Ole Gunnar Solskjær | 2021/22 Discussion

[Tony Banta]

I would. They've managed good first halves in a lot if the games. And then faded badly.

The amount of hamstring injuries should be enough evidence that the players weren't fit enough to sustain what Ole had them doing over the first few months.

I agree fitness is one issue. He wants a hard working team, one that can run all day.

But the lack of effort and looking clueless after 20 minutes isn’t a fitness issue.

I’m not against the appointment, I thought the timing of the permanent contract was odd though. I hope the board back him.

 

[elnorte]

Ole has done a hell of a lot more for the club than any of you calling for his head. Back the manager.

A touch sanctimonious.

 

[11101]

It should be clear by now that it has nothing to do with the manager. This group of players are a mixture of not good enough, or too haphazardly assembled to play together consistently. That's on the club. We've had two of the most successful managers in the game fall on their faces yet still we think its the manager that's the problem. I have never been sure if Ole was up to the task but it will be a long time before I want him gone.

Still, he has made some serious mistakes. A few off the top of my head:

- Ashley Young. Does Ole really think he is good enough? Or is he too scared of his influence in the dressing room if he drops him?
- Our best midfields all season have been Herrera+Matic or Fred+McTominay. So why do we insist on playing combinations we know don't work?
- Our subs. Seems like we draw them out of the hat.

There are more, but the worst is the lack of coaching. It's well known that it takes a few months for a new manager's influence to show itself on the football style. The first couple of months of Ole's reign was Mourinho's coaching, played with a confidence and freedom he hadn't allowed. By now we are seeing Ole's coaching, and it makes me wonder if we actually have any? Every game we look like we're playing together for the first time.

 

[Enigma_87]

Sack him, get Poch. If he doesn't win anything.in six weeks, sack him as well. Get the next one and sack them in a week's time just for fun.

You lot need to find another club to support.

I'd rather sack managers on the trot, than get used to mediocrity. Especially managers with feck all credentials in the first place.

 

[Devil81]

I got caught up in the love affair that was his early days and thought he could bring back the good times, unfortunately that doesn't look like something he's capable of.

I want to back him but I've seen about 10 different formations and about 20 different starting line ups and to be honest I don't think he's got a clue who or what team we need to field. He's been at the club nearly 6 months, he should have found his eleven by now.

Regretfully I've got to admit, I'd cut short his stay now and break the bank in getting Poch to take us through this rebuild period.

 

[SirAF]

I got caught up in the love affair that was his early days and thought he could bring back the good times, unfortunately that doesn't look like something he's capable of.

I want to back him but I've seen about 10 different formations and about 20 different starting line ups and to be honest I don't think he's got a clue who or what team we need to field. He's been at the club nearly 6 months, he should have found his eleven by now.

Regretfully I've got to admit, I'd cut short his stay now and break the bank in getting Poch to take us through this rebuild period.

Me too, but I'm not so sure Pochettino would leave Tottenham.

 

[SteveW]

I agree fitness is one issue. He wants a hard working team, one that can run all day.

But the lack of effort and looking clueless after 20 minutes isn’t a fitness issue.

I’m not against the appointment, I thought the timing of the permanent contract was odd though. I hope the board back him.

There's been other factors. Quality of the opposition, individual errors, confidence, goalkeeper losing his mind etc. But I think people underestimate the physical side.

I'm confident the board will back him this summer and we will be back to early 2019 form in August

 

[Slevs]

We have to believe in this guy. He genuinely looks like he has identified all the wrong issues with the squad (lack of fitness, players who do not fit their positions, terrible players). Give him 2 transfer windows at least.

 

[Mainoldo]

Every managers favourite quote. I can’t believe how unfit these guys are . Doesn’t Mark Hughes say that at every new job he gets.

This best be the best fitness regime of all time. If Luke Shaw doesn’t have Jordi Alba’s lungs next season...

 

[JohnnyKills]

We hired him as a caretaker manager, then he was given the job on a permanent basis after a string of promising results and performances. Perhaps that decision was premature, but I think he's done as well as could be expected given the resources available to him, and probably as well as anyone else would have done. Having given him the job, we should now let him have the chance to do it (i.e. a pre-season and a couple of transfer windows so that he can start to build the squad he wants, and implement his own ideas with a team fit for purpose).

Fair points. I think he gets this transfer window and pre-season. If it's still crap next season we should look to get rid in November/December and not repeat the Moyes mistake.

We should also be talking to other managers already, to find out whether they're willing to take over in the event that OGS fails. No point sacking him and finding there's no-one to take over.

