Ole Gunnar Solskjær | 2021/22 Discussion

[Danimancer]

I could never understand some of that. I have wobbled on Ole since he came in, wanting him to succeed but not quite being 100% convinced if he has what it takes to bring us long term success. But seeing some fans throwing abuse and calling him the C word etc in threads is bizarre. We all get angry but surely if anyone deserved a little more time and respect to prove themselves it would be him?

this is spot on. Nothing wrong with being uncertain re Ole, or focusing on the aspects of his managerial style and performance you wish were stronger. But the senseless name-calling, lazy "he has no CV to speak of" style of sort of "argumentation" we find here on this forum is ridiculous.

There is enough negativity in life, enough places for toxic keyboard warriors... this should not be one of those places... this should be a place where you go and feel happy about being a United supporter, not a place where there are trenches and modern warfare played out in repeated cycles...

Let me stress; there is nothing, absolutely nothing(!), wrong with being critical of Ole. Just let your arguments be logical and sensible and do the talking, and leave the toxic attitude at the door. As Evra said (wildly paraphrasing from memory here) "respect the giant"

 

[Bilbo]

I said it a few weeks ago and was admonished by @Bilbo for saying the following, but I do still stand by it, even as someone who has been staunchly fighting Ole's corner on here from the start and not wavered in my support of him at all, but if we do challenge for the title this year, it is going to say more about those teams who were expected to challenge than ourselves or anyone else from the chasing pack, and if by some miracle we actually won the league, it isn't a vindication of this team or even of Ole's team building as I still see us as a team and club, and Ole as a manager as a work in progress. He's done amazingly well to bring us back from what was the deepest depths I'd ever seen the club in. I was there at Anfield for Jose's last game, and I remembered when I pulled into my house at midnight afterwards deeply contemplating why I actually bothered to follow the team home and away. I'd never felt that, and it was a bitter pill to swallow. But Ole came in and changed it all, and for that he deserves immense credit. Yes, he's made mistakes in these 2+ years, but unlike the ones before him, he retains the humility to actually admit them and even more importantly, he has the capacity to learn from them.

I think I remember the post and the issue i took with it was the implication that a title win this season would be in any way diluted by the fact that we didnt have to hit 100 points or very close to win it. I stand by that.

Full respect from me for backing Ole all the way. Im curious as to your reasoning for doing that, and the reason that I ask that is because my own backing was down to a belief in the plan and how I thought it might play out. (That plan being to build a side best placed to take over when City and Liverpool came through their peak cycles)

The theory behind that was never that we were suddenly going to be a 95 point football team, but that we would get closer and closer to that and those two clubs would struggle to keep up recent form, so at some point our ascent would meet their 'decline'. My backing of Ole was almost entirely down to the fact that he was making the right moves to give that plan a chance. We are a year ahead of schedule in my view.

Thats the reason I took issue with your post. I have no doubt that, should we achieve the remarkable feat of winning this title, there will be posters on here that will put that down to other teams 'struggling' or it being a 'weak league', which is horsesh*t. You being an Ole backer from the start means that you echoing that viewpoint only strengthens that idea from a moaners perspective.

If we win this title it will be one of our best ones IMO. The strength in depth in this league, and the shortened length of the season, makes 90+ points an unreasonable expectation. If we win it its because we were the best in the country

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

I gotta be honest, he had me at an all time low after his Leipzig excuses and I just wanted him to feck off, but I gotta hold my hands up and say I was incredibly rash. The league start and CL exit was just so similar to last year and I couldn’t shake the feeling of “here we go again”.

It really was a shaky start to the season and I maintain that stupid decisions in Germany cost us, but we’re in a much better place now than we have been for a long time.

The squad is the reason I’ve been harsh/rash, I think it’s superb and clearly only behind Liverpool’s in the league. I really do think that. City obviously have experience though, of winning things, both their players and management so that gives them an edge regarding expectations.

I was delighted with our play vs. PSG despite the loss and I love grinding out wins against defensive sides like Wolves, they are what put you in a title race.
We can still improve, no doubt, but we’re in a good place coming up to the half way point, credit to Ole, and controversially, to the club for that.

