Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s future as Cardiff manager is in doubt after the Norwegian held talks with the club’s hierarchy in London on Wednesday.

The former Manchester United striker left Molde in January to succeed Malky Mackay and was appointed on a 12-month rolling contract by the club’s unpredictable owner Vincent Tan.

He had enjoyed a successful spell in Norway, winning the title twice with Molde after learning his trade as Manchester United’s reserve-team coach.

However, his time in Cardiff has been little short of disastrous, with relegation in his first season and the club now languishing in 17th place in the Championship.

He could yet face a stay of execution as Tan, who fell out spectacularly with Mackay before the Scot’s departure last December, has expressed his support publicly for Solskjaer in the past and relations between the two parties remain amicable.

But Cardiff have won only five of Solskjaer’s 25 league games and have picked up only one point from the last 12 on offer.

Solskjaer has been backed heavily by Tan in the transfer market, signing 17 players in his time as Cardiff manager and just over two weeks ago he signed the Gabon defender Bruno Ecuele Manga from the French club Lorient for over £5m.

Solskjaer accepted he was under pressure after the Middlesbrough defeat, saying: “I’m responsible and I should get better results than this; [better] than what we’ve had in the first seven games.”

Tony Pulis, who left Crystal Palace in the close season and was born in nearby Newport, was immediately linked with the vacant post.