Ole Gunnar Solskjær | 2021/22 Discussion

[NorthernAvengeR]

The rebuild has been postponed for too long by trying to paper over the cracks and going for easy, short term solutions and expensive luxury players.

If the club doesn't take action and invest in a strong spine, their precious stock price may soon start to tumble. I don't care if it means being mediocre for a season(we've been mediocre for most of 2013 onwards) if United are making strategic decisions that leave us stronger in the future. We now have a manager with attacking United DNA who's in it for the long run. Let's make use of that.

Starting Ashley Young with his current long-term form does my head in though. Stick a fork in him and send him back to Villa.

Young, Darmian, Valencia, Rojo, Sanchez need to go.

Bailly and Mata aren't exactly setting the world on fire either. (Bailly might literally do it during a game though)

 

[roonster09]

Form matters though and ours is poor.

We won't play Barca level teams in league, something that shouldn't be ignored

 

[Trophy Room]

It will take many years for us to reach elite levels again unfortunately. I could see what Ole was trying to do in the first 15 minutes of last night. The principles were good, he just needs better players and time. This summer won't transform us, it'll be a slow and long process. As fans though, we have lost patience and this is probably to our detriment.

 

[11101]

We can only judge him on his ability to coach and improve the players he has and put the best possible team out each week.

On the first one he clearly did that early on but its fallen off a cliff in recent weeks. We have players like McTominay and Fred coming into their own but at the same time players like Rashford looking as clueless as they ever have done here. There has been talk of fitness issues and that might make sense as the players who have been playing since August look terrible and the fresh players are doing well.

On the second one i think generally he's done alright with what he has available, but if Young sees another 90 minutes this season I will really begin to question him.


Above all else, at this point it's obvious our issues are little to do with the manager and everything to do with the structure of the club so i'm happy to let him stay through thick and thin.

 

[NJM78]

We won't play Barca level teams in league, something that shouldn't be ignored

We still play City and Chelsea, City I believe are already better than Barcelona and then Chelsea I just think are better than us. Yes maybe we beat Huddersfield and Cardiff etc but I do think being in such poor form does hamper us regardless of our next opponent which happens to be a tough away game to Everton.
The worry is we miss chances for fun, we are averaging less than a goal a game in this bad patch.
I'm a firm believer in form, that's why us beating the weaker teams built us up momentum which allowed us to beat Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea in our great run. Same can easily happen in reverse, but I respect your opinion however I for one will not be surprised if we do not get any points from our next two games, hopefully I am wrong.

 

[Negan]

Because he was a miserable git who inspired no one.

This is still Mourinhos squad and its not good enough...the defence has needed looking at for years. We need a Vidic or a Stam.

Let's see how Ole rebuilds before we judge. Though I cant understand why he chose Jones over Dalot. Nor why Jones and Smalling got new contracts. They frighten no one. Not in the opposition anyway.

Jones, Smalling, Young, Shaw, McTominay, Lingard, Martial, Rashford, Mata, Herrera... all Jose players I take it?

Mourinho himself didn’t even get to build his side at United. He was stuck with Ferguson rejects and a bunch of young players that are almost certain to be average.

 

[ForeverUnited93]

We just have to face reality. When Mourinho was sacked, Ole came in and we had a 'honeymoon' period, that period has now ended and we again look exactly like we did under Mou. Can't score, slow build up play, poor defending, lazy performances.

The issue is our squad isn't great, we have way to many passengers, I mean would Ashley Young captain any of Liverpool, City, Spurs, Arsenal or Chelsea ffs????

Ole will struggle next season, we're in for more pain.

 

[Samid]

I hope when he said one or two additions are needed in his post match presser that he wasn't talking literally.

What did you expect him to say? "Our squad is shit, Woody has prepared a blank cheque"?