 

[iato89]

I gotta be honest, he had me at an all time low after his Leipzig excuses and I just wanted him to feck off, but I gotta hold my hands up and say I was incredibly rash. The league start and CL exit was just so similar to last year and I couldn’t shake the feeling of “here we go again”.

It really was a shaky start to the season and I maintain that stupid decisions in Germany cost us, but we’re in a much better place now than we have been for a long time.

The squad is the reason I’ve been harsh/rash, I think it’s superb and clearly only behind Liverpool’s in the league. I really do think that. City obviously have experience though, of winning things, both their players and management so that gives them an edge regarding expectations.

I was delighted with our play vs. PSG despite the loss and I love grinding out wins against defensive sides like Wolves, they are what put you in a title race.
We can still improve, no doubt, but we’re in a good place coming up to the half way point, credit to Ole, and controversially, to the club for that.

Still too early for me, the current league is too close to call and all teams are inconsistent. I reserve my judgement until next May.

 

[united for life]

You cannot win or challenge for title if you cannot win ugly. Liverpool last 2 season's did that on regular basis and I doubt any of their fana complained.

The problem is people have already made their up that Ole is a shit manager and anything we achieve under him will be a fluke. I pretty much guarantee had we been in the same position with Sima stats under Poch, people and pundits would have hailed Poch as genius.

I will keep on saying it Ole for me is the most abused manager I have ever seen.

totally correct. At the same time, with all the “abuse”, I think he handled it all well. Kept calm, focused and continued what he started. The fact that he played for so long at United made him understand the pressure of being associated with this club. Arsenal are doing far worse, City are behind us in the table, Chelsea with all the signings are inconsistent. Yet, the manager that is under pressure by the media, and some fans unfortunately, is Ole.

i agree with you that winning ugly is part of the game. This is what I said in the post match discussion against Wolves. We’ve done it so many times under Sir Alex. This is what champions do; find a way to win.

no one can deny the progress, not sure who would? It’s so obvious we are a better team. We are better overall, players’ harmony is better, players developed well under him. He handled Greenwood’s situation well early in the season.

just hope he continues progressing the team (and himself as a manager), hope we win something this year!

 

[Bilbo]

I gotta be honest, he had me at an all time low after his Leipzig excuses and I just wanted him to feck off, but I gotta hold my hands up and say I was incredibly rash. The league start and CL exit was just so similar to last year and I couldn’t shake the feeling of “here we go again”.

It really was a shaky start to the season and I maintain that stupid decisions in Germany cost us, but we’re in a much better place now than we have been for a long time.

The squad is the reason I’ve been harsh/rash, I think it’s superb and clearly only behind Liverpool’s in the league. I really do think that. City obviously have experience though, of winning things, both their players and management so that gives them an edge regarding expectations.

I was delighted with our play vs. PSG despite the loss and I love grinding out wins against defensive sides like Wolves, they are what put you in a title race.
We can still improve, no doubt, but we’re in a good place coming up to the half way point, credit to Ole, and controversially, to the club for that.

You're totally right to mention 'to the club'. The manager is always the figurehead of progress, or lack of, but this feels very much like a collaborative effort which is why I hate to read constant criticism of our coaching staff when really nobody hows how effective they are.

I'm liking the transfers. Im loving the mentality changes that are clear to see. I like our approach to football now and what we are trying to do here. Credit for that goes to everyone, from the players all the way up to Woodward

The Glazers can still do one though

 

[Withnail]

You're all too positive.

I'm getting worried now

 

[tenpoless]

Still a PE teacher. We will lose the game against Villa and end January in 7th position.

unleash your anger

 

[Stacks]

My concern is though if the club will be brave enough to keep supporting him in term of signing players and see the process out before they decide with Ole's ability to take us further.

I think it is more important. It is not like we never tried to hire 'better managers'. We did. It just does not work that way with us for one reason or another so far.

Mostly because we went for the wrong ones. Managers whose stock has fallen and have outdated methods. Neither Van Gaal nor Jose are covered by top clubs anymore. Had we signed Klopp it may have been different. I wouldn't dismiss the idea of getting a better manager because others have failed. Liverpool would never have gotten Klopp otherwise. That said I am in no rush to replace Ole as he is earning his stay but I don't follow that idea that "we tried proven managers so it doesn't work"

 

[Dolf]

While Ole might not be perfect, this club has made more progress than under LvG and Mourinho. Ole was always going to be for the long term. Some progress can only be seen behind the scenes. The players are obviously more motivated and we look like an actual team again. We're miles away of being a dominating force again but if you can't see that we're heading in the right way and that there is no better alternative at the moment then you should really open your eyes.

