Ole Gunnar Solskjær | 2021/22 Discussion

Status
Not open for further replies.

Robbie Boy

Full Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2010
Messages
28,379
Location
Dublin
Even Potter has significantly improved Brighton’s playing style and results after a-few months. Although, he’s from the breed of progressive, modern attacking managers. Some on here appear to have a snobbish opinion of these sorts of mangers for some reason. Did Potter need three years and hundreds of millions to implement a playing style that’s far more appealing than his predecessor? No he did not. But here we are with people still using the time and money excuse for Ole.

I’m sorry but I have seen literally zero progression under him. He hasn’t implemented a style or a pattern of attacking play despite all his talk. I’m stunned our fan-base appears just as fractured under him as it did under Mourinho. At least Mourinho had an amazing track record and pedigree which is why he had loyal devotees until the end. I didn’t agree with them and still don’t but I can at least kind of see the premise of their arguments and why they wanted to keep him. With Ole, there’s been no positives, for the most part and he has no track record to show that he can fix this nor have there been any signs of real significant improvement.

There are certain posters in this thread who have wholly nailed their colours to the Ole mast. They won’t deviate away from their support of him and at this point, it’s irrational bias. When a supporter is totally unwilling to change their views in light of the overwhelming evidence that Ole isn’t good enough, it doesn’t make them better fans like they think. It makes them look arrogant that they are unwilling to accept that maybe they were wrong about Ole and he isn’t up to the task. Using the whole “oh but there’s no one to replace him stick” just doesn’t cut it for me. Nor does the the lauding of his signings which have been very overstated on here by his fans, in all honesty.

The thing his arrogant fans who are unwilling to look past being wrong on an Internet forum need to realise is this: Unlike Jose, Ole had the full and unanimous backing of our fan-base. We all wanted a legend of the club to succeed and everyone wished him well. The only - and I have to reiterate only - reason that fans want him gone is because he’s simply not good enough. There’s no agendas like some had with Jose, it’s simply that he isn’t a good enough manager and never will be. He has totally failed to get us playing any semblance of modern attacking football and he looks incapable of doing so. The mental gymnastics about needing more time, money etc need to stop.

I’ve come to the stark realisation that some though, no matter how bad we get, will arrogantly stand by him while proclaiming the fan-base toxic, impatient glory hunters etc.
 

el3mel

New Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2016
Messages
43,736
Location
Egypt
Says he trusts youth. Brings on Jesse Lingard who has been abysmal for an entire year ahead of Greenwood, putting the latter in last 10 minutes only. :lol:

Honestly "youth", "clearing deadwood" and "fitness" will end up being the biggest myths invented during his pointless reign as our manager.
 

Eddy_JukeZ

Full Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2012
Messages
17,167
So since Ole took over as permanent manager:

17th place - 19 Played; Won 5; Drawn 6; Lost 8; Scored 20; Conceded 25; GD -5.

Teams below us: Southampton, Brighton and Watford

Teams who have scored fewer than us: Watford and Brighton

Absolutely pathetic. Half a season of pure shit.
LAUGHABLE that he's still the manager.

I really don't get how some of you can still defend him.

He's the worst manager in the league and easily the worst we've had post SAF.
 

Oldyella

Full Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2014
Messages
5,879
Says he trusts youth. Brings on Jesse Lingard who has been abysmal for an entire year ahead of Greenwood, putting the latter in last 10 minutes only. :lol:

Honestly "youth", "clearing deadwood" and "fitness" will end up being the biggest myths invented during his pointless reign as our manager.
Yup. And I think it's this that bugs me the most. Talks a good game.
 

AFC NimbleThumb

New Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2019
Messages
8,363
Before we went into the season, the club literally announced that it had a LOT of work to do. Everyone knew that. The manager needs more windows to get the right players in. Strangely enough everyone also agreed with this before the season started.
I remember OgS talking up the teams chances, saying we were capable of achieving the clubs targets etc. I doubt those targets were a title challenge and don't think any level headed fan was expecting one but I also doubt he was suggesting we would struggle in games like Newcastle & Bournemouth away so badly.