 

[ants7]

Just wanted to write down some of my own thoughts. In general, I support Ole and wish to see him succeed and do not want him gone by any means BUT:

Ole keeps talking about the quality, traditions and the levels at Manchester United. Yet he fails to see that a certain current club captain is nowhere near the quality the Manchester United captain should be. Is he giving out the captain's armband simply because he's good mates with Ashley? It can't be because he's a leader on the pitch. Even yesterday, cameras showed Young screaming at the players (I think it was after Cutinho's goal) and nobody even looked at him. Double standards by Ole right there and this is worrying for me.

Kind of frightens me how much he depends on Ed to get his job done this summer. I can't see him picking up this current team and repeat the pre-PSG 2nd leg form. If Ed doesn't deliver, he's fecked.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

I fear Ole's fate will eventually be decided by his inability to throw sentiment out of the equation when it comes to team selection. We have hungry players in the squad but it's too little too late to start playing them now. Thursdays look a more likely outcome than finishing 4th. Well done to Ole for getting something out of the season with that run. If Jose was still around we'd be fighting for 10th. Something has happened with the players since PSG. Can't fathom what it could be but something in the squad is rotten and needs gone.

I am worried that sentiment is why we see so many of SAF players in the team, he talks constantly about him. He has, as you said to ditch sentiment and get rid of most of that core and start again. We need to buy a good number of players and the right players. I am really worried about where this could end up.

 

[Jacob]

We have a long-term problem but managers needs to focus on the short-term to keep their job.

No new manager in their right frame of mind would gamble with youth in our situation. Clubs like Ajax can afford to give talents unconditional chances, whereas ours have the pressure to show what they got in the few minutes they get.

 

[minoo-utd]

I'm afraid with no C.L it seems next season, things will go much worst under Ole.
I think the board took the easiest path and gone so quickly without waiting the outcome when season ends.
We should have waited I guess.

 

[RedIan]

Ole has inherited a team full of average players. The time to judge him will be in 12 months after he has had chance to correct our obvious weaknesses. Ie Right back, right wing, central defence, midfield and errrrr strikers. A lot to be done.

We are on our 4th manager post Fergie. Poor transfer decisions have proved very costly. Lukaku Sanchez and Fred as a starter. Overpaid for them and they have vastly under performed.
A complete overhaul is required if we want to compete with city Liverpool and the top european sides. Id start with removing woodward.

 

[Tibs]

Must go back to 4 3 3.

Pick players to fit that system, if someone misses out, tough shit, improve.

 

[GBBQ]

Exactly.

Since his appointment we gained second highest points in the league.
In FA cup, we beat Chelsea and Arsenal away. No one would have said anything had we lost in the fourth round in Stamford bridge.
In CL, no one thought we can get past PSG.

So in short, he has done very well and as much as anyone could.

Only hint of problem is style of play, which is something directly related to squad fitness. We played with high intensity and players started getting injured, it reached a point where we were lucky to field 11 senior players.

Also few people saying we should have waited till end of season should also remember how fans were moaning that other clubs have started planning for next season, ManUtd don't have manager to plan for next season and who is targeting the player or providing inputs on which areas to be addressed. Not to forget the common phrase "no manager, no DoF, we are so unstable at the moment" type of posts.

Spot on. Ole has over performed and people feeling disillusioned now have obviously forgotten how the season was written off in December after the PSG draw. We've had a good run and are still in with a shout of top 4 but we're at the limits now of this squad's capabilities. Its a mish mash of players from 4 different managers with vastly different approaches to football. Ole should be given the benefit of the doubt based on the results he has delivered and given time to overhaul his squad.

 

[Andycoleno9]

Based on you previous comments, I don't think bringing poch up is anything unusual. i am not arguing with you (same with my post on poch thread) but pointing out if your going to shit on our manager than make points which makes sense (as you did before in poch thread) but then said poch knows how to manage a big club (making shit up) and then when asked why they're a big club you changed. Even on this thread, everything you said is complete nonsense, but lets not get that in the way your agenda which is embarrassingly clear if anyone has seen your posts. You made valid points on Ole but then can't stop yourself from making shit up.

How dare i point out that the points you've made are complete nonsense.