 

[ash_86]

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[The United]

Mostly because we went for the wrong ones. Managers whose stock has fallen and have outdated methods. Neither Van Gaal nor Jose are covered by top clubs anymore. Had we signed Klopp it may have been different. I wouldn't dismiss the idea of getting a better manager because others have failed. Liverpool would never have gotten Klopp otherwise. That said I am in no rush to replace Ole as he is earning his stay but I don't follow that idea that "we tried proven managers so it doesn't work"

I don't dismiss of getting a new manager at all. But, I do dismiss of going for new managers every other year whether they are better or new shinning toy without planning mid and long term for the club. Like, Jose gets sacked, let's fire our manager and get him or Poch might be going to PSG, let's get him before they do type of things.

 

[Striker10]

While Ole might not be perfect, this club has made more progress than under LvG and Mourinho. Ole was always going to be for the long term. Some progress can only be seen behind the scenes. The players are obviously more motivated and we look like an actual team again. We're miles away of being a dominating force again but if you can't see that we're heading in the right way and that there is no better alternative at the moment then you should really open your eyes.

I think the thing is no one is perfect. But we're a Unique club. We've had managers who have influenced us over generations. We have a mentality to attack first. We have a love of seeing youth come through. The grass isn't always greener. If Ole was backed, we might even still be in Europe and top of the league today. After such a poor start during difficult times for everyone. It's true many should open their eyes and enjoy it. Even if you are an Ole In...we've seen dramatic improvements but there is still a cloud. Pogbas situation is one we have to manage well. The owners have to back the manager and not just look to pocket the money. It's not all positive and sometimes it's tough to watch but it's so much better then what it has been

 

[sammsky1]

While Ole might not be perfect, this club has made more progress than under LvG and Mourinho. Ole was always going to be for the long term. Some progress can only be seen behind the scenes. The players are obviously more motivated and we look like an actual team again. We're miles away of being a dominating force again but if you can't see that we're heading in the right way and that there is no better alternative at the moment then you should really open your eyes.

I agree with all of your post except the first part: of the managers available today, Ole is just about the perfect candidate we could have.

Context is key: having made such a massive cock up in the post Ferguson transition, which robbed the club of all the great habits and culture that SAF had laid down, the only way for the club to move forwards was to try to reconnect with its past traditions. Also, as Moyes, LVG and Mourinho found out, the pressure of managing Manchester United is as intense as it comes, and we also now have a section of entitled fans who demand instant success and viciously complain in social media if their demands are not met.

The other context that is so easily ignored is that Ole inherited a club in genuine identity crisis. The squad was a hotpotch of different ideologies and results were complete freefall. I remember so many threads on Redcafe during the time when we were all confused about the clubs ethos, identity and purpose.

So we needed a manger who also believed in our traditions, who was used to the pressure of the job and able the thrive is such conditions. Somebody whose very essence naturally stood for what previous generations and all the fans knew was the secret sauce of Manchester United. Ferguson admits himself that he struggled with that in his early days until he discovered fast attacking wing play through Giggs and Sharpe.

Many people negate Ole's experiences as a player for Manchester United, but for me, they provide the very core of his outlook, experience and know how; both for football tactics as well as thriving under pressure. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's most likely place to thrive as a manager was always going to Manchester United Football Club, where he was infused by Ferguson's values and the fans adorations. Ole knows how to deal with elite players as he played with them his entire career: he knows how to deal with high pressure situations because he thrived as a player under the same; he knows how to make Manchester United fans get off their seats, because he made fans do the same when he played. Ole knows how to activate the club's DNA just by being himself, which is why everything feels so good, so familiar so right.

