Appointing Solskjaer was a mistake

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Mainoldo

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The looming court case is what I think put most parties off. You could sort out the imagoe rights problem with his current management company only to have to pay the same again, if not more if his old management company win a case against Dybala.



I think skint is a little is a bit of an exaggeration, we broke our transfer record twice this window and were in for Dybala and had agreed terms with Fernandez.
You brought one player at today’s average transfer fee price, loaned another player and paid the price of Daniel James for a championship player. I think you are pretty skint. Considering you spent nothing last year.
 

romufc

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This statement is so boring!! Name me a championship player that doesn’t want to come to United. Also if we sign a player more than likely they want to be here otherwise they would simply not come.

It’s for us to decide if they want to much money to play for us, not them.
So, Di Maria wanted to be at United? Sanchez wanted to be at United?
We were trying to sign Dybala and he clearly didn't want to be here.

That is my point, I would rather sign a championship player over those, but if you read the rest of my post I did say not saying sign 4/5 of them.
 

LilyWhiteSpur

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You brought one player at today’s average transfer fee price, loaned another player and paid the price of Daniel James for a championship player. I think you are pretty skint. Considering you spent nothing last year.
I guess we differ on how you define skint. The GLC was only a loan to avoid PSG getting a percentage of the transfer fee. We tried for Dybala and Sporting pulled the plug on us signing Hernandez.
 

Ikon

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Results may not be what we'd like at the moment, but I think Solskjaer IS the right man to sort out this mess created over 6 years by an inept board, bad recruitment policy, lack of a DoF and a succession of the wrong managers compounding the problems with this squad.

We have all been crying out to remove the deadwood but no one has even attempted to do that before Solskjaer, and what's more, he has identified all of those same players that the fans are calling deadwood, which reassures me that he sees what needs to be done and is doing it.
Already we've seen Fellaini, Valencia, Smalling, Lukaku, Darmian make their exit, and it wouldn't surprise me if Rojo & Matic are gone in January too.
I forgot to even mention Sanchez going too..!!

Recruitment has been excellent so far too with Wan-Bissaka, James and Maguire, it's just a pity that we didn't get a Midfielder too, but that's not the fault of Solskjaer, that surely is the failing of the Board, to have not got that business done when City, Liverpool & Chelsea were taking a back seat in the transfer market.

This season will likely be a struggle, I accept that, but if those 2 penalties had gone in, we'd have probably won both of those games, and we'd now be on 10 points looking a lot more rosy.
Such a fine margin, too fine to blame Solskjaer.

I am optimistic that the Board will release bigger funds for Solskjaer going forward, in recognition of the deadwood that he has managed to clear so far, and perhaps 3 or 4 exceptional players will be added, then we will really look like something special.
But we will have to battle on through this season to get there.
 
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Mainoldo

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So, Di Maria wanted to be at United? Sanchez wanted to be at United?
We were trying to sign Dybala and he clearly didn't want to be here.

That is my point, I would rather sign a championship player over those, but if you read the rest of my post I did say not saying sign 4/5 of them.
Your point is still not valid because it makes no sense. Dybala didn’t want to come so he never came. Di Maria still wore the shirt and played for us as with Sanchez. The circumstances of the deal are irrelevant. If they came because we offered them good wages so be it. The reason for it not working out is completely irrelevant to how much they wanted to play for the club. Do you think David Silva preferred to play for Man City over the possibility of going Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid or Barcelona after leaving Valencia?

The only difference is he didn’t join a circus. Now stop with the sentimental rubbish.. believing that the only way back to the top is getting committed players. If we are successful players will commit. It’s not the reverse and has never been that way.
 

Scroto Baggins

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Your point is still not valid because it makes no sense. Dybala didn’t want to come so he never came. Di Maria still wore the shirt and played for us as with Sanchez. The circumstances of the deal are irrelevant. If they came because we offered them good wages so be it. The reason for it not working out is completely irrelevant to how much they wanted to play for the club. Do you think David Silva preferred to play for Man City over the possibility of going Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid or Barcelona after leaving Valencia?

The only difference is he didn’t join a circus. Now stop with the sentimental rubbish.. believing that the only way back to the top is getting committed players. If we are successful players will commit. It’s not the reverse and has never been that way.
I dont think it is as cut and dry as that, is Pogba 100% committed? Or does he realise his 80% is better than most players and good enough to get him by until he gets his dream move elsewhere? I think there is good reason coaches talk about players being 'distracted' and 'unsettled'. This then goes back to players not giving 100% when their mind(heart?) is elsewhere.
 

romufc

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Your point is still not valid because it makes no sense. Dybala didn’t want to come so he never came. Di Maria still wore the shirt and played for us as with Sanchez. The circumstances of the deal are irrelevant. If they came because we offered them good wages so be it. The reason for it not working out is completely irrelevant to how much they wanted to play for the club. Do you think David Silva preferred to play for Man City over the possibility of going Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid or Barcelona after leaving Valencia?

