Ole Gunnar Solskjær | 2021/22 Discussion

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sewey89

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Ole is to spineless to drop Bruno back to center midfield and put Pogba in his posistion.

It will benefit the team overall and it's only until we get a midfielder in January.

It has to be done.
Drop our most productive player further back and out of position to accommodate another..? Riiight. I'm not sure you can call Ole spineless for not doing that. Sensible is more fitting.
 

YeahYeah

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Or because the board opened their eyes and veto'ed his transfers.

People forget the age profile of the squad Mou had built and adding a Perisic, Boateng, etc. while selling Martial, Shaw, Pog would have meant that the next manager would have had no chance of success here.

Additionally, Mo's transfer record had been poor - I doubt any of his signings barring Zlatan (who had left by then) was looking like a successful signing at the start of 18/19 season
Oh dont get me wrong I couldnt stand Mourinho at all and wanted him out desperately since losing to Sevilla but fact is he wasnt backed at all. Just saying must have been infuriating to him. He was probably going around like a mad man reminding them how much hes won every single day haha.

With that being said, Solskjaer is obviously far worse than Mourinho and Mourinho is way past it. Both rely on individual brilliance offensively, we had our best season with Mourinho, 81 pts but we played our best football under Ole last year but with an improved squad.

However want/wanted both out badly. Couldnt stand Mourinho but at least I trusted him to have basic competence even if he was past it. I just see Ole as a PE teacher, its what it is IMO.
 

Rash Decision

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Oh dont get me wrong I couldnt stand Mourinho at all and wanted him out desperately since losing to Sevilla but fact is he wasnt backed at all. Just saying must have been infuriating to him. He was probably going around like a mad man reminding them how much hes won every single day haha.
Mourinho was backed with tons of expensive players. He didn’t get 100% of what he wanted, but no manager does. Now whether or not he actually wanted all the players he got is another matter, but saying that he “wasn’t backed at all” is false.
 

honirelandboy

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Drop our most productive player further back and out of position to accommodate another..? Riiight. I'm not sure you can call Ole spineless for not doing that. Sensible is more fitting.
Well something needs to be done about the McFred situation and Pogba clearly can't be trusted in that posistion instead of McFred and the full backs getting battered every game.

Should be enough in attack with Pogba Rashford Sancho Ronaldo.
 

bondsname

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Mourinho was backed with tons of expensive players. He didn’t get 100% of what he wanted, but no manager does. Now whether or not he actually wanted all the players he got is another matter, but saying that he “wasn’t backed at all” is false.
I wasn’t a big fan of his wish list… Persic, Willian, Savic, Alderwield… so thankfully he wasn’t backed 100%. :lol:
 

Idxomer

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Oh dont get me wrong I couldnt stand Mourinho at all and wanted him out desperately since losing to Sevilla but fact is he wasnt backed at all. Just saying must have been infuriating to him. He was probably going around like a mad man reminding them how much hes won every single day haha.

With that being said, Solskjaer is obviously far worse than Mourinho and Mourinho is way past it. Both rely on individual brilliance offensively, we had our best season with Mourinho, 81 pts but we played our best football under Ole last year but with an improved squad.

However want/wanted both out badly. Couldnt stand Mourinho but at least I trusted him to have basic competence even if he was past it. I just see Ole as a PE teacher, its what it is IMO.
He got Ibra, Bailly, Pogba, Mkhitaryan, Matic, Lukaku, and Lindelof. He also got Sanchez which stopped us from spending much in his 3rd season, literally the same thing happened with Ole when he bought Bruno. All these players were basically handpicked by Mourinho, I mean he passed on Ricardo Pereira to buy an 18-year-old Dalot who was by all accounts not ready for this step and we needed a starter in that position.

He was backed plenty, just like Ole.
 

anant

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Oh dont get me wrong I couldnt stand Mourinho at all and wanted him out desperately since losing to Sevilla but fact is he wasnt backed at all. Just saying must have been infuriating to him. He was probably going around like a mad man reminding them how much hes won every single day haha.

With that being said, Solskjaer is obviously far worse than Mourinho and Mourinho is way past it. Both rely on individual brilliance offensively, we had our best season with Mourinho, 81 pts but we played our best football under Ole last year but with an improved squad.

However want/wanted both out badly. Couldnt stand Mourinho but at least I trusted him to have basic competence even if he was past it. I just see Ole as a PE teacher, its what it is IMO.
He was backed plenty. The issue was his hit rate was pretty poor - 1 outright successful signing among first 8 signings (till summer of 18/19) and hence it made perfect sense for the board to intervene and put a stop to the mindless spending he was doing. Secondly, people seem to forget the squad profile we had and the players he was targeting. IIRC our side in 17/18 was among the oldest sides in the league and we had plenty of players who couldn't be 1st teamers any more because of the age and if his target list is another bunch of 30 year olds, the club will have to stop the madness
 

Bebestation

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Oh dont get me wrong I couldnt stand Mourinho at all and wanted him out desperately since losing to Sevilla but fact is he wasnt backed at all. Just saying must have been infuriating to him. He was probably going around like a mad man reminding them how much hes won every single day haha.

