Ole Gunnar Solskjær | 2021/22 Discussion

[Buster15]

I could accept that if it was the same set of players but it's not. Truth be told, managing failures are very common and in an extremely competitive environment you need to have the best managers AND players to be at the top. Think about it this way, none of our managers were on a successful run at club level when we appointed them, two nobodies and two has beens.

Yes. That is a fair point about the managers record prior to joining United.
There were and still are major problems with Manchester United at so many levels. Worse still, nothing obvious is being done about it, save for sacking the manager. And that has been a failure for the same reasons.
I have little confidence in those managing the club because they seem to be in denial that they are part of the problem.
We may sack Ole and we may get lucky with the next appointment. But even if we do, the fundamental problems will still be there.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Yes. That is a fair point about the managers record prior to joining United.
There were and still are major problems with Manchester United at so many levels. Worse still, nothing obvious is being done about it, save for sacking the manager. And that has been a failure for the same reasons.
I have little confidence in those managing the club because they seem to be in denial that they are part of the problem.
We may sack Ole and we may get lucky with the next appointment. But even if we do, the fundamental problems will still be there.

Not sure how another manager will change anything if Woodward is still pulling the strings. He is the major problem to me. The football team has just become a small component of Manchester United instead of being the major one.

 

[JPRouve]

Yes. That is a fair point about the managers record prior to joining United.
There were and still are major problems with Manchester United at so many levels. Worse still, nothing obvious is being done about it, save for sacking the manager. And that has been a failure for the same reasons.
I have little confidence in those managing the club because they seem to be in denial that they are part of the problem.
We may sack Ole and we may get lucky with the next appointment. But even if we do, the fundamental problems will still be there.

The way I see it, we signed below par managers, in the context of top level football, and that is a symptom of structural issues within the club. So I agree the club has issues of its own but these issues do not exonerate the managers because if they didn't exist none of these managers would have been targetted by the club.

 

[Random Task]

Well, you won't ship out the majority of your players, so that's a fallacy. And your new players(AWB, James, Maguire, Greenwood, Gomes), your staff, the players that you are going to keep, the young players(U23, U19), the scouts and yourself will benefit from a stable framework. It will allow you to clearly identify the weaknesses and strengths of your team within your ideal system and it will allow some players to maybe surprise you and shine in your system. Think about Henderson or even Milner, they have been elevated by the system, if it wasn't for it most people would have seen them as deadwood.

Otherwise you are following an approach for players that you seemingly won't keep and you are not even getting results.

The thing is, Ole attempted to implement his preferred playing style when he first took charge. The players responded surprisingly well, initially, before their poor conditioning took over and they began to pick up injuries, resulting in a drastic downturn in results. We've seen a similar situation this season too. Despite its glaring deficiencies, the team started rather well, only to begin picking up injuries once again, effecting results and performances.

The squad, overall, is not ready to adapt to Ole's physically demanding system.

 

[Massive Spanner]

The way I see it, we signed below par managers, in the context of top level football, and that is a symptom of structural issues within the club. So I agree the club has issues of its own but these issues do not exonerate the managers because if they didn't exist none of these managers would have been targetted by the club.

Mourinho is one of the best manager's of the last 20 years and has won the league every single place he went, including his job before Utd. There's nothing below par about him (apart from his style of play). Really if he couldn't win the league here in 2 years then it proves how shite the club is run because he probably would have with the right resources.

Obviously he'd have still imploded in year 3!

 

[UncleBob]

Well if my belief is to play high pressing football with containing possession then...

Romero will probably be number one. Not as good as DDG but he’s good enough and better with the ball. My defenders will be relied on to play out from the back and I need a keeper who is not scared to leave his 6 yard box whilst being able to make a variation of passes.

Lindelöf and Maguire - similar to above.. non of this hoofing to channels.. they are individually ball playing CB and that’s what they will be doing with me.

AWB & Shaw - really I need two attacking full backs which neither are but AWB can be coached - Shaw would be a grander window away from the bench.

Fred - McTomminay - Pogba. Non of this two pivot crap. McTomminay will be deeper of the two. Fred will be encouraged to break attacks and feed balls between the lines whilst Pogba will be allowed to do what he’s best at.. like when Ole first started.

Rashford Martial Lingard. Width will be provided by the fullbacks. It’s Rashford and Lingard’s job to ensure the are an overlapping option when creating a two with Martial whilst the opposite winger looks to attack the far post.