The only difference is he didn’t join a circus. Now stop with the sentimental rubbish.. believing that the only way back to the top is getting committed players. If we are successful players will commit. It’s not the reverse and has never been that way.
My point is not valid because you disagree, it was quite clear what I am saying. No player will sign and then not put the shirt on, that would be breach of contract.

I am sure he did but none of the clubs came for him at the time. He didn't join a circus? City were like a start-up. I am sure there was a sales pitch to get David Silva along the lines of, we have new owners who want to bring Man City to the top of world football in years to come. We want you, Aguero to lead the charge. He joined along with a host of players and guess what they kept to the promise and kept investing and they are successful.

Where have you been for the past few years? Pogba, Zlatan were signed on the promise to bring Utd back up, with Sanchez and others too, and that hasn't worked.

Only a fool will keep trying the same old tactics that don't work.
 

reddevil80

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I understand that it is difficult to blame any manager for transfers in, due to it being mostly up to the board (wages and transfer fees), however, I do think the authorisation of sales from the manager can be blamed on the manager. Solskjaer could have decided against some of the sales of players when he realised we would not get any replacements, which would not have left us in the current position where we barely have a team.

On top of that, we are likely to lose more players (Matic, Pogba, De Gea etc.). So, it seems a stupid decision to sell so many players when we already had so many issues. We already had no right-winger or real attacking midfielder and needed to compensate for the likelihood that we were going to lose more players. Instead of recognising this, Solskjaer has decided to create further areas to address with sales of players, which leaves the team in a terrible position next summer. We are relying on the hope that the youth players become good, and that they actually play.

Regarding his tactics etc., I can see that he wants to press, but I honestly do not see any improvement in the team up to this point. We still create barely anything and we are still conceding stupid goals. Also, his in-game management is frustrating, particularly in terms of substitutions. I just don't see anything that makes me think he is going to be a success. I think he has also made it more difficult for himself by skinning the team of any depth.
Agree and disagree here untd55. In one sense, yeah, he maybe could've held on to one or two of the sold players, for me, Sanchez should've stayed and fought his corner as I think he could have been successful, and he still has an opportunity to turn it round as he is only on loan. Couldn't keep the likes of Lukaku, Darmian etc as they were deadwood and just stinking out the place. That is just bad for morale; in the dressing room and on the terraces. As you said yourself, the boards management of the financial side of every deal is a problem; for me, it's the biggest issue why players don't want to come here. Just my opinion. He has been ruthless in getting rid of players who don't fit into his plans, he has his own conviction and is standing by it and I think we just have to ride this wave. Hopefully it will reduce in size and not become a tsunami. He absolutely has to alter our current run and form and turn the chances into goals. For me, Romelu would not make any difference if he were still here so getting rid, with or without a replacement IMO. Would you have kept the surplus dead-weight just because we have no-one to replace them?
 

Revaulx

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After 70 pages I will not add anything new probably but why does this club have to go from one extreme to another? From former great but now finished managers (LVG, Mourinho) to a complete rookie who is only experienced at Cardiff/Molde level. Is there no inbetween? Someone like Ten Hag, despite also being a rookie manager, would be promising at least given the style of play his team with little ressouces displayed at the highest level. With Ole what is the promise? "He played for United so let's pray and hope it turns out good if we wait long enough"?

Don't see it.
It's the United Way. Yes, really.

Docherty was as unlike O'Farrell as could be. Sexton was the opposite of Docherty; Atkinson the opposite of Sexton. It was only after Atkinson was sacked that the Board actually thought about positive qualities in a manager, rather than just going for someone who was free of his predecessor's negative ones. Which was how we ended up with SAF :drool:

It's not just that Ole played for United. He's also utterly unlike Mourinho, at least in his public persona. So we are back where we were in the 70s and 80s.
 

Lee565

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Some players have been given more game time and played in what is perceived as their best position under Solskjear like rashford, martial and pereira but has any player actually improved under Solskjear?
 

Mainoldo

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Some players have been given more game time and played in what is perceived as their best position under Solskjear like rashford, martial and pereira but has any player actually improved under Solskjear?
Not one of them! They just run more.
 