 

[BlueHaze]

Name them. Who should have been thrown in against Barca, Chelsea, Wolves, Arsenal, City, Everton etc?

Give me some names

Let Dalot start ahead of Young everytime to begin with. Even Darmian for all I care. Put Gomes in for Lingard and let O'connor play ahead of Jones.

 

[Enigma_87]

We have to believe in this guy. He genuinely looks like he has identified all the wrong issues with the squad (lack of fitness, players who do not fit their positions, terrible players). Give him 2 transfer windows at least.

Seriously? How exactly he has identified all wrong issues? Didn't he give contracts to likes of Jones and keeps starting likes of Young?

He has been terrible manager in terms of in game tactics and reacting when things aren't going well. Dare to say worse than Moyes.

You do realize giving him even one transfer window and sacking him before Christmas will mean another season down the drain, another missed CL spot, another rebuilding needed.

 

[steakpie]

“We are five or six points behind third, fourth and fifth, that’s realistically who we need to challenge for next year." (after the match)

Quotes like that boil my blood. My gut feeling is that he will be gone by Christmas, or possibly in the October international break.

 

[SteveW]

Let Dalot start ahead of Young everytime to begin with. Even Darmian for all I care. Put Gomes in for Lingard and let O'connor play ahead of Jones.

I like Dalot but he's struggled horribly when wingers have run at him.

Darmian is a fecking mess who the club have been trying to sell for 3 years.

Gomes and O'Connor have zero experience at that level.

You've just proved my point

 

[blue blue]

Was the pressure to make Ole's appointment permanent really so immense that the board had no other option?

From the outside it was a bit of a surprise that they made his appointment permanent when they did. Yes the form had changed significantly but surely if something is working you don't change it. He wasn't going anywhere else. It cannot be a coincidence that the drastic change in form coincided with his position becoming permanent.

For me it is the players taking their foot off the gas when the manager has been given a shed load of money. They wanted Jose out and got their way. As soon as he was gone they had a point to prove and raised their performance levels. They just seem to raise and lower their performance levels when it suits them.

 

[Enigma_87]

I like Dalot but he's struggled horribly when wingers have run at him.

Darmian is a fecking mess who the club have been trying to sell for 3 years.

Gomes and O'Connor have zero experience at that level.

You've just proved my point

So you just start the one who is even bigger mess than Darmian and Dalot? Young has been fecking liability for several months now, yet you don't even try to rotate him?

 

[Slevs]

Seriously? How exactly he has identified all wrong issues? Didn't he give contracts to likes of Jones and keeps starting likes of Young?

He has been terrible manager in terms of in game tactics and reacting when things aren't going well. Dare to say worse than Moyes.

You do realize giving him even one transfer window and sacking him before Christmas will mean another season down the drain, another missed CL spot, another rebuilding needed.

Who does he play instead of Young?

How many replacements do you think he'll get for CB if Rojo/Darmian/Bailly etc leave? He'll get max 1 in the transfer budget. Jones also has the positive of being English (english players quota). It's not ideal but we can't replace all the shite players in 1 go.

He doesn't have wingers, his players can't press. How did we win 8 or 9 games in a row? We were pressing well on occassions and playing well then everyone got injured.

Its not another season down the drain, we sacked Mourinho in December and almost got top 4. Nothing is impossible.

 

[Rooney24]

He wont be sacked. I mean thats just madness. He has to be given a fair crack like everyone else. Which in this day and age no longer means 3 or 4 years but 1 or 2 transfer windows.

What concerns me the most though is that he doesnt seem to be having any impact on the players any longer at all. We got an initial bounce but overall its been much the same. There has been a lot of talk about being the fittest and hardest working team in the league but I dont see any sign of an impact from him on this. And this is something he could have changed already without bringing in new players. We wouldnt be getting out run by 4km by Everton if he really wanted the hardest working team in the league.

Plus 8 points out of our final 27. Thats just horrific. Relegation form.

I love the guy but deep down he isnt the man for us in the long term. I reckon we will be looking for a new manager within 18 months sadly.

 

[Alex99]

“We are five or six points behind third, fourth and fifth, that’s realistically who we need to challenge for next year." (after the match)

Quotes like that boil my blood. My gut feeling is that he will be gone by Christmas, or possibly in the October international break.

What's wrong with saying we need to be challenging for third next season?

 

[In Rainbows]

We have to believe in this guy. He genuinely looks like he has identified all the wrong issues with the squad (lack of fitness, players who do not fit their positions, terrible players). Give him 2 transfer windows at least.