With that being said, Solskjaer is obviously far worse than Mourinho and Mourinho is way past it. Both rely on individual brilliance offensively, we had our best season with Mourinho, 81 pts but we played our best football under Ole last year but with an improved squad.

However want/wanted both out badly. Couldnt stand Mourinho but at least I trusted him to have basic competence even if he was past it. I just see Ole as a PE teacher, its what it is IMO.
Just realise that Ole has gotten rid of 40+ players during his time here.

He has helped himself very well to spend the way he has and its looking to continue with furthermore exits looking around the corner.
 

Robbie Boy

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I wasn’t a big fan of his wish list… Persic, Willian, Savic, Alderwield… so thankfully he wasn’t backed 100%. :lol:
He was backed sufficiently enough tbh. Off the top of my head, he got Matic, Bailly, Zlatan, Mkhitaryan, Pogba and Lukaku.

He didn't get all the players he wanted, but thank feck for that, considering who he wanted. I do wonder why the Board didn't give him Maguire though, considering he wanted him. Anyhow, Ole has assembled a far better team than what Jose managed to do.
 
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Oh dont get me wrong I couldnt stand Mourinho at all and wanted him out desperately since losing to Sevilla but fact is he wasnt backed at all. Just saying must have been infuriating to him. He was probably going around like a mad man reminding them how much hes won every single day haha.

With that being said, Solskjaer is obviously far worse than Mourinho and Mourinho is way past it. Both rely on individual brilliance offensively, we had our best season with Mourinho, 81 pts but we played our best football under Ole last year but with an improved squad.

However want/wanted both out badly. Couldnt stand Mourinho but at least I trusted him to have basic competence even if he was past it. I just see Ole as a PE teacher, its what it is IMO.
Sorry, but a pretty awful take on it.
 

RooneyLegend

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Sadly for Ole he's kinda broken down what he built. In the beggining of his reign we were great in transition but mediocre against deep lying teams. Then we became good against big lying teams and mediocre in transition. Instead of building on what we had we've kinda restarted again which won't help us with much.

Teams this season can see that we're terrible playing through the phases and with Bruno and Ronaldo up top, both players who are that great on the counter for different reasons teams will be looking to challenge us on the ball. Having a poor midfield won't help with that either.

Unfortunately I think Bruno+Ronaldo front line with McFred masquerading as a midfield will ultimately cost him his job.
 

Smores

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He was backed sufficiently enough tbh. Off the top of my head, he got Matic, Bailly, Zlatan, Mkhitaryan, Pogba and Lukaku.

He didn't get all the players he wanted, but thank feck for that, considering who he wanted. I do wonder why the Board didn't give him Maguire though, considering he wanted him. Anyhow, Ole has assembled a far better team than what Jose managed to do.
He was only really backed with Pogba and Lukaku the rest were money saving attempts.

Having to take a punt like Bailly rather than Maguire, Dalot instead of Wan Bissake, Mkihi instead of Sancho.
 

OrcaFat

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No problem at all mate.

I've made my feelings on Ole very clear, and I have nothing to hide. I don't have extreme views on him one way or the other. My stance, as of now, is that I'm backing him but have doubts. I've always had doubts though, so nothing new there. I came into the season brimming with confidence, and fully expecting a title challenge. However, I'm not going to pretend things are rosy, because the performances have been worrying. I had expected us to look a-lot better than we currently do.

There's still plenty of time to turn it around, and maybe he will - we certainly have the personnel to do so. If the performances remain as they have been, I fear it'll be a long two months ahead and this place will go to complete and utter shit. I'm a realist, and if I lose faith in Ole, that's my decision. I won't run around screaming for him to be sacked, as I'm at peace with the fact that he's liklely here until the end of the season. If things go to shit and don't look like improving, I think he should go, but I don't expect him to, given he only signed a new 3 year deal and was backed with Varane, Ronaldo and Sancho.

He's certainly not above criticism though, and posters should be able to voice valid criticism, once it's done in a constructive manner. Yes, I agree the levels some go to, to offer critique, goes above and beyond what would be considered rational. But they're the minority; however they feel repetition and hyperbole is the best way to voice their misgivings, which gives everyone with a dissenting voice, an unfair bad name.