Foxbatt

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Yes we press and run more but do we have any tactics at all? All we seem to do is try to use the speed of our forwards behind the opposing defence. Once they deny us that space then we do not know what to do?
What about our set-pieces? what about our movement off the ball? Looks like we have no clue at all.
 

John Blund

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Yes we press and run more but do we have any tactics at all? All we seem to do is try to use the speed of our forwards behind the opposing defence. Once they deny us that space then we do not know what to do?
What about our set-pieces? what about our movement off the ball? Looks like we have no clue at all.
Then we make the space. We're playing box-play or triangles on the right side, with Pogba, AWB and James. On the left Martial, Rash and Lingard have tried the same, but Lingard doesn't have the same quality as Pogba in his passing.
We've had a number of decent crosses (low and hard), but Rashford doesn't smell the blood, like his manager or any other tap-in striker would (RvN etc.).
 

Greck

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Gracia have 4 wins the last 18 games. Ole have 3.

Watford showing more ruthlessness and ambition than Man Utd.
Fools. How could they evaluate his abilities before he had a chance to spend 300m
 

John Blund

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Gracia have 4 wins the last 18 games. Ole have 3.

Watford showing more ruthlessness and ambition than Man Utd.
I don't follow Watford, but did Garcia clear out dead wood? Ole bought 3 players, and they're all contributing. We've shipped out a few players we should have sold ages ago. We're getting there. I knew we weren't going to compete against Cty and Liverpool this season. That wasn't realistic. I'm on the Sunny-wagon until he resigns. I don't see us sacking him - we don't have the impatient unprofessional owners Watford have.
 

Amerifan

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Gracia have 4 wins the last 18 games. Ole have 3.

Watford showing more ruthlessness and ambition than Man Utd.
Last 10 games Ole is 5 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses. See, I can pick arbitrary starting points, too!

This narrative really needs a rest. A lot changed over the summer. Three good signings, the dressing room cleared of disruptive influences, academy graduates brought in. Maybe we should give the man a chance based on this season...
 

el3mel

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I don't follow Watford, but did Garcia clear out dead wood? Ole bought 3 players, and they're all contributing. We've shipped out a few players we should have sold ages ago. We're getting there. I knew we weren't going to compete against Cty and Liverpool this season. That wasn't realistic. I'm on the Sunny-wagon until he resigns. I don't see us sacking him - we don't have the impatient unprofessional owners Watford have.
I wonder sometimes what people definition of deadwood is.

The only deadwood who had left are Sanchez and Darmian. The rest were important squad option which we sold and didn't replace any of them, and that resulted in a much weaker squad with literally zero options off the bench when we're in tight situations, as we had seen the last 3 games. Letting go of Herrera, Fellaini and Lukaku without buying anyone to replace them is a sheer and absolute stupidity, not "clearing deadwood".
 

hocane

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Last 10 games Ole is 5 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses. See, I can pick arbitrary starting points, too!

This narrative really needs a rest. A lot changed over the summer. Three good signings, the dressing room cleared of disruptive influences, academy graduates brought in. Maybe we should give the man a chance based on this season...
Some people doesn't know the difference between friendly games and real games i see.
 

el3mel

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Last 10 games Ole is 5 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses. See, I can pick arbitrary starting points, too!

This narrative really needs a rest. A lot changed over the summer. Three good signings, the dressing room cleared of disruptive influences, academy graduates brought in. Maybe we should give the man a chance based on this season...
You know we're desperate when we start counting preseason games. I don't think I need to remind you of LVG's both preseasons.
 

Dr. StrangeHate

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Some players have been given more game time and played in what is perceived as their best position under Solskjear like rashford, martial and pereira but has any player actually improved under Solskjear?
Has any player improved at United since De Gea. I would say no.
 

Amerifan

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You know we're desperate when we start counting preseason games. I don't think I need to remind you of LVG's both preseasons.
You got my point. Preseasons don’t matter. Last season doesn’t matter. All that matters is Ole is 1-2-1 so far this season. If someone wants to write him off on the basis of the only data that matters, that’s their business. I prefer to give the man more than 4 games with the current squad.
 

haram

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You got my point. Preseasons don’t matter. Last season doesn’t matter. All that matters is Ole is 1-2-1 so far this season. If someone wants to write him off on the basis of the only data that matters, that’s their business. I prefer to give the man more than 4 games with the current squad.
Why does last season not matter? The good form from last season is why he is manager in the first place.
 

el3mel

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You got my point. Preseasons don’t matter. Last season doesn’t matter. All that matters is Ole is 1-2-1 so far this season. If someone wants to write him off on the basis of the only data that matters, that’s their business. I prefer to give the man more than 4 games with the current squad.
No it does when the exact same problems of last season are still present now. Nothing has improved.
 

