Ole Gunnar Solskjær | 2021/22 Discussion

[roonster09]

I hope we don't extend his contract, let him complete the season and then we should look for replacement. Hopefully some work is going on in the background but then it's Woodward so 0 chances of that. More likely scenario would be Ole signing contract before getting sacked.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Best case scenario we win the fa cup or Europa and get top 4 then we amicably part ways.

He'll be given 2-3 years based on that.

 

[Buchan]

I like Solskjaer but it always comes back to this point for me: if he was relieved of his duties tomorrow, and every single football club in the world had a managerial vacancy, who would plump for him? What’s the highest he could hope to aim for in terms of a managerial position? The Premier League? Genuinely, who would take him in the Premier League?

Go through the same hypothetical for every other Premier League club’s manager and I think I could only say with conviction that Allardyce, Bruce and Hodgson would fall into the same category, despite those three habitually doing well with relegation candidates time after time, something Solskjaer can’t even say.

It’s a genuinely preposterous position that a club the size of Manchester United finds itself in.

 

[KiD MoYeS]

His contract is up next year, I keep saying it but he has until then to win a trophy otherwise we don't extend. I am very calm.

 

[anant]

So. We hired a manager who inherited second most expensive squad in league which finished second.
Then we bought him RB, CB, LB, MC, AMC, RW, LW AND ST for 300mil. And now we should buy him GK, CB, DM, Rw and ST too? Bloody hell.
It is like he inherited Palace squad

Here's the thing, the cost of the side that he inherited adds zero value to the new manager unless the players in that are going to be of use. You can have a side of Fellainis and Lukakus and all that but these players added no value to what Ole wants the side to become. So saying that he inherited the 2nd most expensive side is a weak argument.

Now coming to the second part of the same sentence. We were 6th when Ole took over, not 2nd. We may have finished 2nd the season before, but we weren't that when Ole was appointed. However, we are 2nd best right now.

Do I believe we're the 2nd best right now? No, I think Pool have been unlucky and we should ideally be 3rd. But, having said that, the same argument needs to be applied in 17/18 season. Were we 2nd best that season? Absolutely not. Underlying stats put us at 5th-6th that season, and if it were not for Dave, that's where we would have finished as well.

Now coming to the signings part - We sold off a few first teamers as well. Don't you think it's right to spend money to replace them? I mean, Pep inherited a pretty decent City side and he replaced close to the entire side, and then replaced those players as well. Did he inherit a Norwich City side as well?

If anything, Ole's signings bar James (who was a punt) and maybe VDB (if you want to write his obituary this early) are the only ones who've disappointed. His transfer record is among the best for a big club, and I don't see any fault if he wants to sign a DM to replace an ageing Matic, a GK to replace past it Dave and the other positions.

 

[SER19]

We'd be top of a pretty exciting title race if City hadn't pretty much destroyed the prospect of competition in England. Ruining the PL most years as a sideshow to the vanity project of winning CL.

 

[Oldyella]

Best case scenario we win the fa cup or Europa and get top 4 then we amicably part ways.

No chance do we part ways if we end the season like that. Honestly, top 4 alone probably gets him another season.

 

[Dr. StrangeHate]

Clueless manager. How many points is it now that we have dropped to relegation fodder? I believe any run of the mill manager would have us where we currently are in the league. A better one, with better coaching would have us top of the league with a healthy points margin.

He is not a clueless manager. He is a decent manager. We need to stop with this nonesence that any manager can do what he does. I doubt he can make the step to winning the PL or CL but he clearly has done better than LVG and Moyes and is better than a lot of managers in the PL.
There are very few managers in the world that can beat Pep. Ole isn't one of them but let's not pretend they are easy to find.

 

[Bobcat]

It wasn’t hard to improve from last year when you sign VDB, Cavani and Telles added onto the fact we also brought in Bruno. The guy is not out here turning water into wine.

I mean then add into the pot Liverpool have broken down and Chelsea’s manager buckled like we all knew he would. Just didn’t know when.

He’s only outdoing himself nothing else.