I'm not emotionally invested in him one way or the other. If he left tomorrow, it wouldn't affect me, likewise if he sees the season out, and it's an underperforming one, I'm ok with that. My view - which I won't change - is that he's done on ok job here, nothing more, nothing less. I'm grateful for some of the work he's done, but I also feel he's been below par with some of the work he's done. He's not the oracle some make him out to be, nor is he the PE teacher. He performed the function of fixing a broken club quite well, his transfers have been mostly good and there's a great foundation for the next manager to work with. I feel he may have taken us as far as he can, but I'll reserve judgement on that for another few months.

Both 'sides' need to have a long hard look at themselves, when it comes to fixing this nonsense divisiveness. They are both playing their part widening the division with wummy, provocative bullshit. I hope the mods get a hold on it soon, as we have a tough few months ahead. I'm sick of every single thread on here being a point scoring Ole thread. You can't even go into an opposition manager thread anymore, without it being about Ole. Some are obsessed with the man.
This is, perhaps, the most rational post in this thread (if not the world!). And I can’t disagree with a word of it.

I probably give Ole a bit more slack than he has earned but I am against replacing him in a hurry. When he goes, I’ll be okay with it and will get behind the new man, for sure.
 

jamesjimmybyrondean

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He was only really backed with Pogba and Lukaku the rest were money saving attempts.

Having to take a punt like Bailly rather than Maguire, Dalot instead of Wan Bissake, Mkihi instead of Sancho.
I'm confused. Are you saying Mourinho wanted Maguire Wan Bissaka and Sancho at the time
 

copen1945

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I have had respect for Solskjaer for what he has done with the team. With the NUFC news, to win the league has become a two year window, this season and the next. The owners must be certain that he can bring the trophy back to the rightful place.
 

largelyworried

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He was only really backed with Pogba and Lukaku the rest were money saving attempts.

Having to take a punt like Bailly rather than Maguire, Dalot instead of Wan Bissake, Mkihi instead of Sancho.
Zlatan cost us an absolute fortune. I can't immediately spot it right now, but I saw a breakdown of the costs of singing Zlatan a while back, With the signing on fee, agents fee and salary level, it cost us the same per year as signing Lukaku.
 

Andycoleno9

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He was backed sufficiently enough tbh. Off the top of my head, he got Matic, Bailly, Zlatan, Mkhitaryan, Pogba and Lukaku.

He didn't get all the players he wanted, but thank feck for that, considering who he wanted. I do wonder why the Board didn't give him Maguire though, considering he wanted him. Anyhow, Ole has assembled a far better team than what Jose managed to do.
First year Jose was backed 100%. Second year i would say mostly full. Matic was his A target, instead of Perisis he got Alexis, he got his no9 in Lukaku and only Lindelof is my doubt. I guess he was C option. Jose probably wanted top class defender and then settled with Lindelof. BUT for first two seasons he can't say any bad word about backing and he did well. Won 2 trophies, back to back CL spot, in every year (even in third) he got passed through CL group, finished second with 81 points and had FA final. By far far better than Ole in his whole reign so far and i don't know how someone can even deny that. Jose beat Ole in results and in points. ONLY two things with which you can compare two managers. Subjective opinion about good mood, progress and United way i don't want even to discuss.

Now, in third season when it was a time to make final push for title, Ed and Glazers refused to back him completely. Jose wanted to add 4 proven players who go straight to first 11 (rw, defender, right back and mc). He got only midfielder. I don't make excuses for coaches like many here do regarding signing. Fred was bought, he approved so he was his signing. Not A pick but he got a midfielder. And then meltdown started (because Jose is a coach who wants to fight for titles, not talk about progress) and he literally forced and deserved sacking.

Ole on other hand got every bloody player who he wanted and by name. All A picks. Except dmc probably.
So, i know that Jose hate is strong here but this became literally witch hunt.

Edit:
Ddg
Valencia, Smalling, Jones (Blind), Young
Fellaini Pogba, Matic
Lukaku (Zlatan), Rashford (Martial), Lingard (Mikhi)

This team (more or less) got 81 point and won two trophies. And we now talk how Ole with dream team can't work because he doesn't have world class dmc. Unbelievable
 
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snk123

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It's just not the style of football or not being able to dominate games, it's the number of basic errors that Ole seems to make every game and the obvious things he fails to see. His ability or lack of to make substitutions at the right time, often delaying up until 70-80 minutes shows he doesn't trust the squad or doesn't see what needs to be changed from the touchline.

I don't know why but he seems way out of his depth - almost Moyes like these days.
 

Tom Cato

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It's just not the style of football or not being able to dominate games, it's the number of basic errors that Ole seems to make every game and the obvious things he fails to see. His ability or lack of to make substitutions at the right time, often delaying up until 70-80 minutes shows he doesn't trust the squad or doesn't see what needs to be changed from the touchline.