I certainly wasn't accepting of such an ineptly managed transfer window, we find ourselves with so much work to do because [& OgS has some blame in this] the club continues to make such a mess of in-comings and out-goings.

The notion that a rebuild means that you have to get drastically worse before you get better is simply insulting to our fanbase. No one expected a title challenge this season but taking this squad as constructed into a league season is malpractice. OgS doesn't have complete control over transfers so this isn't a direct criticism of him but he was the mouthpiece for this charade throughout the summer so deserves his fair share of stick.
Sure, call me an apologist. It's not exactly an insult to want to work and find solutions to what we have is it.
I only use the word apologist because I can't think of another reasonable term, it's not meant as a slight.

The form under OgS towards the end of last season was disgraceful, the fact he is a United legend bought him more time/respect than almost any other manager would have gotten. He spent the final months telling us how he knew what the squad needed, how he would get us playing 'the United way' [whatever that is], along with numerous other platitudes and here we are playing the worst football since the Moyes era. There's no insult whatsoever in wanting to work on a solution but there are a number of fans that believe the long term solution isn't OgS.

You asked in another post for alternatives. I always saw OgS as 'babysitting' the position until [maybe] Poch got bored of Spurs shiny new stadium and winning nothing but I also didn't conceive that OgS could be this bad. We find ourselves in need of a new manager quicker than we should be but finding a suitable candidate in October isn't quite so easy.

OgS apologists use the fact we would find it difficult to appoint an ideal replacement as some reason why he should keep the job. We need to buck the trend at some point because what we are doing isn't working. He isn't the man, identify who is and pay what's needed; we'd have been better off negotiating a better manager out of his contract with the Maguire money than buying the player for example.
We bought 3, they are all important players at this stage. There is a January window coming up in 2 months where we will target reinforcements. Likely targets are Haaland of Salzburg or Zlatan as a half-season mercenary. He's 38 but he's still got one good season left in him.
At the close of the window OgS stated he was happy with the squad and the other players he wanted weren't available, we lost a couple of games and suddenly we're going to buy players in January; historically a harder time to buy players. He's clueless.
Fact of the matter is that we have been injury plagues more than any other team in the EPL this season. When we finally have most of them back we win 3 in a row. We lose today, fair enough, but losses do happen in football. I'm more than happy to be patient, we're playing the youngest PL team nearly week in and week out, its a development project.
We have an injury plagued first choice left back so we go into the season with a makeshift winger come fullback as cover, the club and management only have themselves to blame. Even Martial is renowned for a bit of time out, so we have Greenwood as his cover but OgS doesn't actually start him.

It's not some badge of honour to support a bad team, we all support this club for whatever reasons and want it to do well; it doesn't have to underachieve to validate our support. They could be relegated all the way through the football league and I'd support them but I don't want/need that to happen to make my fandom experience more wholseome.

We lost under SAF, losing games is not the issue. The attempts to over simplify this discussion is really unhelpful, I think as fans we just generally want a team we can support from top to bottom and a number of us feel OgS won't provide that.
At some point you really have to put some blame on the players on the pitch for their individual performance on the day, and take a look at what exactly happened in a given situation. Somehow that is never a topic. It's all about rallying the on the scapegoat for some zesty 1-5 line flamecomments
I'm going to stop blaming the players at this point. Look at today, Andreas simply isn't good enough to be an effective player at this level. Young is a 34 y/o failed Winger being asked to play consistent minutes at Fullback. Lingard, is dire. The list goes on.

It is obvious to everyone after multiple s*** shows in this season and seasons prior that these players aren't suitable but during ‘the cull’/rebuild, management have deemed these players passable as a first team players & empowered them as such.

None of these players go out on to the pitch to perform badly, quite honestly it must be soul destroying; they're decent players who could be having fruitful careers elsewhere but we continue to extend their contracts and give them key roles in the squad. Adequate squad planning would have replaced the consistent under-performers some time ago.

At the rate of the last transfer window Young will be playing fullback for us into his 40s.
 