Ok, i will call them big(ish). Spurs fans can explain to you are they big, big-ish or whatever they are

I didn't change anything. I said that i will call them big(ish) in our conversation and that Spurs fans can explain to you what they are in reality. IMO it is totally irrelevant for whole story and especially because there are no true criteria to settle that topic.
I did it because you are one of those people who stick to one word and build whole story around that. And my experience with people like you is that people like you is better to avoid. Any chat with you is pure waste of time. As i said earlier, please stay away from me.

 

[shaky]

Spot on. Ole has over performed and people feeling disillusioned now have obviously forgotten how the season was written off in December after the PSG draw. We've had a good run and are still in with a shout of top 4 but we're at the limits now of this squad's capabilities. Its a mish mash of players from 4 different managers with vastly different approaches to football. Ole should be given the benefit of the doubt based on the results he has delivered and given time to overhaul his squad.

Klopp took over Liverpool in Oct 15' and guided them to 8th place in the league that season. Their fans were fine with it though, and insisted that everyone not judge him before he'd had a proper chance to bring in his own players. It's a sad day when that lot look rational compared to a large chunk of our fanbase.

 

[SER19]

Very true but Woodward is just the arm of the glazer's. Green and gold needs to start up again.

That's true the only argument against is that we had success under them regardless. Now of course we had fergie but post Ferguson they haven't penny pinched but the overall direction of the club and some enormous decisions have been disastrous. I'm not sure there's a single credit that can be given to Woodward other than possibly removing mourinho in time to salvage 4th,but even that has a caveat of occurring 10months after giving him a huge contract.

When I compile a list of things that have been done wrong on his watch my head spins. He's been an unmitigated disaster in this role

 

[Bojan11]

Klopp took over Liverpool in Oct 15' and guided them to 8th place in the league that season. Their fans were fine with it though, and insisted that everyone not judge him before he'd had a proper chance to bring in his own players. It's a sad day when that lot look rational compared to a large chunk of our fanbase.

Liverpool gave up the league to focus on the Europa.

Klopp also did tremendous work at Dortmund, so he has past experience at rebuilding a club, so I can see why the Liverpool fans had faith in him.

I don’t think majority of this is Solskjaers fault. His in game management can improve and there’s a few other things he can work on. But the club were too quick to rush the appointment like he was going to go somewhere.

 

[Escobar]

Ole made so many things right when he joined, like playing players in the right position, play those who are in form etc. Now, he changed from that and his strategy and line ups are highly questionable. He needs to get back to basics imo

 

[SteveW]

Going to nail my colours to the mast here.

There's not a doubt in my mind that Ole will be a huge success at United. He's doing a great job in difficult circumstances.

People who are doubting him right now will look very silly next season.

 

[PaulRich]

He needs until Xmas. Lets not pretend the problems lie solely with our choice of manager. The whole club needs to dust itself off over the summer, stem to stern, our illustrious owners need to show us the size of their cojones.....

 

[SteveW]

Klopp took over Liverpool in Oct 15' and guided them to 8th place in the league that season. Their fans were fine with it though, and insisted that everyone not judge him before he'd had a proper chance to bring in his own players. It's a sad day when that lot look rational compared to a large chunk of our fanbase.

Spot on. The sense of entitlement is ridiculous.

He's got us back into top 4 contention despite an injury crisis. He hasn't even signed one player yet and still people are questioning him. Its ridiculous

 

[Hernandez - BFA]

Let’s be honest, he can still exceed expectations if we make top 4. I definitely wouldn’t have expected that when he came in with us being 11 points behind with the squad we have.

 

[Devil81]

Ole needs a window to clear out the players he doesn't want and to also bring in players that will suit him and Manchester United.

How can he operate with some of the attitudes on display, it must be so hard to manage a character like Martial, he's playing football like a man who doesn't enjoy it. There are far too many players not of the level to play for Manchester United, I trust him to sort this issue out and clear the decks.

He needs time and trust, he's the first manager I've believed in since Sir Alex so I'm going to trust him to sort this mess out.