I mean this is just the basics... but if you’re telling me that line up loses to West Ham playing a high press and actually wanting the ball. Sack me.

 

[JPRouve]

Mourinho is one of the best manager's of the last 20 years and has won the league every single place he went, including his job before Utd. There's nothing below par about him (apart from his style of play). Really if he couldn't win the league here in 2 years then it proves how shite the club is run because he probably would have with the right resources.

Obviously he'd have still imploded in year 3!

When we signed him he was below par, his 20 years CV is completely irrelevant to 2016 and what happened after.

 

[Dr. StrangeHate]

This is just stupid and/or ignorant.

Sir Alex finished 11 in 87 after beeing appointed in november 86.

He finished 2 in 1988.

In 1989 the team secured a 11th place in the final table.

In 1990 We finished 13.

In 1991 We came 6th.

The rest is history.

Comparing Ole with Sir Alex is extremely disrespectful to the great man.

Considering people’s views here I think Ole might be good for the club in the long run. Lot of our fan base/Neville believes that given time most managers can become Sir Alex. I think it’s poppycock but if Ole has us languishing below 10 in his third season, it might bring about a change in this mentality in the club from top to bottom.

Secondly most people want managers that will stay at club for decades. This is again a fantasy in modern football which is best quashed. The best managers just do 4-5 years now and then move on to the next challenge.

Lastly the myth that coaching is not important and replacing players is the only way. Klopp had Liverpool crushing City with Milner, Ox and Henderson in midfield. That was all coaching. Getting the right players in is important but without the right coach you get what United have. If we had bought Firminho, Matip, and Wijinhaldum they would have been considered deadwood by now due to lack of coaching.

 

[rotherham_red]

But this is where the people going on about a change of manager are scratching their heads. What’s this image you’re talking about? Is he he going to be in any way competitive while he builds this elusive squad or are we going to be fighting relegation while he does so? Also this isn’t just a poor run of results, it’s a horrendous run stretching for the guts of 9 months.

Except what you're saying isn't strictly true, though is it? He came in to a team that wasn't his and because of the sins of his predecessors, he's had to purge a lot of shit out of the squad with very little to nothing coming in to replace them. Anyone with an iota of common sense could see that we weren't going to be competitive this season. Seriously, you must have looked at the squad and not come to any other conclusion, except that it wasn't fit for purpose? Do you really think Ole would have been happy with it? Because he's trying to stay positive in public, is the only reason why we haven't seen it. I mean, Jose was complaining about his squad last season and it was stronger this one, ffs.

Where Ole has been able to buy, he's bought well with a strong defensive foundation now in place for us to push forward. Because of injuries to players in key positions, we haven't been anywhere near effective enough going forwards, but that is an easier problem to solve than the defence.

I thought it was readily apparent what he's building towards: a high defensive line; high/counterpressing; and fast transitions on the counter. What's screwed us is those injuries in key positions which has exposed a squad that isn't fit for purpose. We all knew this, but Ole can only do so much with what he has. If the board weren't willing to back him to the required extent on incomings, then that's on them rather than him. I do however, still maintain that we'll be there or thereabouts for Top 4, but only because the teams around us are just as poor and prone to shocking results.

A change of manager is not going to change a thing. Not while the squad is still the proverbial Frankenstein's monster of now 5 different manager's own oscillating philosophies.

 

[rotherham_red]

When we signed him he was below par, his 20 years CV is completely irrelevant to 2016 and what happened after.

Tbf, he had won the Prem in a totally dominant fashion the season before. It's not like we had an LvG situation where he came in from semi-retirement with a national team.

 

[Buster15]

Not sure how another manager will change anything if Woodward is still pulling the strings. He is the major problem to me. The football team has just become a small component of Manchester United instead of being the major one.

Exactly that.
The most successful organisations are those that are able to change and adapt. To recognise problems and come up with solutions.
I see nothing about the current structure that works that way. Just more of the same rubbish.
What are the aims and objectives of the club.
What are it's ambitious. Not just empty words but identifiable targets supported by fully resourced plans to deliver these targets.
At every level, we see stagnation or deterioration.
If it wasn't for past achievements and a fantastic fan base, Manchester United would struggle to exist.

 

[JPRouve]

Tbf, he had won the Prem in a totally dominant fashion the season before. It's not like we had an LvG situation where he came in from semi-retirement with a national team.