On top of that, he has his own managerial winner's template to riff off, no matter how critics want to downplay his achievements with Molde. The Cardiff accusation is a complete red herring: Ole's mistake was accepting a job that didn't suit his experience or profile. Very similar to Gary Nevilles idiotic decision to manage at Valencia, it was always likely to end in failure. Regardless, it was a significant learning experience for him, rather than an impediment to his ambitions and potential. Ole knows he is lucky to have this job, it's the chance of his lifetime, and he will do whatever it takes to be successful, ensuring he learns as he goes along, whilst also nurturing the club's future too. I love this quote from today:

"We have competition for places which means you cannot go round and fake your way through being part of this team. You only deserve to be in if you contribute. Everyone has realised we are privileged to be part of Manchester United. Enjoy it."​

Progress was always going to take some time and have some bumps and false dawns. And I'm not saying this little peak is job done as there will certainly be a few more dips before we hit some form of peak consistency. But Ole has already laid down solid foundations that will provide the platform for future winning excellence, and he also now knows exactly what he has to do to take the next step. And if anything, he is ahead of schedule and certainly gotten to this place quicker than Klopp did.

It's a shame all our fans don't recognise his achievements so far but that's really only their loss. The feeling of 'winning' is brief and fleeting, its actually the journey to the summit that is the most enjoyable part of being a champion.

 

[Heinzesight]

I agree with all of your post except the first part: of the managers available today, Ole is just about the perfect candidate we could have.

Context is key: having made such a royal cock up in the post Ferguson transition, which robbed the club of all the great habits and culture that SAF had laid down, the only way for the club to move forwards was to try to reconnect with its past traditions. Also, as Moyes, LVG and Mourinho found out the pressure of managing Manchester United is as red hot as it comes, and we also now have a section of entitled fans who demand instant success and viciously complain in social media if their demands are not met. The other context that is so easily ignored is that Ole inherited a club in genuine identity crisis. The team was in complete freewill and I remember so many threads on Redcafe during the time when we were all confused about the clubs ethos, identity and purpose.

So we needed a manger who also believed in these traditions and who was used to the pressure of the job and able the thrive is such conditions. Somebody whose very essence stood for what previous generations and all the fans knew was the secret sauce of this club. Ferguson struggled with that in his early days until he discovered youth through Giggs and Sharpe and fast attacking wing play.

Many people negate Ole's experiences as a player for Manchester United, but for me, they provide the very core of his outlook, experience and know how; both for football tactics as well as coping and thriving under pressure. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's most likely place to thrive as a manager was always going to Manchester United Football Club, where he was infused by Ferguson's values and the fans adorations. Ole knows how to deal with elite players as he played with them his entire career, he knows how to deal in high pressure situations because he thrived as a player under the same, he knows how to make Manchester United fans get off their seats, because he made fans do the same when he played. This is why everything feels so good, so familiar so right.

On top of that, he has his own managerial winner's template to riff off, no matter how critics want to downplay his achievements with Molde. The Cardiff accusation is a complete red herring: Ole's mistake was accepting the of in the first place: it didn't suit his experience Very similar to Gary Nevilles idiotic decision to manage at Valencia it was always likely to end in failure. Regardless, it was a significant learning experience for him, rather than anything which would impede his own professional ambitions. Ole knows he is lucky to have this job, its the chance of his life, and he will do whatever it takes to be successful, whilst also nurturing the club's future too. I love this quote from today:

"We have competition for places which means you cannot go round + fake your way through being part of this team. You only deserve to be in if you contribute. Everyone has realised we are privileged to be part of Manchester United. Enjoy it."

Progress was always going to take some time and have some bumps and false dawns. And I'm not saying this little peak is job done as there will certainly be a few more dips before we hit some form of peak consistency. But Ole has almost certainly laid down solid foundations that will provide the platform for future winning excellence. And if anything, he is ahead os schedule and certainly gotten to this place quicker than Klopp did.

Its a shame all our fans don't recognise his achievements but that's really only their loss. The feeling of 'winning' is brief and fleeting, its actually the journey to the summit that is the most enjoyable part of being a champion.

Mic drop. Top post.

 

[GoldTrafford99]

He has done such a great flucking job, he truly has.