 

[shaky]

Liverpool gave up the league to focus on the Europa.

Klopp also did tremendous work at Dortmund, so he has past experience at rebuilding a club, so I can see why the Liverpool fans had faith in him.

I don’t think majority of this is Solskjaers fault. His in game management can improve and there’s a few other things he can work on. But the club were too quick to rush the appointment like he was going to go somewhere.

They only "gave up the league to focus on the Europa" because with 8 games to go, they were sitting behind Stoke, West Ham and Southampton. They had completely failed to get themselves in the top 4 hunt in Klopp's first 6 months despite only being 6 points off the top when he took over. He managed 48 points from the 30 league games he had in his first season. Ole has 38 from 16 so far and that's not even good enough apparently.

 

[OT1214]

Ole was good in substituting players, even at early stages of game. I remember him making some proactive changes which helped the results swing our way. But of late the changes dont happen up until 65th minute. Wonder why.

Hope the highs and lows have given him a clear picture of what needs to be done to take our squad back to top. Board should back him properly this summer.

 

[Greck]

These Mourinho twats need to take their love elsewhere. Nothing is vindicating the man so let it go. He promised us Young would play 50 games this season and we are well and truly reaping the rewards for it. Can't just gloss over the fact that this is his team

 

[Kag]

These Mourinho twats need to take their love elsewhere. Nothing is vindicating the man so let it go. He promised us Young would play 50 games this season and we are well and truly reaping the rewards for it. Can't just gloss over the fact that this is his team

Last night was a direct consequence of Mourinho’s shambolic tenure at this club. Further evidence that he is the worst manager the club has ever had.

I’m all for giving Ole time to rip it all up and start again. As long as it takes.

 

[Grande]

Ole made so many things right when he joined, like playing players in the right position, play those who are in form etc. Now, he changed from that and his strategy and line ups are highly questionable. He needs to get back to basics imo

I don’t quite get why you write that on the back of yesterday.

De Gea, Pogba, Martial, Lingard and Rashford played in the same positions they did in the first period under Ole. Smalling, Jones and Lindelöf has been his most preferred options at the back. He had to do something at the back due to Shaw’s suspensions. As bad as Young has been lately, he has still been more defensively sound than Rojo and Dalot.

In midfield, Fred and McTominay have decidedly been on better form lately than Matic and Herrera lately, and are strategically fitting replacements.

How would you have expected Ole to line up yesterday with respect to what you call his ‘earlier strategy’?

Bearing in mind that the strategy and starting line up worked surprisingly well until Young, Messi and De Gea conspired to completely change the premises of the game in four minutes.

 

[deadrevelz]

Ole has said previously he sees him self as "a manager, not a coach". Someone who oversees the football side of things on a daily basis, as opposed to a DoF who watches from a distance and plots the bigger picture, and as opposed to a first team coach who is hands on with training, tactical work and fitness.

How do we know that Carrick, McKenna and Phelan etc are up to the job? For me they are just as big a question mark as Ole is as manager. It just seems a bit far fetched / 'convenient' to assume the people who are already at the club + Phelan are the answer. Shouldn't we be searching for the best coaches too?

Ole could be a great manager for us as long as we understand, accept and support his role. His job should be to tell the coaches how he wants us to play and make sure they are successful at it. He seems to be great at man management and working with the media. He embodies the club, is passionate and loyal. Believes in attacking football and bringing through youngsters. Has a winning mentality.

If it's going to work with Ole we need to build the correct structure to make it work. Coaching is just as important as managing.

 

[bakalopp]

This summer will be most important of the last 5 years. If Woodward support Ole and brings him at least 5 players, we can talk about how can Ole build something. If not, that's it of the famous Manchester United, we will be new Arsenal.

Ole is the right choice, he made some miracles with PSG and bringing us in fight for TOP4, now SAF need to push for changing the transfer politics, and support Ole fully.

 

[CM]

Let’s be honest, he can still exceed expectations if we make top 4. I definitely wouldn’t have expected that when he came in with us being 11 points behind with the squad we have.

