Ole Gunnar Solskjær | 2021/22 Discussion

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Keefy18

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Interesting.

Taking into account the squad and the dressing room morale he inherited, the injures of last and this season then he's done quite a job imo.

Absolutely has.

The opening 15 mins of that video perfectly sums up why the morale and attitude of players have done a 180 during his tenure.
 

El Zoido

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He deserves more credit for the performances he's getting out of some of these players. We haven't been this enjoyable to watch since the Rooney & Ronaldo days, even Fergie's last few years didn't have this much attacking flair (RVP aside). This setup of Martial/Rashford/Greenwood/Fernandes/Pogba is absolutely outstanding, and Ole built it. None of these players have peaked and they're only going to get better and better. Really exciting times ahead with this squad. Ole has truly grown in to the role this season, he's doing a great job. I'll forever love this man for '99, he's a true red and clearly wants to do everything right by the club long term (as opposed to our previous manager). Frankly at this point, even if we blow these last few games and miss out on CL, he needs full backing in to next season.
 

Thisistheone

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Attacking wise, it now looks like we are improving by the week through training, whereas the last 7 years made you wonder what on earth we did on the training ground all week. Players already here and new sigings are improving.
 

Ali Dia

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Considering he’s had to clear out about half a squads worth of players and keep the remaining lads happy is an indication of how tricky the job was. It’s not like we just give the manager what he needs straight away no questions asked and I would argue we still aren’t decisive enough in the market. If we’d planned to play Bruno and Pogba together then we should have went for Bruno last summer. I’ll keep saying it. I think Bruno was only ever coming if Pogba was leaving. He was pogbas replacement but things played out favourably for us with pogbas injury our chronic lack of creativity without him and Covid. We were due a bit of luck with signings anyway.

So far ole has
Made good young signings with a great team ethos
Promoted youth and put the onus back on the academy to provide top players for the first team.
Got us playing best attacking football since Fergie
Kept Pogba (by the looks of things)
Improved morale and fitness dramatically.
Brought the age of the team way down
Slashed the wage bill while improving the football and the atmosphere in the group.
Has improved Fred Rashford Martial Shaw and Lindelöf and is getting more mileage out of Matic than anyone expected.
Is on a 19 match unbeaten run when everyone else had written this season off by January. If he can keep this kind of form up while still building a team we will be alright.

It’s all good. I can’t wait to see who he brings in next. His signings have been excellent. Some more of the same this summer and I reckon we are right up there again.
 

Adamsk7

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We are probably three players away from a first 11 to challenge and five away from a squad to challenge and most of that is down to Ole and the work he and his coaches have done. They’ve resurrected the careers of some players and nurtured others so now the job is only going to take 1-2 more yrs as opposed to the 5 plus I imagined when he was hired!

if we keep Pogba and sign Sancho that will be all the proof I’ll need that we are very, very close to being “back”.
 

Paul_Scholes18

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First big test is here now. Chelsea and then David Moyes. Doesn't get harder than this and add Rodgers on top of that.
Plus a final vs City if we beat Chelsea.
 

Foxbatt

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After seeing the video I know that he knows he needs more better players.
I am now not worried about him being here next season no matter what happens in these matches this season.
 

anant

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First big test is here now. Chelsea and then David Moyes. Doesn't get harder than this and add Rodgers on top of that.
Plus a final vs City if we beat Chelsea.
Are we going to call every game of ours as his first test?
Spurs game in 2019 with Poch in charge was his first test!
 

FatherWolff

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Took a gamble playing a clearly knackered Bruno, who was invisible for most of the game because he was running on fumes.

But the gamble was even in that state Bruno had enough quality to make some game changing contributions, which he did with massive contributions to both our goals.

Was also a brave decision to start TFM, but he also did well.

It came off for Ole tonight, so he takes the plaudits for foresight and self belief.
I think this is a wrong analysis. Bruno was marked out wide, but he still managed to make a difference. This is what Bruno need to learn now that teams are taking him out of games.
 

STYLOISRED

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Ole on trophies

"Yes of course, for any player or any team to lift the first trophy is a great start and a great experience. We've come a long way since the start of the season and to be able to get to the final would be fantastic."
Mauricio Pochettino believes a domestic cup triumph means nothing to a club in terms of the creation of a winning culture. The Tottenham manager knows the FA Cup represents his only chance of a trophy this season and his team play at Swansea City in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/mar/16/fa-cup-tottenham-mauricio-pochettino-culture

This is why i have never wanted Poch here as manager. I witnessed do many times when his team would break down at the slight pressure in key moments and knew he would never be able to build a winning culture.
 

El Zoido

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Are we going to call every game of ours as his first test?
Spurs game in 2019 with Poch in charge was his first test!
It’s just a joke/meme at this point isn’t it? I assumed that was why people keep saying it.
 

anant

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It’s just a joke/meme at this point isn’t it? I assumed that was why people keep saying it.
I'm not so sure actually. Reason for that being he is on the Ole Out camp, I think
 

11101

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Days like today make it difficult to support him staying.