 

[Stacks]

The best way I can some it up is, Man Utd and other non title challengers around Europe are doing what they are supposed to do. Its clear that the big teams around Europe are struggling with the pandemic schedule as none are as consistent or dominant as they would normally be. Peep league tables around Europe and you will see the likes of PSG, Barcelona, Real, City, Juventus, all out of their usual place and heading for a lower points tally. Even Bayern are neck and neck atm when they usually win by 10-13 points. It would be foolish to ignore this phenomenon as it is happening all across Europe. Liverpool have been hit the hardest with VVD and injuries to 13 1st team players already this year. I wouldn't theorise that all the teams like Atletico, Lyon, Lille, Ac Milan, United, Leicester, Villa Leverkuson etc have suddenly become top sides. What is most likely is for a number of reasons, the biggest and better sides aren't performing at their usual rate which is understandable and many predicted pre season. Teams that would normally get 90 + points may only get 75-80 or so and this has opened the door for unlikely title challenges for teams like us. Sherwood, Scholes and others suggested we could win the title and I thought they were insane but when I analyse how the so called top teams are getting on in Europe, everything is up for grabs. This will be Leicester like season but EU wide. Our job, which we are doing well is maintaining pace, keeping the pressure on. I don't personally believe that Ole, Rodgers, Dean Smith, Ancelotti are world class or great managers but they are taking advantage and that's the best you can ask of them this year, all things considered.

 

[Zen86]

The best way I can some it up is, Man Utd and other non title challengers around Europe are doing what they are supposed to do. Its clear that the big teams around Europe are struggling with the pandemic schedule as none are as consistent or dominant as they would normally be. Peep league tables around Europe and you will see the likes of PSG, Barcelona, Real, City, Juventus, all out of their usual place and heading for a lower points tally. Even Bayern are neck and neck atm when they usually win by 10-13 points. It would be foolish to ignore this phenomenon as it is happening all across Europe. Liverpool have been hit the hardest with VVD and injuries to 13 1st team players already this year. I wouldn't theorise that all the teams like Atletico, Lyon, Lille, Ac Milan, United, Leicester, Villa Leverkuson etc have suddenly become top sides. What is most likely is for a number of reasons, the biggest and better sides aren't performing at their usual rate which is understandable and many predicted pre season. Teams that would normally get 90 + points may only get 75-80 or so and this has opened the door for unlikely title challenges for teams like us. Sherwood, Scholes and others suggested we could win the title and I thought they were insane but when I analyse how the so called top teams are getting on in Europe, everything is up for grabs. This will be Leicester like season but EU wide. Our job, which we are doing well is maintaining pace, keeping the pressure on. I don't personally believe that Ole, Rodgers, Dean Smith, Ancelotti are world class or great managers but they are taking advantage and that's the best you can ask of them this year, all things considered.

You’re downplaying the progress we’ve made and oversimplifying things a bit there. Packed schedules and covid are something that all teams have to cope with, not just a select number of clubs.

The clubs you mention, PSG, Barcelona, Real, City, and Juventus, have plenty of problems. It’s not necessarily covid which is causing them to struggle.

 

[Stacks]

You’re downplaying the progress we’ve made and oversimplifying things a bit there. Packed schedules and covid are something that all teams have to cope with, not just a select number of clubs.

The clubs you mention, PSG, Barcelona, Real, City, and Juventus, have plenty of problems. It’s not necessarily covid which is causing them to struggle.

I get that its romantic to think like this but I am pretty sure it is having an impact and creating irregularities in sport. I am seeing similar patterns in the NBA launch as well. I have just seen us get relegated to the Europa League so where would you position us in terms of progress? Are we now one of the premier sides in Europe? Haven't you noticed the playing field is a lot more levelled this year and no one is running away with any league? How do you explain the immediate drop off of so many teams who won their league literally 5 months ago?

 

[Striker10]

I get that its romantic to think like this but I am pretty sure it is having an impact and creating irregularities in sport. I am seeing similar patterns in the NBA launch as well. I have just seen us get relegated to the Europa League so where would you position us in terms of progress? Are we now one of the premier sides in Europe? Haven't you noticed the playing field is a lot more levelled this year and no one is running away with any league? How do you explain the immediate drop off of so many teams who won their league literally 5 months ago?

I think you're over analyzing the situation. It really don't matter. If Ole was at best the luckiest manager alive? What would it matter? Tell us, what does it matter? You're talking about something that's out of his hands.