He's already a victim of his own success to some extent by overturning the previous tie in Paris. That result set the bar unrealistically high and the drop off since then has been difficult to stomach.

I'll admit the FA Cup game against Wolves was a big disappointment but like you say, Solskjaer has done a great job in getting us back to a competitive position after top 4 looked a lost cause. Hopefully we can kick on and end the season well before sorting things out in the summer.

 

[Greck]

Ole has said previously he sees him self as "a manager, not a coach". Someone who oversees the football side of things on a daily basis, as opposed to a DoF who watches from a distance and plots the bigger picture, and as opposed to a first team coach who is hands on with training, tactical work and fitness.

How do we know that Carrick, McKenna and Phelan etc are up to the job? For me they are just as big a question mark as Ole is as manager. It just seems a bit far fetched / 'convenient' to assume the people who are already at the club + Phelan are the answer. Shouldn't we be searching for the best coaches too?

Ole could be a great manager for us as long as we understand, accept and support his role. His job should be to tell the coaches how he wants us to play and make sure they are successful at it. He seems to be great at man management and working with the media. He embodies the club, is passionate and loyal. Believes in attacking football and bringing through youngsters. Has a winning mentality.

If it's going to work with Ole we need to build the correct structure to make it work. Coaching is just as important as managing.

Then he needs to employ a coach that can help implement a playing style. Hope this is what he meant in the postmatch conference. Even better players would need a style of play to implement.

 

[roonster09]

They only "gave up the league to focus on the Europa" because with 8 games to go, they were sitting behind Stoke, West Ham and Southampton. They had completely failed to get themselves in the top 4 hunt in Klopp's first 6 months despite only being 6 points off the top when he took over. He managed 48 points from the 30 league games he had in his first season. Ole has 38 from 16 so far and that's not even good enough apparently.

Very good points made, this one and the post before this.

These Mourinho twats need to take their love elsewhere. Nothing is vindicating the man so let it go. He promised us Young would play 50 games this season and we are well and truly reaping the rewards for it. Can't just gloss over the fact that this is his team

Wait for "He was always correct" posts.

 

[deadrevelz]

Then he needs to employ a coach that can help implement a playing style. Hope this is what he meant in the postmatch conference. Even better players would need a style of play to implement.

Yeah that's what I mean. I trust Ole to choose the correct style, but I don't know if he can implement it. There must be plenty of top coaches (who maybe lack the management skills) out there, we need to hire them.

 

[R.N7]

5 defeats in 7.

Did Moyes, LVG or JoMou ever loose so many games in such a short time?

 

[minoo-utd]

Many defeats. unacceptable.

 

[Jacckk1985]

A lot of you are so dumb or just so unable to see the bigger picture here. Grow up, it's not some sort of Fifa Ultimate or playing Football Manager with the ingame editor where you can magically give all the players and staff the best attributes to beat the game.

Stop whining and support our lads til the end of season. We have a bigger summer ahead and a lot work to be done there. To enable the best working conditions, we must achieve top 4 to unlock Champions League for next season also. A lot promising prospects coming from Youth Teams and some smart moves on transfer market and we are ready to compete under Ole again.

Just stop being such a crybabies for once.

 

[doriandun]

Ole has inherited a team full of average players. The time to judge him will be in 12 months after he has had chance to correct our obvious weaknesses. Ie Right back, right wing, central defence, midfield and errrrr strikers. A lot to be done.

We are on our 4th manager post Fergie. Poor transfer decisions have proved very costly. Lukaku Sanchez and Fred as a starter. Overpaid for them and they have vastly under performed.
A complete overhaul is required if we want to compete with city Liverpool and the top european sides. Id start with removing woodward.

These same average player's came second last season and got to a cup final, it's a little unfair to say Lukaku has unperformed when we do not play to his strengths, shoe horning him to play on the right wing or having no wide players or full backs to whip in crossess, is going to hurt the numbers of any striker.Look at how Lukaku performs for Belguim.