Why change the formation AND the players? Putting us out with an unfamiliar formation and replacing half the team with another half who have barely played with them. Then he's ended up keeping Matic and Bruno on, the two who need rest more than anybody, for the full 90 mins.

We now have knocked confidence and an even more knackered first team than we had before.

Baffling team selection, formation and tactics, and not for the first time.
 

Leftback99

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Got it wrong today, either rest players or don't, the halfway house and change of formationn just didn't work. Midfield possession is still a concern even with the Matic, Pogba, Bruno combination.

Shows how much work the squad still needs.
 

Yagami

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Quoting @Bastian here, but the next step we need to make as a team is to be able to inflict our game on equal quality opposition.

I cannot stress enough how much I hate us parking the bus in big games, which has happened for years now, and I don't know if Ole is going to be able to get us to control matches and keep possession in the opponents half against good quality opposition.
 

iluvoursolskjær

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Needs to commit to one thing or the other. Played some tired first teamers to start in an unfamiliar system, then brings the rest on in a game we were just getting thumped.

Even our last cup game was a bit of a joke in approach.

When it comes to actually needing to manage the squad/team rather than being able to field our best XI, alot to be desired.
 

Tom Cato

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Days like today make it difficult to support him staying.

Why change the formation AND the players? Putting us out with an unfamiliar formation and replacing half the team with another half who have barely played with them. Then he's ended up keeping Matic and Bruno on, the two who need rest more than anybody, for the full 90 mins.

We now have knocked confidence and an even more knackered first team than we had before.

Baffling team selection, formation and tactics, and not for the first time.
We beat Chelsea 3 times this season with that formation.

SO MAYBE THAT IS WHY? I DONT KNOW GOOD SIR????
 

11101

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Of course i do still want him here, but he makes an awful lot of obviously poor decisions. Anybody with half an idea could see we were taking a big risk with that lineup and the thing that really annoys me is it's far from the first time he's done it.
 

AFC NimbleThumb

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Poor formation & team choice aside his biggest test is resigning DDG to the bench.

He talks about attackers needing to be challenged; DDG needs to fight for his place too.
 

DWelbz19

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Two semi finals now where I just think the tactics were spot off.

I think he’s done very well with this run-in and he’s got us playing the right way for the most part, but it’s these matches and trophies that will feel sour and feel like there’s something missing tactically. I’m really interested to see how we do in the Europa. I really do think we should be winning that.
 

Adisa

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Gambled and got punished. Tbf, he was between a rock and a hard place. We absolutely had to win against Palace, like we have to win against west Ham.
 

Bastian

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Quoting @Bastian here, but the next step we need to make as a team is to be able to inflict our game on equal quality opposition.

I cannot stress enough how much I hate us parking the bus in big games, which has happened for years now, and I don't know if Ole is going to be able to get us to control matches and keep possession in the opponents half against good quality opposition.
Yeah, that's the next level. That's what a team that reaches +80 points does. I don't mind him not setting up like that tonight - thought we should have gone full underdog and rested everyone.

It's hard to evaluate where this team is at with regards to that - we've only had Spurs and Chelsea now. Against the former we didn't have Bruno and Pogba together. And tonight we were knackered and unbalanced all over the pitch. So this team hasn't been tested like that, really. We do know we struggle with a high press (Southampton).

To achieve that consistency of style we are quite a few squad players short, possibly two first XI players in our backline. Every player from the bench is tactically limited, in that regard.
 

Based Adnan

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He better not come out with "De Gea is the best GK in the world" like he has done the previous times De Gea's cost us.

Call a spade a spade and drop him.
 

sammsky1

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Ole’s worst day in the office.

Got every single decision wrong, and no upside whatsoever after the game.

He has made his own job much harder for West Ham and Leicester next week.
 

ivaldo

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Of course i do still want him here, but he makes an awful lot of obviously poor decisions. Anybody with half an idea could see we were taking a big risk with that lineup and the thing that really annoys me is it's far from the first time he's done it.
We were taking a risk. He got it wrong. That happens. It puts an end to our NINETEEN game undefeated run. When you actually put it into context, ignoring the howler from the keeper, the own goal, our CB going off the pitch on a stretcher after a head injury, and coming into the game with 2 games less rest, then it's absolutely mental to be asking any serious questions. What we saw today is he still needs plenty of investment. When our starting XI is out there we blow teams away. When we have to play the back ups then it starts to go wrong.
 

el3mel

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He has been managing the team great recently but unfortunately fecked it up completely today. At the end we couldn't rest any meaningful player and we got battered by 3 goals so overall a terrible day in the office. The 5 in the back was a weird tactical decision as well.
 

Kaos

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Might be a bit of a nothing point, but it irritates me how much he just sits on the stands with his arms crossed, especially when we're chasing a game or trying to hang on for dear life. I'm not saying I'd expect him to flail around like an escaped asylum patient a la Conte, but god man, show some fight.
 