I don't know why but he seems way out of his depth - almost Moyes like these days.
You can kill this meme now, we've made changes way earlier in the game lately and against Villareal the subs literally turned the game for us.

Curiously, putting on Ronaldo against Everton ultimately cost us the win. But I'm not sure you can make a reasonable argument that subbing on Ronaldo is the wrong choice before the final whistle goes.
 

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You can kill this meme now, we've made changes way earlier in the game lately and against Villareal the subs literally turned the game for us.

Curiously, putting on Ronaldo against Everton ultimately cost us the win. But I'm not sure you can make a reasonable argument that subbing on Ronaldo is the wrong choice before the final whistle goes.
It's an interesting point in itself. I noticed this and it made me wonder why? Why now, after all the times he's waited till the dying minutes? It does correlate with increased fan pressure to do so following the Villa game. Makes me wonder if he is trying to keep the fans happy with no real conviction or plan for himself. The same thing happened when people called for a midfield 3 after the Villa game, and then he tried it vs Villarreal (although he made a complete mess of the balance).
 

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This is, perhaps, the most rational post in this thread (if not the world!). And I can’t disagree with a word of it.

I probably give Ole a bit more slack than he has earned but I am against replacing him in a hurry. When he goes, I’ll be okay with it and will get behind the new man, for sure.
Obviously Ole working out would be best for all concerned. He's been here nearly 3 years and has most of his own players. Having more upheaval is far from ideal, but if the season is a shambles, he has to go.

I honestly believe the next appointment is so, so important. Obviously the same could be said for any appointment post-Fergie. But if this one works, I can really see us going back to the top. Much like Rodgers with Liverpool; he done some good work, took Liverpool out of their slump and left a good canvas for the next manager to work with. I believe Ole has done a similar job, and if we get it right, we will be successful again.

Do I have faith our Board will get it right? Not really. However, our behind the scenes infrastructure is much better than it was when Ole was appointment, and we have huge personalities like Ronaldo. Hopefully they could have some sway into who comes in next. If Ole gets sacked mid-season, I would rather a purely interim to come in while we bide our time getting the correct manager in, next summer. If there is a great option available at the time, then so be it, go for it. We don't just need a new 'manager', we need one who is coming in with his own coaching team and a crystal clear plan. I would even be open to Ole staying until the end of the season if things go tits up, and bringing someone in next summer.

The next two months will be telling, one way or the other. It's actually most likely that it'll neither be great, nor terrible and it'll all be anticlimatic. My honest assessment right now is that, we're just going to plod along this season with decent games/results here-and-there, and we will finish worse off than last season. We have the personnel to be challenging, and if we don't, it's on the manager. I hope I'm wrong and we smash it this season, but given how we've performed so far, I'm doubtful. My optimism was at peak levels after the Leeds game, but that optimism is slowly draining from me.
 

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I know they say attack the post, not the poster. But all I ever see you do is repost social media links, usually without even adding your own opinions. And in my eyes it's only ever negative posts, rarely anything positive of the club.


Oh well, at least Blind had this to say at the end of his interview..

Despite his frustrations with United, Blind (left) would not pull the trigger on Solskjaer now. He said: “Whatever you think of Solskjaer as a manager, this is not the moment to change.
 

kouroux

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I know they say attack the post, not the poster. But all I ever see you do is repost social media links, usually without even adding your own opinions. And in my eyes it's only ever negative posts, rarely anything positive of the club.


Oh well, at least Blind had this to say at the end of his interview..
The last thing you quoted is hardly "positive" tbh.
 

RedRonaldo

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Ole was a genius resting Ronaldo in his previous games, keeping his leg fresh which allows him to score a goal against Qatar, and further extends his all time record. How supportive Ole was on Ronaldo's international career.
 

Mike Smalling

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Ole was a genius resting Ronaldo in his previous games, keeping his leg fresh which allows him to score a goal against Qatar, and further extends his all time record. How supportive Ole was on Ronaldo's international career.
My head hurts. He is so clueless.
 

Leftback99

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I don’t think this surprises anyone
Bottom 5 in the PL includes Liverpool and City. Only Arsenal had fewer tackles per game than City last season. Liverpool and City had the fewest in 19/20. Passive.
 

Eplel

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Bottom 5 in the PL includes Liverpool and City. Only Arsenal had fewer tackles per game than City last season. Liverpool and City had the fewest in 19/20. Passive.
Difference is these teams don't get dominated every other week, and in pretty sure they have better possession than us in general.
 

Leftback99

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Difference is these teams don't get dominated every other week, and in pretty sure they have better possession than us in general.
We have the 2nd best possession % in the league behind City. 3rd most shots in the league.

We are very prone to counter attacks which is one of the things the manager needs to address, no need to exagerrate it into being 'dominated'.
 
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