How can you believe this when you know Young, Jones, and Lingard are going to stay? Who is he going to be ruthless with? Darmian? Rojo? Lukaku? All are easy decisions and all can find a club outside of England. The problem with Young, Jones, and Lingard is that they're English and so there are less possible destinations. They're all in a way connected to Fergie. Jones and Young have been with us for all of our failed managers and they're the deadwood that need to be out.

So far Ole has not shown he will take big risks, hence why he won't start youngsters over players like Young and Lingard. LVG was brave apart from his Captain policy fetish. Ole has not demonstrated this.

 

[steakpie]

What's wrong with saying we need to be challenging for third next season?

He should say we will improve our squad and challenge for the title next season.

 

[SteveW]

So you just start the one who is even bigger mess than Darmian and Dalot? Young has been fecking liability for several months now, yet you don't even try to rotate him?

Young's form has fallen off a cliff. No question. Dalot and Darmian arent the answer right now though.

We will buy a fullback this summer to replace Young while Dalot works on his defending. Darmian will surely leave.

 

[roonster09]

How can you believe this when you know Young, Jones, and Lingard are going to stay? Who is he going to be ruthless with? Darmian? Rojo? Lukaku? All are easy decisions and all can find a club outside of England. The problem with Young, Jones, and Lingard is that they're English and so there are less possible destinations. They're all in a way connected to Fergie. Jones and Young have been with us for all of our failed managers and they're the deadwood that need to be out.

So far Ole has not shown he will take big risks, hence why he won't start youngsters over players like Young and Lingard. LVG was brave apart from his Captain policy fetish. Ole has not demonstrated this.

So you are saying it's easy to clear out the players who can find clubs and near impossible for players who are not wanted by any other club.

So what's the solution then? It's logical to move on the players who can find clubs?

It's near impossible to clearout everyone in 1 window, so at least it should start somewhere. We can't keep retaining players just because we have other players who are worse.

 

[Massive Spanner]

He should say we will improve our squad and challenge for the title next season.

Why? We haven't a hope in hell of challenging for the title next season.

 

[Enigma_87]

Who does he play instead of Young?

How many replacements do you think he'll get for CB if Rojo/Darmian/Bailly etc leave? He'll get max 1 in the transfer budget. Jones also has the positive of being English (english players quota). It's not ideal but we can't replace all the shite players in 1 go.

He doesn't have wingers, his players can't press. How did we win 8 or 9 games in a row? We were pressing well on occassions and playing well then everyone got injured.

Its not another season down the drain, we sacked Mourinho in December and almost got top 4. Nothing is impossible.

Anyone really. Young has been easily our worst player both phases since months.

Jones usually plays less than 20 games per season since he's constantly injured. You can't really count on that.

He has zero flexibility. He has tried several formations and all fell flat on the arse.

So far he had a purple patch, when we also happened to play some awful teams - only Spurs, Liverpool and Leicester were top half teams during the run, after he was made perm - relegation form, even worse.

 

[BlueHaze]

I like Dalot but he's struggled horribly when wingers have run at him.

Darmian is a fecking mess who the club have been trying to sell for 3 years.

Gomes and O'Connor have zero experience at that level.

You've just proved my point

Of course Dalot will have issues it's his first season at this level and he's very young. Darmian is shite but both of them are natural fullbacks and should be starting every day ahead of a piss poor 33 year old converted winger who constantly hoofs the ball up to the stands and blames his teammates. Even Laird would be better. And where did Jones and Lingard's experience take us exactly? No experience I'd start both the ones I mentioned ahead of them. They are both young and hungry, they'd relish the challenge.

 

[steakpie]

Why? We haven't a hope in hell of challenging for the title next season.

Not true. If we buy well and clear the deadwood then we will have a chance. You can't be one of the top 3 biggest clubs in the world and say you're just going for top 4.

 

[UnitedSofa]

What's wrong with saying we need to be challenging for third next season?

He should say we will improve our squad and challenge for the title next season.

Why? We haven't a hope in hell of challenging for the title next season.

Was about to say!

There's no chance whatsoever that we'll be challenging next season. You can't catch 32 points in one summer.

It's going to be at least 2-4 seasons before we can challenge yet, sooner people realise that the better!

 

[Massive Spanner]

Not true. If we buy well and clear the deadwood then we will have a chance. You can't be one of the top 3 biggest clubs in the world and say you're just going for top 4.