I'd argue besides Cavani, none of those have raised our level in any significant way. Depth is always nice, but DvB and Telles wont help us win games for the most part. Bruno of course is magnificent, but they way he has come in and shown up pretty much everyone else in the squad tells me that the player materiel at our disposal might not be as good as many people thought

Id also argue outdoing himself is the most important part. Our rivals having a bad season is of course beneficial to us, but at the end of the day we have no control over it. Right now we are on course to end the season with 72 points, which is an improvement over last year, not impressive, but this is a weird season where everyone struggles a bit it seems

If this bad run continues and we miss out on CL football next season he should of course be sacked

 

[Mainoldo]

He is not a clueless manager. He is a decent manager. We need to stop with this nonesence that any manager can do what he does. I doubt he can make the step to winning the PL or CL but he clearly has done better than LVG and Moyes and is better than a lot of managers in the PL.
There are very few managers in the world that can beat Pep. Ole isn't one of them but let's not pretend they are easy to find.

He might have done better than those managers but he’s not better than them. That is where the buck should stop. He couldn’t go to West Ham and do as good as a job as Moyes. He’ll never have a team playing like LVG’s Ajax or Barca. He’s just not a high level manager. It works for now due to his relationship with the club. But he wouldn’t survive anywhere else.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

Well, if we manage to have a strong rest of the season and buy two or three top players who make us more balanced and functional, it doesn't have to be. I mean, at that stage there'd be zero excuses for not mounting a serious challenge on all fronts.

bollocks.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

I'd argue besides Cavani, none of those have raised our level in any significant way. Depth is always nice, but DvB and Telles wont help us win games for the most part. Bruno of course is magnificent, but they way he has come in and shown up pretty much everyone else in the squad tells me that the player materiel at our disposal might not be as good as many people thought

Id also argue outdoing himself is the most important part. Our rivals having a bad season is of course beneficial to us, but at the end of the day we have no control over it. Right now we are on course to end the season with 72 points, which is an improvement over last year, not impressive, but this is a weird season where everyone struggles a bit it seems

If this bad run continues and we miss out on CL football next season he should of course be sacked

Fair assessment.

 

[slored1]

Too many times now where we dropped points when we are the overwhelming favourite and really should win. Sheffield, Everton, West Brom, Basaksehir...

We can't start games well and we can't finish them well, the players don't look mentally prepared for what is coming. Ole needs to improve on that or we'll always be the nearly men and will never win a trophy. If he/we can't do that, then it's time for a change.

 

[Desert Eagle]

He'll be given 2-3 years based on that.

No chance do we part ways if we end the season like that. Honestly, top 4 alone probably gets him another season.

I agree with both of you sadly. Thats why i said best case scenario. Most likely scenario is he gets top 4 but no trophy. Gets a two year extension. Maybe we win a league cup or fa cup in between and finally after 4 plus years of mediocrity and excuses he wil go.

 

[Andycoleno9]

Here's the thing, the cost of the side that he inherited adds zero value to the new manager unless the players in that are going to be of use. You can have a side of Fellainis and Lukakus and all that but these players added no value to what Ole wants the side to become. So saying that he inherited the 2nd most expensive side is a weak argument.

Now coming to the second part of the same sentence. We were 6th when Ole took over, not 2nd. We may have finished 2nd the season before, but we weren't that when Ole was appointed. However, we are 2nd best right now.

Do I believe we're the 2nd best right now? No, I think Pool have been unlucky and we should ideally be 3rd. But, having said that, the same argument needs to be applied in 17/18 season. Were we 2nd best that season? Absolutely not. Underlying stats put us at 5th-6th that season, and if it were not for Dave, that's where we would have finished as well.

Now coming to the signings part - We sold off a few first teamers as well. Don't you think it's right to spend money to replace them? I mean, Pep inherited a pretty decent City side and he replaced close to the entire side, and then replaced those players as well. Did he inherit a Norwich City side as well?

If anything, Ole's signings bar James (who was a punt) and maybe VDB (if you want to write his obituary this early) are the only ones who've disappointed. His transfer record is among the best for a big club, and I don't see any fault if he wants to sign a DM to replace an ageing Matic, a GK to replace past it Dave and the other positions.