Again that's the past, not the present(in 2016) or the future. I'm not suggesting that it was easy to see or that it's not hindsight, I'm judging what happened and no amount of "but he was good" will change the facts. It was reasonable to think that his last 12 months at Chelsea weren't significant but the future showed us that it was.

 

[bond19821982]

Genuine question- if we are in a relegation fight , you still want to stick with Ole ? By looking at the fixtures, cant even understand how are we going to get the points. We cant score by any means.

 

[Andycoleno9]

If he lose against Arsenal, Newcastle will be his must win game to keep the job. Ed will forgive him losing against Pool and Arsenal but against Newcastle i think not

 

[Bilbo]

I do not enjoy being a dick to people but when someone tries to be a smart ass I am not afraid to point out that they may think they are smarter than they really are.
All of us on this board are passionate football fans but lets not pretend that we have footballing insight that can rival professionals who have been doing this for years together. Discussions would be much more interesting if we accept that professional coaches would have made decisions after carefully considering the different options, but they may have ultimately chosen the wrong option and reached the wrong decision.

Ridiculing and labelling managers such as Ole as frauds and characterizing them as some incompetent fools who can only give advice such as 'run hard' only highlights the lack of our own self awareness.

Agree with every word you said after the first sentence

 

[Enigma_87]

Would they though? Because if say Poch took over and he did worse then top 4, i can imagine both this place and some sections on OT getting quite toxic if not outright hostile. Jose was a winner, he had charisma, he was a big name, he failed and he got sacked. Tuchell, Allegri and especially Pep and Klopp are completely unrealistic to take the job so i dont know why they are brought up all the time.

Yes, ye will get more time(say Poch) because people are aware of his style, his achievements and past record. If fans expect to win trophies under him of course that would be unrealistic off the bat, but I imagine most of our fans are well patient if there is a clear sign on the pitch and clear improvement in our game. Jose was a very controversial figure from the off. Even when he was hired there were plenty who disliked him. His personality also isn't one that would get along with everybody. An up and coming manager or one with a designated style IMO would get much more time compared to someone like Moyes or Ole and to me - rightfully so.

Nepotism? You make it sound like Ole and Ed are old mates. Have they even met before he was hired?

If Ole wasn't United legend he wouldn't have sniffed the United job.

Also, its kinda funny you mention Milan. Then had 8 managers since 2014, so clearly their method of changing managers all the time has not worked out to well has it? Same with Chelsea and to some extent Real Madrid. Now that the core of their team has crumbled up, i reckon the latter are in for some pretty lean years

Not just changing any managers. They are changing managers who aren't up to the task. They've changed 5-6 Ole's and it's clear that for a monumental rebuild job this type of manager doesn't work. How many Klopp's, or Pep's, or Tuchel's or Poch they have changed during that time? All those that they hired were poor managers and couldn't do the job.

I think everyone agrees the start of the season has been bad, but i think we all need to take a deep breath here and look at the bigger picture. We are in the middle of a massive rebuild here. The biggest since Fergie took over. Both the squad and idealy the entire apparatus around the club needs to be renewed and improved if we hope to get back on our feet and this takes time. More than 1 season.

Look mate, no one argues it's a big job, no one expects us to be in the title race this year. The problem I have with Ole/Moyes type of managers is that they will lead us to nowhere and they don't have the quality to do the rebuild - it's that simple. I have no problems getting behind a rebuild job under the right personnel. Based of what I know/seen of Ole - he isn't it. That's it.

This doesn't mean I'll moan if we don't get a Klopp or Pep type of manager, hell I've seen better things from Howe, who also isn't the type of manager that would lead us to success, but I believe a manager who can coach us and can instill some style in the players is the right step forward.

Pretty sure most of the fans think the same way.

The reason i am still cautiously optimistic is because Ole did well in the transfer window imo. He shipped out a lot of deadwood (something none of our former ones did) and his three incoming players have arguably been our best performers so far and they are all fairly young. That is the medicine we need right now. Get rid of all the pretenders and bad apples, get in some fresh faces with the right attitude and the skills to match, then the results will hopefully come.

Can also mention that if Ole had bought players in the twillight of their careers in some desperate attempt to clinch top 4, i would have wanted him gone yesterday.