AFC NimbleThumb

New Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2019
Messages
8,363
Says he trusts youth. Brings on Jesse Lingard who has been abysmal for an entire year ahead of Greenwood, putting the latter in last 10 minutes only. :lol:

Honestly "youth", "clearing deadwood" and "fitness" will end up being the biggest myths invented during his pointless reign as our manager.
I swear you own space in my head, you need to start paying me rent.

I've critiqued that 'Young & British' tripe for months with some clowns on here still defending his empty rhetoric, the man is just full of empty words.
 

el3mel

New Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2016
Messages
43,736
Location
Egypt
I swear you own space in my head, you need to start paying me rent.

I've critiqued that 'Young & British' tripe for months with some clowns on here still defending his empty rhetoric, the man is just full of empty words.
Hopefully it's not a very expensive rent. :D
 

Foxbatt

New Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2013
Messages
14,297
If he's not sacked tomorrow morning, we might as well give up on the rest on the season and just play U21.
He is not going to get the sack and I have given up on this season. Nothing I have seen so far has made me believe that he knows what he is doing against any decent manager. It is not as if we are playing against world class opposition. We are playing against players whose names no one bar their club supporters know yet we cannot beat them with a squad of International players. Our worst players were in the World Cup squads for England and Brasil respectively.
Yet some here say that it is only the players who are to blame. Give these players a quality coach/ manager and they will play much better.
 

Foxbatt

New Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2013
Messages
14,297
My point is why can’t we walk away and find other targets? We seem to be so fixated on one target it’s like we completely forget others players are available.

Maguire at £80m was an insane amount of money, which is probably why we didn’t get a midfielder in.
Because Ole has been saying all along that he wants only certain players. This is where now I am forced to say either he is an idiot or delusional. I hate to say this about a ex United playing legend but it has come to that. He is delusional if he thinks he can get top world class players to come to United at a decent fee and wage to be coached by Ole and to play in a mid table club. He is an idiot if he only wants certain few players and if he does not get them then he does not buy any players who are better than what he has.
 

Mainoldo

New Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2004
Messages
22,965
Because Ole has been saying all along that he wants only certain players. This is where now I am forced to say either he is an idiot or delusional. I hate to say this about a ex United playing legend but it has come to that. He is delusional if he thinks he can get top world class players to come to United at a decent fee and wage to be coached by Ole and to play in a mid table club. He is an idiot if he only wants certain few players and if he does not get them then he does not buy any players who are better than what he has.
Top class players at a good fee to play midtable football.

Says it all and why we will not buy well going forward.
 

Amir

Full Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2000
Messages
24,952
Location
Rehovot, Israel
When we finally have most of them back we win 3 in a row.
I just don't buy that things changed because we got some players back. We were horrible in Belgrade, had a good win against a poor Norwich side and beat a mostly second-string Chelsea without creating much.

The margins in our game are very small because we have a good defence and struggle to create chances, so sometimes we'll lose by a bit and sometimes win. And we know we'll do OK against the sides - normally the bigger ones - who will give us more space. Without it, we struggle. There was just nothing new in those three matches so it wasn't a shock that it ended in Bournmouth.
 

Hawks2008

Full Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2015
Messages
4,913
Location
Melbz
Because Ole has been saying all along that he wants only certain players. This is where now I am forced to say either he is an idiot or delusional. I hate to say this about a ex United playing legend but it has come to that. He is delusional if he thinks he can get top world class players to come to United at a decent fee and wage to be coached by Ole and to play in a mid table club. He is an idiot if he only wants certain few players and if he does not get them then he does not buy any players who are better than what he has.
Yep, he made the decision that our midfield only needed Sean fecking Longstaff and refused to sign any one else. Just like he had no alternative to Sancho. I wonder where we'd be if the likes of James, AWB, or Maguire were unattainable and other players 'are not the right fit'..
 