It is double standards again. Jose bought players for his vision, Lvg for his and Ole for his. Ole's transfer record is similiar to Lvg and Jose (little better, i admit). He bought lots of players who are good for him and who will be not good for next manager. Maguire and AWB and James especially. As i wrote couple of times; imagine hiring attacking manager after Ole. What that manager will do with slow Harry and pure defensive full back AWB? With limited winger like James?
Bruno, Telles and VDB (he is classy player) are type of signings who every manager can use.

To be clear here; every manager must buy players for his system and of course that Ole did the same. And of course that he deserved to spend money from selling Lukaku and some other players. Nobody questioning that. But lets not talk how he was great in transfer market. Because he wasn't. Just like LVG and Jose weren't.

Pep and City is anomaly in football. No manager in the world will get that many players and that much money. Managers must work with what they have plus few additions per season.

 

[gajender]

He'll be given 2-3 years based on that.

I am not sure about it this time I just feel there is something happening behind the scenes just the instinct.

 

[anant]

It is double standards again. Jose bought players for his vision, Lvg for his and Ole for his. Ole's transfer record is similiar to Lvg and Jose (little better, i admit). He bought lots of players who are good for him and who will be not good for next manager. Maguire and AWB and James especially. As i wrote couple of times; imagine hiring attacking manager after Ole. What that manager will do with slow Harry and pure defensive full back AWB? With limited winger like James?
Bruno, Telles and VDB (he is classy player) are type of signings who every manager can use.

To be clear here; every manager must buy players for his system and of course that Ole did the same. And of course that he deserved to spend money from selling Lukaku and some other players. Nobody questioning that. But lets not talk how he was great in transfer market. Because he wasn't. Just like LVG and Jose weren't.

Pep and City is anomaly in football. No manager in the world will get that many players and that much money. Managers must work with what they have plus few additions per season.

Ok, let's talk about how the signings performed under the manager they were signed -

LVG - Shaw, Shmidfield, Di Maria, Rojo, Depay, Darmian were all flops under LVG. Jury was out on Martial. Herrera had been ok and Blind was good

Mou- Matic, Lindelof, Fred, Mkhi Sanchez were all flops under Mou. Pog was more on the flop side. Jury was out on Dalot, Lukaku (barely) and Zlatan can be called success under Mou.

Ole - Maguire, AWB, Bruno, Cavani can be called success. (You may not like the 2 defenders, but they've done well here). Jury is out on VDB, Telles. James would be called a flop so far, and Ighalo was meh(but did what he was brought in for).

Ole is quite comfortably better most managers when it comes to transfers and squad building, and I'm not sure I'm having to have a debate around this

 

[Zen86]

We'd be top of a pretty exciting title race if City hadn't pretty much destroyed the prospect of competition in England. Ruining the PL most years as a sideshow to the vanity project of winning CL.

I think people expect us to return to winning the league every other season, and we're just waiting for that one special manager to emerge and take us to that. It's not going to happen. This is pretty much it, the new norm. City winning every year with the odd challenge from another club here or there. It comes down to money, and they have the most.

 

[11101]

I am not sure about it this time I just feel there is something happening behind the scenes just the instinct.

I hope you are right. Ole will keep us around the top 4 but that's it, we don't need any kneejerk reactions from the board but we should be looking for a long term choice.

 

[Desert Eagle]

Ok, let's talk about how the signings performed under the manager they were signed -

LVG - Shaw, Shmidfield, Di Maria, Rojo, Depay, Darmian were all flops under LVG. Jury was out on Martial. Herrera had been ok and Blind was good

Mou- Matic, Lindelof, Fred, Mkhi Sanchez were all flops under Mou. Pog was more on the flop side. Jury was out on Dalot, Lukaku (barely) and Zlatan can be called success under Mou.

Ole - Maguire, AWB, Bruno, Cavani can be called success. (You may not like the 2 defenders, but they've done well here). Jury is out on VDB, Telles. James would be called a flop so far, and Ighalo was meh(but did what he was brought in for).

Ole is quite comfortably better most managers when it comes to transfers and squad building, and I'm not sure I'm having to have a debate around this

How was the jury out on lukaku but cavani is a success?
Pogba a flop but maguire a success?

what are you basing any of this on?