11101

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We beat Chelsea 3 times this season with that formation.

SO MAYBE THAT IS WHY? I DONT KNOW GOOD SIR????
Then why change the players if it worked so well?

We beat a Chelsea 433 with a back 3, but Chelsea didn't play a 433 today did they? They played a back 3 too. Ole just got out thought, and everybody from the commentary i was watching to the matchday thread saw it coming.
 

Ludens the Red

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Absolutely shocking management to be honest . Essentially Throwing away a cup tie and a chance to get to a final to try and finish in the top 4 , when we've essentially got three bites at that cherry.

This Chelsea side have been ropey since the restart and are notoriously bad at the back and he just plays into their hands with a back three, sitting deep, being negative. Sort of thing Mourinho would have been crucified for.

Once again, tactically outdone by a heavy and high press as well. Obvious after about ten mins but just not very good at being able to read games and change them.

It doesn't matter if you go on 20 game unbeaten runs through a season (Emery did this at Arsenal) if when push comes to shove you shit the bed when it gets to a crunch game and you can't manage a game properly or tactically develop the team.
From a tactical view point watching this and the Southampton game is kind of eye opening to his limitations tactically.
 

redflash

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For me he just cannot trust this squad its as simple as that.

Today had nothing to do with shape or tactics. Chelsea looked fresher shaper and hungrier in every aspect of their play. That is not on Ole its on the players.

Add to that 2/3 goals have come about from our own mistakes. Bad day at the office. Players will learn hopefully.

Poor performances 1-14 from the players. We've just got to take it on the chin
 

11101

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We were taking a risk. He got it wrong. That happens. It puts an end to our NINETEEN game undefeated run. When you actually put it into context, ignoring the howler from the keeper, the own goal, our CB going off the pitch on a stretcher after a head injury, and coming into the game with 2 games less rest, then it's absolutely mental to be asking any serious questions. What we saw today is he still needs plenty of investment. When our starting XI is out there we blow teams away. When we have to play the back ups then it starts to go wrong.
I don't actually care too much about the result. It's the FA Cup. I am most annoyed that we played Bruno and Matic for 90 minutes, and Rashford and AWB for 80 minutes, when none of them needed to be there.
 

Womp

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What's worrying is teams seem to be figuring out a blueprint to feck us. Instead of sitting back, every team that seems to press us makes us look fecking shite
 

Tom Cato

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Then why change the players if it worked so well?

We beat a Chelsea 433 with a back 3, but Chelsea didn't play a 433 today did they? They played a back 3 too. Ole just got out thought, and everybody from the commentary i was watching to the matchday thread saw it coming.
The best thing about arguing your point is that you have the result in hand and can make any argument to support your claim. "Should have" doesn't mean anything, you can't know a thing about what would have happened. But we can of course say that: Today didn't work. For all we know your way of doing it could have meant we won 5-0. Or lost 6-0. It's just "what if" theory.

I prefer statistics.

What are the odds of beating Chelsea 4 times per season? It has never happened in club history. Are we faulting the manager for something that no manager before him has accomplished?

David De Gea allows 2 goals that he must save. Are we blaming Ole for not playing Romero for this game? De Gea has come from a series of very solid games. Romero was the cup keeper. Should he have started?

This is what we know:

The FA cup is a trophy but meaningless in the grand scheme of this season. If there was any game to adjust and rest players, it was today. He opted for a middle ground that didn't work out. The players on the pitch did not perform well enough. They have in the past, what changed? Are we ignoring that there is a team of 11 players opposing us that is also very good at football?

Is Ole blameless? Well no, we lost so he's not blameless. How much of the blame does De Gea take? Maguire? Williams? All cost the team goals today through enormous personal mistakes.

Is Ole to blame for playing Williams, De Gea and Maguire? Sure, who should he have played in their stead? Romero, <Literally no one> and Timothy Fosu-Mensah? Pretty easy to make that argument now that we know what happened in trhis game.

Did the players on the pitch perform as they should have? If no, who'se fault is that, Ole or the players who were given a job?
 

ivaldo

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I don't actually care too much about the result. It's the FA Cup. I am most annoyed that we played Bruno and Matic for 90 minutes, and Rashford and AWB for 80 minutes, when none of them needed to be there.
He didn't want to be embarrassed. I don't think that was his intentions. But what you going to do when your CB goes off on a stretcher, your keeper makes a howler and your CB scores an own goal? He tried to balance resting players with giving this a serious go and got it wrong. There isn't a manager in history that hasn't got it wrong on occasion.
 

sammsky1

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Gambled and got punished. Tbf, he was between a rock and a hard place. We absolutely had to win against Palace, like we have to win against west Ham.
Nah he wasn’t. He let his ego get in the way and tried to bluff our reality.

I’m not confident at all about West Ham as our team is totally gassed and it’s shown on past 3 games
 
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