Amerifan

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No it does when the exact same problems of last season are still present now. Nothing has improved.
Last season ended 0-2-2 for 2 points. The season started 1-2-1 for 5 points. That’s a 150% improvement over last year. Ole for most improved manager of the year!

I’m joking of course, but things are different this season and I think they’re moving in the right direction. Time will tell if I’m being overly optimistic...
 

ManUArfa

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....and Solskjaer has won it!
Results may not be what we'd like at the moment, but I think Solskjaer IS the right man to sort out this mess created over 6 years by an inept board, bad recruitment policy, lack of a DoF and a succession of the wrong managers compounding the problems with this squad.

We have all been crying out to remove the deadwood but no one has even attempted to do that before Solskjaer, and what's more, he has identified all of those same players that the fans are calling deadwood, which reassures me that he sees what needs to be done and is doing it.
Already we've seen Fellaini, Valencia, Smalling, Lukaku, Darmian make their exit, and it wouldn't surprise me if Rojo & Matic are gone in January too.
I forgot to even mention Sanchez going too..!!

Recruitment has been excellent so far too with Wan-Bissaka, James and Maguire, it's just a pity that we didn't get a Midfielder too, but that's not the fault of Solskjaer, that surely is the failing of the Board, to have not got that business done when City, Liverpool & Chelsea were taking a back seat in the transfer market.

This season will likely be a struggle, I accept that, but if those 2 penalties had gone in, we'd have probably won both of those games, and we'd now be on 10 points looking a lot more rosy.
Such a fine margin, too fine to blame Solskjaer.

I am optimistic that the Board will release bigger funds for Solskjaer going forward, in recognition of the deadwood that he has managed to clear so far, and perhaps 3 or 4 exceptional players will be added, then we will really look like something special.
But we will have to battle on through this season to get there.
This.

We're no worse than under the last two managers (who have won at the highest level); and he's clearing out the dead wood and bringing in good signings, i.e. in terms being of United quality, performing for the badge and not having a negative impact on the dressing room.

This will time time under circumstances he has to work under with the Glazers and Woody.
 

Foxbatt

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Then we make the space. We're playing box-play or triangles on the right side, with Pogba, AWB and James. On the left Martial, Rash and Lingard have tried the same, but Lingard doesn't have the same quality as Pogba in his passing.
We've had a number of decent crosses (low and hard), but Rashford doesn't smell the blood, like his manager or any other tap-in striker would (RvN etc.).
The triangle is a misnomer. You actually need three options to pass and that is the diamond. The diamond does not mean it looks like a diamond at kick off. The passer needs to have three options and that means three players able to receive. Or three players creating the space. If it is just two it is easy to mark them. We really do not know that to do with the ball once we gain possession. We do not how to move off the ball once the side gains possession. Actually one of the few things Lingard does is that he keeps moving but when you have two midfield players vs 4 or 5 they are going to get tired and over run.
 

Mr PG

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It’s important to specifically evaluate last 3 games see if the manager managed them well.
For starters I don’t see anything besides a counter attacking setup even against Southampton and Crystal palace. He hasn’t been proactive enough with his substitutions.

It shouldn’t matter who he is or how he got the job or what the press will write.
The only question that should be asked is he good enough and the answer is a firm no. No other premier league team would hire him...
 

Mr PG

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How can a manager persist with Perreira performance vs Southampton for 75mins is beyond me and he wonders why we’re dropping points. Lindeleof been a disaster and needed benching for a few games too. Keep clean sheets first and build from that. Not just words like Ole does but actions.
 

hocane

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When other team's supporters want Ole to stay it should raise warning signs into everyone's heads on here.
Not been as embarrassed to be a man utd fan since Moyes.
 

Starkie_1

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When other team's supporters want Ole to stay it should raise warning signs into everyone's heads on here.
Not been as embarrassed to be a man utd fan since Moyes.
State of you. Maybe go and follow another club then? One that doesn’t embarrass you.

The most embarrassing part of supporting this great club is when you have to tell people you follow the same club as people like you. Stick us the same group because of who we support when really you’re as much a supporter as the rats at OT these days.
 

iHicksy

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I don't think you can criticise Ole in the transfer market at all. I would say that's the one place he's been absolutely flawless.