Xaviboy

Full Member
Joined
May 17, 2018
Messages
994
Location
Dublin
He wont be here next season. Slowly sinking and sinking under his management. Club legend and love him for that but not happening as manager for the club. I don't understand how we can be patient if this season continues that way it has been. Imagine going in to next season after finishing in bottom half of premier league. How will that go down for the mentality of these young lads. Talk about pressure. Be hard to get in top talent if we finish in bottom half of premier league.
 

Infra-red

Full Member
Joined
May 4, 2010
Messages
13,425
Location
left wing
The only way we stand a chance of progressing, is by spending a fortune in the market. There is no other way. Solskjaer's coaching, tactics and substitutions are doing nothing to improve the side. We have to buy.
 

nycender

New Member
Newbie
Joined
May 10, 2018
Messages
327
Needs shot out of a cannon back to Norway. A legend as a player but feck me not what we need in this dire period for the club
 

Deery

Dreary
Joined
May 21, 2019
Messages
18,590
Yeah, stick 7 behind the ball and hope for a result (the United way)

Some of you guys really need to wake up on Ole.

This is bullshit..
 

amolbhatia50k

Sneaky bum time - Vaccination status: dozed off
Joined
Nov 8, 2002
Messages
95,798
Location
india
Marco Rose joins a team that finished 5th last season and in November he has them top of the Bundesliga and playing really good stuff.

But yeah, we should keep waiting for Ole to make any semblance of a positive impact. It’s funny, so many managers go into clubs and automatically transform their playing style and improve them within literal months. But yet some on here are so blinded as to just how bad a job Ole is doing, they have convinced themselves that all managers need a shit tonne of money and time before they can significantly improve a team.
Wait how did he do that? Wasn't that supposed to take him 5 years or something?
 

amolbhatia50k

Sneaky bum time - Vaccination status: dozed off
Joined
Nov 8, 2002
Messages
95,798
Location
india
The only way we stand a chance of progressing, is by spending a fortune in the market. There is no other way. Solskjaer's coaching, tactics and substitutions are doing nothing to improve the side. We have to buy.
That won't get the job done either if the manager isn't good enough. You'll just end up with a very expensive (and hopeuflly talented) team that the next manager what's to tear up
 

Sterling Archer

New Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2016
Messages
4,289
Says he trusts youth. Brings on Jesse Lingard who has been abysmal for an entire year ahead of Greenwood, putting the latter in last 10 minutes only. :lol:

Honestly "youth", "clearing deadwood" and "fitness" will end up being the biggest myths invented during his pointless reign as our manager.
It's all bull crap. Our best finisher in the club he said. Why not sell Lingard and keep Lukaku if he only intended to trust senior players. The fat man for all his issues scored and assisted goals. The closest Jesse gets to scoring is he tapes underage boys dry humping pillows.
 

Sky1981

Fending off the urge
Joined
Apr 12, 2006
Messages
30,091
Location
Under the bright neon lights of sincity
In my opinion Solskjaer isn’t the immediate problem. The squad of players is absolute crap and there is a distinct lack of numbers as well.

If we had bought in another 3 players maybe it wouldn’t be such a mess. I want to know who made the decision to get rid of that many players and decide we didn’t need to bring the same amount in. I just can’t believe Ole is responsible for the lack of players coming in.

That is not to say we should keep him though. The football has been terrible all season. Even when we have won game the football has been tripe and every result feels ground out rather than comfortable. At this point though who do you bring in?

I still believe recruitment is the biggest issue at the club. We just spend too much money on very limited players. People have raved about Maguire and AWB but let’s be honest we are still conceding stupid goals. Maguire is a world record signing defender yet he wouldn’t lace Ferdinand’s boot. AWB is limited going forward yet we pay prices we laughed at City paying for the best RB in the league (at the time). I don’t buy United have to pay more for these players, City have more money than us and don’t go mental with every transfer.
Our squad is crap. Filled with deadwoods.
Ole 3 purchases is very good. Yes?

But that grumpy other fellow finished 2nd with a cup with the worse squad then what ole has. With a lot more deadwoods and minus the 150m 3 very good purchase.
 

croadyman

Full Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2018
Messages
34,882
He made a really bad mistake by playing such a strong team in the league cup on Weds. Yes I know we would have most likely been knocked out if we rested players then but rather that than constantly burnt out in the league.
 