But this is where the problem lies. Those three players have played handful of games and in more coherent sides(probably even James at Swansea last year). When results begin to sour and the overall quality of the team is low, along with morale, and their form drops 90% of the fans will come with the pitchforks and say those are deadwood as well.

A manager needs not only to understand the game but pass on his ideas, create some sort of style and ideology and also raise the level of those players. All the successful managers had that.

It's naive to think Ole is that man who will take us forward just because we let go of some of the poor players in our squad. It's not about releasing players but also replacing them without the overall level of the squad to drop to an extend we would hover around 8-10th and struggle to beat Rochdale at home.

 

[UncleBob]

Except what you're saying isn't strictly true, though is it? He came in to a team that wasn't his and because of the sins of his predecessors, he's had to purge a lot of shit out of the squad with very little to nothing coming in to replace them. Anyone with an iota of common sense could see that we weren't going to be competitive this season. Seriously, you must have looked at the squad and not come to any other conclusion, except that it wasn't fit for purpose? Do you really think Ole would have been happy with it? Because he's trying to stay positive in public, is the only reason why we haven't seen it. I mean, Jose was complaining about his squad last season and it was stronger this one, ffs.

Where Ole has been able to buy, he's bought well with a strong defensive foundation now in place for us to push forward. Because of injuries to players in key positions, we haven't been anywhere near effective enough going forwards, but that is an easier problem to solve than the defence.

I thought it was readily apparent what he's building towards: a high defensive line; high/counterpressing; and fast transitions on the counter. What's screwed us is those injuries in key positions which has exposed a squad that isn't fit for purpose. We all knew this, but Ole can only do so much with what he has. If the board weren't willing to back him to the required extent on incomings, then that's on them rather than him. I do however, still maintain that we'll be there or thereabouts for Top 4, but only because the teams around us are just as poor and prone to shocking results.

A change of manager is not going to change a thing. Not while the squad is still the proverbial Frankenstein's monster of now 5 different manager's own oscillating philosophies.

It is, problem is that the vast majority are thick as feck.

 

[Wolff]

It is, problem is that the vast majority are thick as feck.

The vast majority isn’t. But there are a few leading the line with to much time on their hands. Maybe time to get a job and a new aganda, for some anyways..

 

[Spiersey]

Of course they are. The entire project is in transition. The fact is though that you won't get threat from the wings with these players. You won't get an efficient pressing team with these players. We wont have an aerial presence in the box from open play with these players. I could go on and on. Being a top coach does not mean that you will be able to make this happen through coaching. Pep and Klopp needed lots of new players to realise their vision. They didn't make these teams out of what they had. The squads are unrecognisable from what they inherited.

When Pep first came to City no-one could imagine KDB, David Silva, Aguero all working in a high pressing system. Good managers improve players, Pep would have this United team pressing very well. A good press has as much to do with the coaching as it does the players.

 

[UncleBob]

The vast majority isn’t. But there are a few leading the line with to much time on their hands. Maybe time to get a job and a new aganda, for some anyways..

I disagree.

 

[UncleBob]

When Pep first came to City no-one could imagine KDB, David Silva, Aguero all working in a high pressing system. Good managers improve players, Pep would have this United team pressing very well. A good press has as much to do with the coaching as it does the players.

In his first season he was also mocked for refusing to change his style, which according to popular belief obviously wasn't suited to the PL, in a season where City finished 3rd in what was, to say the least, and underwhelming season.

What's wrong with the way this United team currently press, could you be a bit more spesific

 

[Mainoldo]

And you are the type of muppet who Ed Woodward has been able to fool into believing that it's all the managers fault and by changing the coach everything will be hunky dory. And I have no problem with people thinking Ole is not good enough or is not doing a good job, but believing that you have some tactical insight that Ole is incapable to have is some next level bs.

To believe he’s not good enough you have to have a reason right? So you're calling people deluded for having reasons why they don’t rate him. Okay that makes sense. But then again you back him aimlessly. So I can understand why you’re incapable of understanding why someone would think the manager is doing something wrong.

 

[Spiersey]

In his first season he was also mocked for refusing to change his style, which according to popular belief obviously wasn't suited to the PL, in a season where City finished 3rd in what was, to say the least, and underwhelming season.

What's wrong with the way this United team currently press, could you be a bit more spesific

My comment was in response to someone saying that you won't get an efficient press with these players, which I disagree with. City and Pool both press much better on mistakes/force errors from defenders. I don't believe that Ole will ever be able to coach a team to press near as well as either of those teams but I do believe a different manager could.