You think we're going to make up 32 points on City and Pool with one transfer window?

Are we buying Messi or something?

 

[Enigma_87]

Young's form has fallen off a cliff. No question. Dalot and Darmian arent the answer right now though.

We will buy a fullback this summer to replace Young while Dalot works on his defending. Darmian will surely leave.

No answer is really the worst answer.

You can't keep starting Young when you know (and evrybody else including the opposition) that he's liability and likely to crack. Clueless really.

 

[SteveW]

Of course Dalot will have issues it's his first season at this level and he's very young. Darmian is shite but both of them are natural fullbacks and should be starting every day ahead of a piss poor 33 year old converted winger who constantly hoofs the ball up to the stands and blames his teammates. Even Laird would be better. And where did Jones and Lingard's experience take us exactly? No experience I'd start both the ones I mentioned ahead of them. They are both young and hungry, they'd relish the challenge.

You havent a clue if any of those players could hack it at that level. Its not FM. You're just venting here. Be realistic

 

[Alex99]

He should say we will improve our squad and challenge for the title next season.

But that's just daft. We finished 32 points behind a team that has amassed an average of 99pts a season over the last two seasons, with no sign of letting up, and who are only going to further improve in the summer.

We can only improve so much in one summer, so I see no issue with us aiming for top 4 next season, along with the cups, then using that as a platform for a title challenge in the coming years.

 

[roonster09]

He should say we will improve our squad and challenge for the title next season.

So that people can laugh at him for saying that.

Solskjaer saying we have good players made so many lose their shit, if he says we will challenge for title next season then same people will lose their shit saying he is Glazer pupper, believes we have good players, we won't clear out anyone and all that.

 

[Leftback99]

He should say we will improve our squad and challenge for the title next season.

Why stop at 'challenge for'? He should say we'll definitely win it.

 

[SteveW]

No answer is really the worst answer.

You can't keep starting Young when you know (and evrybody else including the opposition) that he's liability and likely to crack. Clueless really.

He's less of a liability than the alternatives you mention. The answer is to buy a fecking full back this summer

 

[Rista]

Lots of clutching at straws going on in this thread I think. "A top manager does not guarantee anything", "Klopp did this and that when he was hired". I wonder how many of those saying it would be for giving Ole the job right now had we not hired him permanently already? Not many I would guess, which if true says a lot. We have to ask ourselves, are we backing him because we truly believe in him or because sacking him would make us look bad?

He has to be given a fair crack like everyone else. Which in this day and age no longer means 3 or 4 years but 1 or 2 transfer windows.

It never was like that really. We're still trying to take pride in not being a "sacking club" but there is a reason top clubs don't hold on to underperforming managers for too long. At most other clubs also there is no such thing as "you cannot judge a manager until he brings his own players". The manager is mostly expected to work with what he's got and improve from there.

 

[smallred]

he should walk. he will leave with a pretty good rep - he tried, it was great for a few months but didnt work.

the longer he stays, the most damage he does to his united legacy.

 

[SteveW]

So that people can laugh at him for saying that.

Solskjaer saying we have good players made so many lose their shit, if he says we will challenge for title next season then same people will lose their shit saying he is Glazer pupper, believes we have good players, we won't clear out anyone and all that.

Exactly. No matter what he says twats are gonna twat.

 

[Enigma_87]

He's less of a liability than the alternatives you mention. The answer is to buy a fecking full back this summer

We don't really know that.

As for buying one - naturally. We should have last season, but that's another matter.

Thing is I wouldn't trust Ole suggesting one, given his record at Cardiff.

 

[TMDaines]

I personally feel that Ole should go and agree with the woman below about there being no shape etc. in the way we play


I love Ole as a person and what he did for us as a player. He gave me some of my favourite ever football memories but it feels taboo on here to say he should go. Rather accept we made a mistake now than next season and waste literally another year or two (sack him half way through, new manager and then let them have a summer themselves and repeat)

She undermines herself with the comments on Ole not having won anything, which is patently not true, but she’s absolutely correct in illustrating that there’s nothing to buy into with United under Ole. We have no obvious shape or style of play. The players don’t appear to have any understanding of what they are being asked to do, or perhaps they aren’t really being asked to do anything. You could buy anyone and drop them in this team, yet they would soon fall to our level.

It’s one thing to give a manager time when players are getting used to a manager’s system and when he may be operating with square pegs in round holes, but it’s another to hesitate when someone looks incompetent in their job and there’s no reason to believe anything will be better six or twelve months down the line.