 

[Zen86]

I get that its romantic to think like this but I am pretty sure it is having an impact and creating irregularities in sport. I am seeing similar patterns in the NBA launch as well. I have just seen us get relegated to the Europa League so where would you position us in terms of progress? Are we now one of the premier sides in Europe? Haven't you noticed the playing field is a lot more levelled this year and no one is running away with any league? How do you explain the immediate drop off of so many teams who won their league literally 5 months ago?

It’s having an impact sure, but you seem to want to write off everything that happens this season as a covid fluke for some reason though. We’ve suffered from congested fixture lists and lack of preseason more than most, so it’s not like we’re having it easy over other sides. And as for these “top teams” you mention, you can pick any number of reasons why many of them of struggling, grossly ageing squads for example.

 

[Gazza]

Feels like results if not performances are starting to get to a level in keeping with the quality and depth of squad. And I think Ole is right that mentality is starting to change. I think Bruno’s influence has been huge too in that regard. We should really be challenging for the title from here, although that bastard Europa League will be an issue, I fear.

 

[U99ted]

How do you explain the immediate drop off of so many teams who won their league literally 5 months ago?

Liverpool- Never likely to repeat 97 & 99 point seasons
Real Madrid- Not as good as the team that won 3 Champions League & the 2017 title
Juventus- Best player is 35, only 5 points above 4th last season
Bayern- Better off after 13 games than last season

 

[sport2793]

I get that its romantic to think like this but I am pretty sure it is having an impact and creating irregularities in sport. I am seeing similar patterns in the NBA launch as well. I have just seen us get relegated to the Europa League so where would you position us in terms of progress? Are we now one of the premier sides in Europe? Haven't you noticed the playing field is a lot more levelled this year and no one is running away with any league? How do you explain the immediate drop off of so many teams who won their league literally 5 months ago?

United were impacted more heavily by COVID than any other team in the premier league bar City. Why? Because they had no preseason due to European competition and as a result were behind the rest of the league for the first 2 months of the season in terms of fitness. Not to mention Maguire rotting in a Greek jail not long before our first match. So this absolutely makes no sense to me, if anything United should be mid-table right now per your rationale.

 

[Stack]

I originally voted to give him time, then got frustrated early on this season and changed my vote to replace him and now think I am changing my vote again. 2nd place at NY and not miles off the pace, the guy deserves some credit and respect.

 

[sammsky1]

Mic drop. Top post.

Thanks and glad you agree too!

 

[Andersonson]

I got laughed at when I said Ole can be ruthless. Ole is a winner, wether you like him or not. Not everything is cuddling and sunshine.

He's a winner and he knows what it takes.

I for one, is 100% behind him and feck all of you who is moaning thread after thread.

 

[Stacks]

I think you're over analyzing the situation. It really don't matter. If Ole was at best the luckiest manager alive? What would it matter? Tell us, what does it matter? You're talking about something that's out of his hands.

No it doesn't really matter at all to be honest. I hope he wins it and support him fully

It’s having an impact sure, but you seem to want to write off everything that happens this season as a covid fluke for some reason though. We’ve suffered from congested fixture lists and lack of preseason more than most, so it’s not like we’re having it easy over other sides. And as for these “top teams” you mention, you can pick any number of reasons why many of them of struggling, grossly ageing squads for example.

Its not just about us. I am looking at other clubs; Villa, AC Milan, Leicester, Lille, Lyon, Everton and so on and so on.

Liverpool- Never likely to repeat 97 & 99 point seasons No need. They are currently trending towards 78 pts. Thats terrible for their standards.
Real Madrid- Not as good as the team that won 3 Champions League & the 2017 title Don't need to be. They won it last season yet Athletico can go 8 points clear. I know Suarez is good but he was surplus to Barcelona so......
Juventus- Best player is 35, only 5 points above 4th last season That same player is top scorer with 16 goals in 14 so his age irrelevent. they are 10 points off already and mid table.
Bayern- Better off after 13 games than last season bayern had a sacked their manager in charge. Under the current coach they won the league comfy.

United were impacted more heavily by COVID than any other team in the premier league bar City. Why? Because they had no preseason due to European competition and as a result were behind the rest of the league for the first 2 months of the season in terms of fitness. Not to mention Maguire rotting in a Greek jail not long before our first match. So this absolutely makes no sense to me, if anything United should be mid-table right now per your rationale.