 

[Foxbatt]

Ole may be trying to implement a way of playing but surely he should know it depends on the players. If they are not capable of playing those kind of pressing and high line, then why try to get them to play them knowing they can't?
You have to design a system for the players you have. You can't design a system and then get players to play that if they are not capable.
Furthermore it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that our set pieces have been horrible for a very long time.
That surely is a coaching problem. Most of the RedCafe may not know to coach but all of them know when a corner kick goes horribly wrong.
Managers who have a track record has obviously been able to coach. Ole has no track record and all everyone has to go is to see what is happening on the pitch. By that it looks like he has not much of an idea how to get this team playing.
Managers who are at much smaller clubs are able to make their players better.
As for Pep anyone who has seen Cruijff coach or talk knows the basis of Pep is what Cruijff did.
Most importantly he teaches that it's all about right space at the right time. He even gets them to practice movement without the ball. Our problem is not knowing what to do when we Have the ball.

 

[UncleBob]

My comment was in response to someone saying that you won't get an efficient press with these players, which I disagree with. City and Pool both press much better on mistakes/force errors from defenders. I don't believe that Ole will ever be able to coach a team to press near as well as either of those teams but I do believe a different manager could.

But is this United side pressing badly ?

 

[Nikelesh Reddy]

He will be sacked at the end of the season.....Lets respect him and support him as much as we can until the end of the season.I”m not angry or upset with Ole at all,he’s trying his best and he loves this club....He’s obviously just not good enough to manage at this level,but not being good enough is not his fault.

I entirely blame Woodward for the mess that we are in right now.Someone like a Tuchel,Ancelotti Or Pochettino will be our manager next season....Ole will definitely be gone....

 

[Judas]

He will be sacked at the end of the season.....Lets respect him and support him as much as we can until the end of the season.I”m not angry or upset with Ole at all,he’s trying his best and he loves this club....He’s obviously just not good enough to manage at this level,but not being good enough is not his fault.

I entirely blame Woodward for the mess that we are in right now.Someone like a Tuchel,Ancelotti Or Pochettino will be our manager next season....Ole will definitely be gone....

We all thought that when Jose was on his way out, whose to say we don't install another caretaker manager if Ole gets sacked and we end up in this kind of mess all over again. Nothing would surprise me with the way this club is run.

 

[Alabaster Codify7]

And how do you know that? Are you privy to the training sessions that the coaching staff conducts on a daily basis? Why do we presume that qualified coaches are not working on these basic tactical instructions.

Because we have yet to see them in any game so far this season.

I'm a 'show me' sort of guy. I believe it when I see it. I am yet to see it.

 

[Strelok]

For me the current situation is pretty simple, some guys have stopped fighting as they'd no longer see their future at the club or they're in the last days of their career without any hope to see a big silverware. It's clear to me that those are Rojo, Jones, Matic, Mata and somewhat Pogba. All is just a problem of motivation.

Look at our first matches, the team was incredibly energetic and motivated, they run their socks off and our performance was pretty exciting despite the results sometime. Then came the injuries and Ole had no choice but fielding the like of Matic, Mata, Jones, Rojo which no longer has the motivation to play nor the ability required.

IMO one bad player would ruin the whole match already and here we're talking about 3-4 plus in the cup matches we had like 4-5 youngsters. A team like that will never show any kind of coherence nor patern. TBF how on earth we could expect a team in that kind of situation to play good attacking football?

Once the injured players come back - we have our full 1st XI, no longer Mata nor Matic and we still play like the last two matches then we can blame Ole. But I don't think that gonna happen, we'll look very different once we have our 1st XI again.

 

[rotherham_red]

When Pep first came to City no-one could imagine KDB, David Silva, Aguero all working in a high pressing system. Good managers improve players, Pep would have this United team pressing very well. A good press has as much to do with the coaching as it does the players.

Just imagine Mata who is the weakest, and one of the slowest players in the league; and the walrus that is Nemanja Matic pressing

Pep also got rid of Hart, Nasri, Demichelis, Dzeko, Bony, Jovetic (and Mangala, though he would come back later) that season.