UNITED ACADEMY

New Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2018
Messages
13,127
Supports
Erik ten Hag
It was a bad mistake from him to play strong squad against Chelsea I was expecting may be only 3-4 players from our Bournemouth's XI to play (Maguire, Fred, Rashford or Bissaka), but I wasn't expecting 6 of them. I think some of our players look tired as well.

Anyway, I thought if we compare to our previous lost, this one has one positive which I don't think we are being passive or cowards against Bournemouth. I thought we really tried to attack but the final third pass always end up as goal kick or being cleared by Bournemouth's defenders.

I thought both Fred & McTomminay really work their socks off & intent to play forward passes but McTomminay had a bad game with his passing quality while Pereira was worst player on the pitch with making terrible final third passing that barely anywhere near to Martial's feet. The lack quality really hurting us.

But Ole's subs today was very late. He put too much faith in Pereira to make something. The moment when in the first 10 min there was no progress or goal, we should have make the changes. When he made changes I thought we played better but I think it was too late that Bournemouth's defense really grew into the game and they were very solid with no sign of error.

Positive: Our approach wasn't passive against Bournemouth.
Negative: Lack of quality especially with final third passing & subs was very late to make.

I shall be patient with Ole for now.
 
Last edited:

Freak

Born a freak always a freak.
Joined
May 8, 2004
Messages
23,057
Location
Somewhere in your mind, touching a nerve
His biggest problem is not strengthening the squad enough during the summer. He got rid of players and should have replaced them. Whether that's on him or on Woodward I'm not sure but that is the problem. How can you go into a season relying on Rashford and Martial as our main men up front? Or even relying on Fred and McTominay in midfield? Or on Lingard, Pereira and Mata as our creative playmakers?
 

Vargo Hoat

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Oct 6, 2019
Messages
37
Location
Oslo
Supports
Union Berlin
I know some people with close ties to Molde FK from my time studying in Molde. Solskjærs pep talks before games usually was limited to "run, play forward passes and let them feel that we are here". A lot of the players were in disbelief over how little tactical insight he managed to get across. There was a lot of eye rolling when Ole looked the other way. Especially from the younger players who felt the lack of proper coaching would harm them in the long run.

Whether he has evolved as a coach or not is not for me to say, but if not - things do not bode well for his future in one of the biggest clubs in the world.
 

el3mel

New Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2016
Messages
43,736
Location
Egypt
I know some people with close ties to Molde FK from my time studying in Molde. Solskjærs pep talks before games usually was limited to "run, play forward passes and let them feel that we are here". A lot of the players were in disbelief over how little tactical insight he managed to get across. There was a lot of eye rolling when Ole looked the other way. Especially from the younger players who felt the lack of proper coaching would harm them in the long run.

Whether he has evolved as a coach or not is not for me to say, but if not - things do not bode well for his future in one of the biggest clubs in the world.
If we sack him now will Molde themselves even get him back? Seeing they are doing well in the league without him and leading the table.
 

Vargo Hoat

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Oct 6, 2019
Messages
37
Location
Oslo
Supports
Union Berlin
If we sack him now will Molde themselves even get him back? Seeing they are doing well in the league without him and leading the table.
There is a lot of talk going around that his success with Molde largely has been down to his excellent assistants, Mark Dempsey and Richard Hartis (who to be fair, both joined his staff in Man Utd as well ...). His second spell at Molde was for the most part without those two to help him, and he never managed to replicate the success of 2011-2014.

Their current head coach, Erling Moe, is a man of the people. Jokes with the press and doesn't publicly slate his players the way Ole had a tendency to do when things went badly.

Honestly, I'm not sure whether they would take him back or not. He still has close ties to the owner and the city of course, but I feel it would be disrespectful if they let Moe go to get Solskjær back after Moe leading them to their first league title in five years.
 

Number4.