We played Sevilla one day after City played in Europe. Maguire was given a suspended sentence. Not like he was in jail for 3 months and missed pre season because of it.
No we should not be mid table. We are the 3rd best English team IMO. I am just saying that many stronger sides are underperforming and some non strong sides are keeping pace because of it. To me its clear that its all having a knock on effect and not a reflection that everyone is now elite all of a sudden.

 

[shahzy]

Fair fecks to Ole. I was Ole Out and my biggest gripe with him was that we had no pattern of play other than Counter Attack and had no consistency. Both of those SEEM to be addressed. I wont fully say Ole in because consistency by virtue requires time and we havent really had a long extended period of consistency yet. My definition for that would be atleast 1/2 or 3/4 of a season. But he is definitely on his way to addressing my two biggest concerns with him

 

[Shark]

I get that its romantic to think like this but I am pretty sure it is having an impact and creating irregularities in sport. I am seeing similar patterns in the NBA launch as well. I have just seen us get relegated to the Europa League so where would you position us in terms of progress? Are we now one of the premier sides in Europe? Haven't you noticed the playing field is a lot more levelled this year and no one is running away with any league? How do you explain the immediate drop off of so many teams who won their league literally 5 months ago?

Fully agree with this, going out of the CL the way we did isn't the mark of a great team or major progress. He's doing an acceptable job at the moment, a good one if he sustains a title challenge with the squad at his disposal. Let's see where we are at the end of the season.

 

[21Herrera21]

I honestly have wanted Ole out for a while. But i'm starting to get title feelings. YES! WE GO FOR IT!

 

[U99ted]

No need. They are currently trending towards 78 pts. Thats terrible for their standards.

City similarly dropped-off last season, going from 100 to 98 to 81.

Don't need to be. They won it last season yet Athletico can go 8 points clear. I know Suarez is good but he was surplus to Barcelona so......

Yes, they won it last season, looking lesser than their CL winning teams and with ageing players like Barcelona. They're on course for 78 points as things stand. A drop-off, but hardly a shocking one.

That same player is top scorer with 16 goals in 14 so his age irrelevent. they are 10 points off already and mid table.

CR7 is still great then. Mid-table is stretching it, as the game in hand would take them 3rd. Last season they weren't as comfy as they usually were.

bayern had a sacked their manager in charge. Under the current coach they won the league comfy.

In Bayern's case, they will still win the league comfortably. They're top currently and on course for 78 points (only 4 less than last season, when they won by 13 points).

 

[Swiss_Red89]

Imagine if he wins today and at Anfield.....I've a feeling he will...don't quote me on it. Just have this positive vibes i never had since Fergie left.

 

[Winrar]

If anyone here has been following United at least since Fergie got the job for us, can anyone care to tell me how the sentiment was back in the late 80s about him? Only information I could find was that he came in when we were flirting around the relegation zone and got us out of it, built some disciplined system but was on the verge of being sacked after spending couple seasons in mid table until we won the FA Cup in 1990.

I'm not suggesting for a second that Ole is the next Fergie, but I'm just curious to see things from the perspective of an "old timer" who's been following the club for a very long time.

 

[WR10]

If anyone here has been following United at least since Fergie got the job for us, can anyone care to tell me how the sentiment was back in the late 80s about him? Only information I could find was that he came in when we were flirting around the relegation zone and got us out of it, built some disciplined system but was on the verge of being sacked after spending couple seasons in mid table until we won the FA Cup in 1990.

I'm not suggesting for a second that Ole is the next Fergie, but I'm just curious to see things from the perspective of an "old timer" who's been following the club for a very long time.

The similarities come in his belief and investment in a team-first mentality. Everything else falls in place after that.

 

[Bobcat]

Fair fecks to Ole. I was Ole Out and my biggest gripe with him was that we had no pattern of play other than Counter Attack and had no consistency. Both of those SEEM to be addressed. I wont fully say Ole in because consistency by virtue requires time and we havent really had a long extended period of consistency yet. My definition for that would be atleast 1/2 or 3/4 of a season. But he is definitely on his way to addressing my two biggest concerns with him

I dont get this.

