champions are now just two points off the Champions League positions.