If you're going to compare the likes of Mata, Matic, and Young to anyone from City back then; it's going to be those guys. The likes of Aguero, KDB, and Silva have more appropriate comparisons in the form of Rashford, Martial, Pogba, hell even McTominay. You can see that when all those guys are on the pitch, we try and implement the press. But if only one of them is out, we have to replace them with either of the two Ms, who just aren't cut out for it. And if just one piece is not performing it adequately, then it's pointless cos it will open up gaps across the pitch.

Hell, Pep was also on the end of a 4-0 humiliation that season at Everton, and a 4-1 hiding at Leicester, with loads of people saying he was cracking up (of which, I was one). Showing that implementing it in any team is not an instantaneous process.

 

[Eric7C]

"I never said it was gonna be easy this season, said it many times with you Jamie (Jackson), there are gonna be ups and downs highs and lows and when we lose a game we have to trust ourselves and what we’re doing, eyes on the prize and keep working to the principles we believe in, any game in the Premier League is winnable but is also loseable, it’s margins, fine margins and sometimes you stand there smiling happy to have won a game, sometimes angry because you’ve lost, you’ve got to portray the right image."
- Ole.

This is a United manager saying that United can win or lose any game in the premier league. Imagine if Moyes, LvG or Jose had said that.

No style of play, no results, no hope.

 

[haram]

So the pre season that was supposed to help has done more harm than good. Martial has been out for ages now.

 

[fergieisold]

"I never said it was gonna be easy this season, said it many times with you Jamie (Jackson), there are gonna be ups and downs highs and lows and when we lose a game we have to trust ourselves and what we’re doing, eyes on the prize and keep working to the principles we believe in, any game in the Premier League is winnable but is also loseable, it’s margins, fine margins and sometimes you stand there smiling happy to have won a game, sometimes angry because you’ve lost, you’ve got to portray the right image."
- Ole.

This is a United manager saying that United can win or lose any game in the premier league. Imagine if Moyes, LvG or Jose had said that.

No style of play, no results, no hope.

I'm not sure why people keep saying this? We clearly have a style of play that is different to our recent manages. It's more attack minded with emphasis on a higher pressing game.

 

[rotherham_red]

I'm not sure why people keep saying this? We clearly have a style of play that is different to our recent manages. It's more attack minded with emphasis on a higher pressing game.

It's almost as if the more they say it, the more they believe it's true. Like a self-fulfilling prophecy

 

[Mainoldo]

I'm not sure why people keep saying this? We clearly have a style of play that is different to our recent manages. It's more attack minded with emphasis on a higher pressing game.

The pressing is a shambles and the attacking is also a shambles. But yes sure. We give the opposition the ball so we can counter attack and when we do it’s a shambles.

It’s really going to take him getting sacked for people to wake up. It was the same with Mourinho and Moyes. Some of you fans are annoying.

 

[Irwin99]

I'm not sure why people keep saying this? We clearly have a style of play that is different to our recent manages. It's more attack minded with emphasis on a higher pressing game.

In fairness that hasn't been evident at all in the past few games and the fabled super fitness building of the summer hasn't really been on display with Rashford looking absolutely knackered vs West Ham. Yes we have injuries but i'm not seeing this idea of attacking football. People bang on about chances but most of the time they're half chances like snatched shots rather than cutting teams apart with incisive passing or dangerous balls into the box.

 

[Judas]

"attacking football". All well and good having that idea, but when we've got barely any creativity and we're doing the same style of attacks we've been doing for years, I fail to see this supposed progression.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

"attacking football". All well and good having that idea, but when we've got barely any creativity and we're doing the same style of attacks we've been doing for years, I fail to see this supposed progression.

We get lots of chances, but as @Irwin99 said most are off target pot shots from all over the place. Not dealing with the midfield and RW has left us more often than not relying on Daniel James to produce a moment of magic. So on Monday we have one side who can defend, but struggle to score goals and the other side who cannot defend but can score. Should be interesting.

 

[haram]

Attack minded because the attacking is all in Ole’s head and not on the actual pitch.

 

[hungrywing]

...
I've said this several times.

Ole the player was accustomed to being surrounded by class. Ole the manager has NEVER, EVER worked with a single world-class player - far from it, he's never even worked with a single CL calibre player prior to coming here. His eye for talent as a manager is restricted to Cardiff and Molde. There's a frighteningly real chance that he honestly thinks these players are good enough, because they're better than what he's worked with previously.

TBF I'm still thinking 'surely he doesn't', but I have found myself wondering.