In terms of goals scored in the league we are only behind Liverpool (with a game in hand). No doubt we are less structured than under LvG and Jose, but is that really a bad thing? We are much more fun to watch now imo. Yes, being less structured has its drawbacks. If you make too many changes to the lineup then you get players with little understanding of each other and you might look very disjointed. Giving players more freedom makes you much more unpredictable though.

Also we do have patterns. Bruno to Rashford in behind the defense is an obvious one

 

[DavelinaJolie]

I think earlier this season I certainly felt there was something really lacking. The team looked haphazard, inconsistent and lacking any identity. Through the recent results something looks different, yes the defense is still shaky and breaking down teams that play deep is difficult, but I can see some consistency and the attitude looks different. Maybe Ole is starting to really put his stamp on this team after a bedding in period, and has worked out which players he feels he can rely on.

I'm still in the we'll see camp, but things are looking up.

 

[GoldTrafford99]

"Fans" saying "I voted to sack him in October, but now I'm changing my mind".

FFS. Hilarious.

Opinions like the wind.

 

[Plymouth Red]

If anyone here has been following United at least since Fergie got the job for us, can anyone care to tell me how the sentiment was back in the late 80s about him? Only information I could find was that he came in when we were flirting around the relegation zone and got us out of it, built some disciplined system but was on the verge of being sacked after spending couple seasons in mid table until we won the FA Cup in 1990.

I'm not suggesting for a second that Ole is the next Fergie, but I'm just curious to see things from the perspective of an "old timer" who's been following the club for a very long time.

I started supporting United in 1963, so I have seen a few managers and players come and go. My recollection about SAF was that he came with a solid managerial reputation. In those days, the Scottish league was stronger than it is now but even so, European successes were hard to achieve for anyone. His reputation and his CV were solid and parallels were drawn with Sir Matt.
He was lucky not to have to contend with the pressures of today's rampant, unreasonable expectations and the nonsense that social media and the press generate every second of the day. He was given the luxury of several years to disassemble and build a team, which was needed for a host of reasons. He definitely was close to the edge eventually, but success in the FA Cup was a timely turning point and the club kept faith with him. The rest is history.
He wanted his teams to follow not only a style of play, but also a way to behave individually and collectively. This was clear from the outset. You were either a Fergie-type of player or you weren't.
There's a cracking article on Sports Nova about how he went about his task, which you can read here.
https://www.sports-nova.com/2019/12...-manchester-united-can-it-ever-be-replicated/
There were a couple of his personality traits which I particularly admired. He took no rubbish from anyone. He had values and beliefs of steel, so he was respected and trusted by his teams. He set the highest standards. I have no doubt that several of today's squad wouldn't be able to live up to them. He despised defeat and winning was everything, hence Fergie time. His passion and determination were contagious from the top of the club to the bottom. You either bought in to it or you left.
Once he had reached a point where he could field a team made up of his players, playing his way with his hunger and drive, the fans were fully behind him and any doubts about his suitability for the role dispersed.
I hope Ole reaches the same point in his time in the role.

 

[Stacks]

I dont get this.

In terms of goals scored in the league we are only behind Liverpool (with a game in hand). No doubt we are less structured than under LvG and Jose, but is that really a bad thing? We are much more fun to watch now imo. Yes, being less structured has its drawbacks. If you make too many changes to the lineup then you get players with little understanding of each other and you might look very disjointed. Giving players more freedom makes you much more unpredictable though.

Also we do have patterns. Bruno to Rashford in behind the defense is an obvious one

Yes we are.

We are definitely unpredictable and it is kinda interesting. You don't know what we will be like game to game and that is kind of interesting as a fan. Keeps us on our toes but at the same time keeps me humble. For this reason I am not ready to proclaim us world beaters or a great side because I still feel we have inconsistency in our individual performances. Its not about results per se, its that we struggle to play well for large portions of games for the most part. Of our last 10 games our best matches were Everton, Leeds, (maybe Sheffield although we nearly shat the bed against the bottom side). Within those 10 games have been strange performances where we have struggled for large portions of the game vs opposition but snatched results or nearly made comebacks in Europe. Even the Leeds game could of been a lot more scored AND conceded. What would you say have been the best performances in our last 10? (going back to Southampton)