 

[DomesticTadpole]

There’s plenty moan about in terms of Ole’s tactics, but top of the list for me is playing both Fred and McTominay against poor sides.

They’re really not that much of a shield in front of our CBs and Fred offers nothing in the final third.

They aren't DM and do not know how to be. They are just two non flair players he has stuck there because Matic cannot play that often. They are both box to box midfielders who have lots of energy but cannot pass the ball for toffee. Either he has to make sure we get a world class CB, so only one of them have to play, or a world class DM so neither have to play.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Him saying we weren't in a title race when we were first after 20 games said everything about the manager.

He could see a month into the future.

Think he is just happy at the moment to do enough to keep the owners happy and his job safe. That shows a complete lack of ambition. Have a go, we might fail, but we will have at least tried to compete.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

I hope we don't extend his contract, let him complete the season and then we should look for replacement. Hopefully some work is going on in the background but then it's Woodward so 0 chances of that. More likely scenario would be Ole signing contract before getting sacked.

Ah yes, the old Jose scenario. All of us apart from the board could see where that would go.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Think he would be better staying at Leipzig for one more season atleast. Also, as I said in my above post can't see him choosing us or Woodward convincing him to join us. I feel tuchel or poch was their preferred choices and now both are gone so unless we see some great collapse and us bottling top 4, board will not sack Ole and he will be given next season too.

Yeah I agree with this. If he gets the players he wants, so this is now his team and fails he will deserve the sack. He cannot moan.

 

[Andycoleno9]

Ok, let's talk about how the signings performed under the manager they were signed -

LVG - Shaw, Shmidfield, Di Maria, Rojo, Depay, Darmian were all flops under LVG. Jury was out on Martial. Herrera had been ok and Blind was good

Mou- Matic, Lindelof, Fred, Mkhi Sanchez were all flops under Mou. Pog was more on the flop side. Jury was out on Dalot, Lukaku (barely) and Zlatan can be called success under Mou.

Ole - Maguire, AWB, Bruno, Cavani can be called success. (You may not like the 2 defenders, but they've done well here). Jury is out on VDB, Telles. James would be called a flop so far, and Ighalo was meh(but did what he was brought in for).

Ole is quite comfortably better most managers when it comes to transfers and squad building, and I'm not sure I'm having to have a debate around this

You know what is the problem here? Only 2 players were complete hit and game changers. Zlatan and Bruno. And 4,5 were complete flops. About all others we can talk. You say Matic flop under Jose? Based on what? Mikhi was key player in winning us EL (with which we entered in CL again). Pogba flop? Jury out on Lukaku? But Maguire is success? Did he fixed our defence? For 80 mil he should.
I like Cavani and he is not a flop by all means. But success?

 

[Roboc7]

His contract is up next year, I keep saying it but he has until then to win a trophy otherwise we don't extend. I am very calm.

I can’t imagine the club being that proactive, qualify for Champions League he keeps his job and he gets the boot if he doesn’t. I don’t think there is much emphasis on anything else at this club.

There’s no need to give Ole a big contract as no-one is going to poach him and he’s not going to want to leave. I can see him getting a short extension to avoid instability of him being in final year of contract.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

I have mentioned about Ole or the club bringing in top class coaches, I don't think Ole would agree to it as they would just highlight how tactically lacking he has been. He has his mates round him and is happy as Larry.

He has the Europa League this week, so hopefully we will be in a strong position to progress. Then Newcastle, we can't cock up against Brucie can we?

 

[KiD MoYeS]

I can’t imagine the club being that proactive, qualify for Champions League he keeps his job and he gets the boot if he doesn’t. I don’t think there is much emphasis on anything else at this club.

There’s no need to give Ole a big contract as no-one is going to poach him and he’s not going to want to leave. I can see him getting a short extension to avoid instability of him being in final year of contract.

Unsure on the Champions League qualification keeping everything sweet. The owners and chairman know full well fan rage will be directed their way with continued mediocrity. We are probably not too far from the mob paying Woodward another visit.