When was the last time that every signing brought in, not only walked into the first team or improved it instantly? All three of Ole's signings look like real Manchester United players.

  • Maguire - Leading the team despite being new. Instantly our best CB.
  • AWB - Looks an absolute beast at right back. Instantly our best RB and one of the best in the league.
  • James - Only attacker that excites me outside of Greenwood. Was probably intended to be bedded in but despite being raw is our best wide attacker. Plays with passion, not afraid of the shirt.
Now he's identified players who didn't fit his system and even though he knew we were trying to actively sell them made out to the media the likes of Sanchez had a future here to protect the club and the player, lets look at who he has gotten rid of:

  • Sanchez
  • Lukaku
  • Smalling
  • Fellaini
  • Darmian
  • Herrera (wanted to keep)
And now he's frozen out the players that he sees as the rest of the deadwood:

  • Rojo
  • Jones
  • Possibly Fred (unsure what's going on here)
He's being criticised for not bringing in replacements but the window has shut and we didn't know realistically if we would actually be able to get rid of Sanchez and i'd imagine he wants to give Greenwood plenty of time at some point. We wanted Erikson but he didn't want to come here. At the end of the day it's Ed's job to secure players and we all know how piss poor he is at this. Based on talent we wanted Dybala, once we found out he was a mercenary Ole pulled out. This is exactly the right thing to do and a ballsy move as he;s sticking to his principles and doesn't want another Di Maria situation. We'd be the first to kick off signing players that don't want to be here. For me, he's doing everything right in the transfer market it's tactically and improving his subs which needs work on.
 

Joeace2020

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Glory hunters talk about how embarrassed they feel supporting United and how fans from rival clubs make them feel less about themselves. SMH!
 

Leftback99

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Glory hunters talk about how embarrassed they feel supporting United and how fans from rival clubs make them feel less about themselves. SMH!
Same posters wanted him in only a few months back. Change their opinions like the wind (based on the result of the last match).
 
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I don't think you can criticise Ole in the transfer market at all. I would say that's the one place he's been absolutely flawless.

When was the last time that every signing brought in, not only walked into the first team or improved it instantly? All three of Ole's signings look like real Manchester United players.

  • Maguire - Leading the team despite being new. Instantly our best CB.
  • AWB - Looks an absolute beast at right back. Instantly our best RB and one of the best in the league.
  • James - Only attacker that excites me outside of Greenwood. Was probably intended to be bedded in but despite being raw is our best wide attacker. Plays with passion, not afraid of the shirt.
Now he's identified players who didn't fit his system and even though he knew we were trying to actively sell them made out to the media the likes of Sanchez had a future here to protect the club and the player, lets look at who he has gotten rid of:

  • Sanchez
  • Lukaku
  • Smalling
  • Fellaini
  • Darmian
  • Herrera (wanted to keep)
And now he's frozen out the players that he sees as the rest of the deadwood:

  • Rojo
  • Jones
  • Possibly Fred (unsure what's going on here)
He's being criticised for not bringing in replacements but the window has shut and we didn't know realistically if we would actually be able to get rid of Sanchez and i'd imagine he wants to give Greenwood plenty of time at some point. We wanted Erikson but he didn't want to come here. At the end of the day it's Ed's job to secure players and we all know how piss poor he is at this. Based on talent we wanted Dybala, once we found out he was a mercenary Ole pulled out. This is exactly the right thing to do and a ballsy move as he;s sticking to his principles and doesn't want another Di Maria situation. We'd be the first to kick off signing players that don't want to be here. For me, he's doing everything right in the transfer market it's tactically and improving his subs which needs work on.
Agree with all of this but the 2 things he is failing with so far is:

a) substitutions - always too late, often the wrong subs

b) The midfield & #10. - it appears he has genuinely gone into this season expecting to get away with Lingard, Mata or Andreas as his number 10’s. And McTom & Pogba sitting deep.

b is truly baffling as we know these 3 aren’t good enough, we have so much evidence of this season after season, and yet 2 options are glaringly obvious to try. Either Pogba or Gomes at 10.

So whilst he gets an A* in the transfer market, and a B-C for tactics/playing style, he currently gets a E for team selection and in game tactics.
 

dev1l

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Seems that Solskjaer main objective is to "clean up" the squad. It s being done but job is not finished yet.
Even if we all wanted results to be better, overall he s doing fine.
 

ArjenIsM3

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Seems that Solskjaer main objective is to "clean up" the squad. It s being done but job is not finished yet.
Even if we all wanted results to be better, overall he s doing fine.
Makes sense. Tear the old structure down before building something new on the site
 
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