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Oct 4, 2016
Messages
107
it's sad frankly. He is so far out of his depth & no one knows what to do with the situation. He has flattered to deceive with some freak results (PSG, Chelsea and Liverpool) which just about keeps his head above water.

The big problem now is woodward wont sack, fans wont turn on him and everyone is stuck in limbo.

Ultimately, I think it will end up with him having a Kevin Keegan at England moment, where with grace and Dignity he will walk away of his own volition
 

Greck

Full Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2016
Messages
7,099
I know some people with close ties to Molde FK from my time studying in Molde. Solskjærs pep talks before games usually was limited to "run, play forward passes and let them feel that we are here". A lot of the players were in disbelief over how little tactical insight he managed to get across. There was a lot of eye rolling when Ole looked the other way. Especially from the younger players who felt the lack of proper coaching would harm them in the long run.

Whether he has evolved as a coach or not is not for me to say, but if not - things do not bode well for his future in one of the biggest clubs in the world.
can 100% believe it. Sounds typical of the way we play and the how he talks. I imagine our teamtalk is centered around inspiring the players. We go out and play inspired for the first 15mins then realise some tactical preparation would have been nice to break down whatever bus is being parked
 

Wolf8312

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Mar 3, 2019
Messages
51
He made a really bad mistake by playing such a strong team in the league cup on Weds. Yes I know we would have most likely been knocked out if we rested players then but rather that than constantly burnt out in the league.
A mistake? Are you kidding? You won't be saying that when he brings home the coca cola cup, and covers himself in sticky sweet glory.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

AneRu

Full Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2019
Messages
3,185
His biggest problem is not strengthening the squad enough during the summer. He got rid of players and should have replaced them. Whether that's on him or on Woodward I'm not sure but that is the problem. How can you go into a season relying on Rashford and Martial as our main men up front? Or even relying on Fred and McTominay in midfield? Or on Lingard, Pereira and Mata as our creative playmakers?
Manchester United should need strengthening to get points against Bournemouth, Palace and Newcastle. The squad is bad but he is adding nothing to it in terms of tactical insight and player improvement. The only player to have improved under him is James and that's mostly because he suits Ole's counter attacking tactic.
 

Paxi

Dagestani MMA Boiled Egg Expert
Joined
Mar 4, 2017
Messages
27,678
Marco Rose joins a team that finished 5th last season and in November he has them top of the Bundesliga and playing really good stuff.

But yeah, we should keep waiting for Ole to make any semblance of a positive impact. It’s funny, so many managers go into clubs and automatically transform their playing style and improve them within literal months. But yet some on here are so blinded as to just how bad a job Ole is doing, they have convinced themselves that all managers need a shit tonne of money and time before they can significantly improve a team.

Amen.
 

Kostov

Full Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2017
Messages
9,456
Location
Skopje, Macedonia
As expected, Norwich was more of a blip and we are back to normal yesterday. I can't see him turning this around, too many shit decisions that he makes week in week out.
 

Robbie Boy

Full Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2010
Messages
28,379
Location
Dublin
Wait how did he do that? Wasn't that supposed to take him 5 years or something?
Should have taken him at least that. Not to mention Potter who has tenfold improved Brighton’s style of play and results. They look a totally different team than under the conservative Houghton. Guess he should have needed 6 transfer windows.
 

Litch

Full Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2013
Messages
10,290
Our squad is crap. Filled with deadwoods.
Ole 3 purchases is very good. Yes?

But that grumpy other fellow finished 2nd with a cup with the worse squad then what ole has. With a lot more deadwoods and minus the 150m 3 very good purchase.
......but he didn't put the ball in the German's net!!
 

VanAlden

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jun 21, 2013
Messages
241
Location
Glasgow
I'm a Rangers fan and the Ole appointment reminded me of us appointing McCoist. Everyone knew he wasn't a manager but wanted him to succeed so badly, and his legendary status on the pitch gave him a pass. The fans are never going to turn on him, and rightly so tbh. He's trying his best, it's just not good enough sadly. The issues at Man Utd run waaay deeper than the guy in the dugout.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.