 

[Zlatan 7]

[

Christ more years of pain ahead then

ive asked you a couple of times now with no reply. Who should we sack Ole for today to stop all these years of pain? Who is garunteed to come in and turn this squad around and Win us a league in his first or second year? I’m dying to hear

 

[Roboc7]

Unsure on the Champions League qualification keeping everything sweet. The owners and chairman know full well fan rage will be directed their way with continued mediocrity. We are probably not too far from the mob paying Woodward another visit.

Top four and keep selling idea of a rebuild and a transfer warchest every summer. You can sell fans on that for years, especially with someone like Ole in charge.

Look how many people are happy to just be second or to be top for a week or so. Top four, next year is our year that’s what Utd is now.

 

[crossy1686]

Best case scenario we win the fa cup or Europa and get top 4 then we amicably part ways.

How is winning a trophy and getting top 4 a serious consideration for sacking someone? I would understand if we won the CL and PL recently but this is just delusion

 

[Bastian]

bollocks.

Feel free to elaborate.

 

[crossy1686]

I am not sure about it this time I just feel there is something happening behind the scenes just the instinct.

Instinct? Jesus, heard it all now.

And who are we appointing to replace Ole?

 

[anant]

How was the jury out on lukaku but cavani is a success?
Pogba a flop but maguire a success?

what are you basing any of this on?

Didn't call Lukaku a flop, atleast not under Mou.
Ditto for Pog. Wasn't an outright flop, but he was barely 6-6.5/10 under Mou

 

[DomesticTadpole]

How is winning a trophy and getting top 4 a serious consideration for sacking someone? I would understand if we won the CL and PL recently but this is just delusion

You'll have to ask, Chelsea, Bayern and Real that. Trophies don't buy you time there. We need a result on Thursday to give us a good chance to go through. If we get knocked out of the EL and other contenders are still in Europe he will have no excuse about concentrating on the league, no excuse about tiredness or using the big squad. A big squad that is there to have us competing on all fronts.

 

[Zlatan 7]

Instinct? Jesus, heard it all now.

And who are we appointing to replace Ole?

This is the unanswerable question, they all cry about Ole but no one has that garunteed solution, maybe they just like moaning about United, it’s obviously going to happen with the next manager too after 6 matches when we’re not first or just lost a game to a bottom half team.

 

[Zen86]

This is the unanswerable question, they all cry about Ole but no one has that garunteed solution, maybe they just like moaning about United, it’s obviously going to happen with the next manager too after 6 matches when we’re not first or just lost a game to a bottom half team.

The irony is the ones who were quickest to want Ole out the door will be first in line to want his replacement out as well. “Standards” or something.

 

[FireballXL5]

We'd be top of a pretty exciting title race if City hadn't pretty much destroyed the prospect of competition in England. Ruining the PL most years as a sideshow to the vanity project of winning CL.

You can't blame City for us losing against Palace, Spurs, Arsenal and Sheffield United. To say nothing of all the shitty draws along the way.

 

[crossy1686]

You'll have to ask, Chelsea, Bayern and Real that. Trophies don't buy you time there. We need a result on Thursday to give us a good chance to go through. If we get knocked out of the EL and other contenders are still in Europe he will have no excuse about concentrating on the league, no excuse about tiredness or using the big squad. A big squad that is there to have us competing on all fronts.

We've also done our fair share of sacking managers who have won things, where has that got us? Aren't we doing great?

We don't have the depth to win anything, that's the truth. Players like Rashford, Bruno, and Martial can play shit for weeks and who's going to bench them? James? Mata? Can't wait to see VDB prance around the pitch again doing absolutely nothing.

You're quick to forget that this team were comfortably a top 6 team before Bruno came along. Until we get more players in like him, we're relying heavily on one man to galvanise the squad constantly.

Also, no one really gives a shit about the EL so let's not pretend we need to win it for this season to mean anything. This season was written off when the only decent player we signed in the summer was a 33-year-old out-of-contract striker who hadn't kicked a football for 6 months.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

You can't blame City for us losing against Palace, Spurs, Arsenal and Sheffield United. To say nothing of all the shitty draws along the way.

Exactly. It wouldn't matter what the hell City did if we had done our job properly. We would be right with them, in front of them in fact.