You know, there is that very small chance that we could be in serious trouble by the end of the season if we don’t get rid of ole now and bring a real manager in. We can’t discount it entirely
Ole Gunnar Solskjær | 2021/22 Discussion
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I do not think in the grand scheme of things Ole is of any importance anymore. He is just a puppet and now I do not think we are buying anyone this window. He is a dead man walking.
Another difference is that Woodward had no investment in Moyes whatsoever, as he had little or nothing to do with his appointment. Sacking Ole is going to to result in massive loss of face.
Pasted from the post match thread.
It’s a tough situation for any manager to be in. Paper thin squad. When we are at full throttle like against city we gallop. A midfield of Fernandes, Pogba and Fred (or Mctominay) woul do a lot of damage. Sending out Smalling was a mistake and hell be back. We kept attacking and trying to break the down but Mata couldn’t break them through the middle but I did see many chances we had. Martial looked frustrated with such tight space but he needs to work on that even though he’s normally great at it.
Anyway who says Fernandes wouldn’t have helped there is wrong.
As for the goals- I missed them both but rewatched them. First is all on Maguire. We really need to manage him better. I think with Leicester flying and his price tag he’s lost his confidence big time.
as for the second- exactly the type of goals we should be scoring. A couple of quick passes and a quick decisive shot.
We have a good starting 11 when all our players are fit. A nice team- beyond that the depth is appalling.
they cut the squad thin in our expectations they would add smartly and surely. I think they will add Fernandes. I think Smalling will be back. A young attacking right back or hopefully Dalot starts competing again. Learning a thing or two from Bassaka. Greenwood coming in nicely and Martial although still patchy has shown what he can do (adding the number 10 or attacking AM) that we need to break teams apart. Our star man has been out for months. Clearly a RW will he added and another midfielder and we aren’t in terrible shape. We are about a year or two off from being something very dangerous. Heck we have been that dangerous this season.
It’s a tough situation for any manager to be in. Paper thin squad. When we are at full throttle like against city we gallop. A midfield of Fernandes, Pogba and Fred (or Mctominay) woul do a lot of damage. Sending out Smalling was a mistake and hell be back. We kept attacking and trying to break the down but Mata couldn’t break them through the middle but I did see many chances we had. Martial looked frustrated with such tight space but he needs to work on that even though he’s normally great at it.
Anyway who says Fernandes wouldn’t have helped there is wrong.
As for the goals- I missed them both but rewatched them. First is all on Maguire. We really need to manage him better. I think with Leicester flying and his price tag he’s lost his confidence big time.
as for the second- exactly the type of goals we should be scoring. A couple of quick passes and a quick decisive shot.
We have a good starting 11 when all our players are fit. A nice team- beyond that the depth is appalling.
they cut the squad thin in our expectations they would add smartly and surely. I think they will add Fernandes. I think Smalling will be back. A young attacking right back or hopefully Dalot starts competing again. Learning a thing or two from Bassaka. Greenwood coming in nicely and Martial although still patchy has shown what he can do (adding the number 10 or attacking AM) that we need to break teams apart. Our star man has been out for months. Clearly a RW will he added and another midfielder and we aren’t in terrible shape. We are about a year or two off from being something very dangerous. Heck we have been that dangerous this season.
I remember at this time I was 100% convinced Moyes would at least get one more season and was totally shocked when he was sacked. Hopefully will turn out the same.
With moyes there was a feeling everyday that he'd be sacked as we were fairly ambitious back then seeing as we had a very good team. Now it's a different feeling. You don't feel as if solskjaer will get the sack as it wouldnt solve all that much
Or there's no point in spending another £50 million on a player that all of the fans want us to get rid of us in 2 years time because they weren't good enough. We're in a bad position, we've got injuries and we've spent £800 million on this squad due to panic buys which have had no long term impact. Buying any old player might "secure" 5th, but I hope that our management have a longer term vision than that......
I don’t know why people say this. The right managerial appointment can/will make a stark difference. Liverpool fans were protesting FSG then they appoint Klopp and look.
We need a manager that can get us playing football, and none of this counter-attacking crutch thing that seldom works on big teams, and doesn’t for the rest of the table. United should be trying to boss big games rather than hope them kick and run bandit tactics will take us to the promised land.
This isn’t the greatest squad but you mean to tell me a decent manager can’t prevent Burnley knee slides celebrations at OT or even Rochdale taking us to pens at home?
Getting rid of Ole would solve a lot. He’s awful.
Man, I know you're right but I look at the players and think - how much can someone improve them? Poch had a better team than us with spurs but he won shit all with them. Mourinho couldn't do it. How much can someone else really do with limited signings and a second rate squad.
Happy for Sméagol to see out the rest of the season. It would be almost unfair at this stage and leave a feeling of being somewhat short changed not to let this utter tragedy run its course.
Besides the season is a write-off at this stage and the challenge of detoxifying Solskjaer's special stench will be a much more acceptable task to ask of the new man in the summer.
Besides the season is a write-off at this stage and the challenge of detoxifying Solskjaer's special stench will be a much more acceptable task to ask of the new man in the summer.
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Yeah he really needs to stop these comparisons to managers like Fergie and Klopp because those guys had a proven record at another club before they joined Utd and Liverpool respectively.
Soz! Seriously though, where are we in the league? Where do you think we should be? Your comment about us not having played an ounce of good football all season is pathetic.
A lot of the stuff you list isn't Ole's fault. We've had a poor run of form and injuries which is clouding peoples judgement. I'm not saying Ole is the saviour of United and will be in the job for 20 years, I'm just pointing out that he isn't doing that badly based on league position, some very good results against top sides and some nice football at times - for me some of the most entertaining and attacking since Fergie. He needs more time, we haven't reached a point where he needs to be sacked. That will come if he continues to lose to poor opposition and eventually loses the players trust.
agh, do love a good rendition of that one from the terraces. My Liverpool supporting brother in law and City supporting uncle had better watch out!
He's 4 points off 14th man. He's doing horrific. Newcas
And if you're entertained and seeing attacking football when we've won just 9 from 24, you need your head checking.
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This is my concern. Not talking relegation or any nonsense like that, but I do fear for a bit of a bad run, and the possibility of a rough, very rough second half of the season. This will not be a good look for the club at all. Just makes everything that much harder. I read a comment today where OGS suggests ' we have only had one real transfer window..'.
Has he lost his mind? Does he not realise that the likes of VVD and Suarez were purchased during the Jan transfer window? Do your planning Ole and you can get some decent deals completed.
I bet @Regulus Arcturus Black is waiting for our next three games to end for those that are using being 5th in the league as a defense for Ole
So you don't think we are playing or trying to play attacking football?
We may be trying, but we are failing pathetically. Ole isn't a creative manager, it's plain as day that he wants to play gong-and-dash counter attack football and that's about it. It's not as boring as LVG; it's not as boring as Jose's worst games; Moyes' was equal, for me. Moyes was trying to play underdog attacking football and failing, too. One thing Moyes was relatively good at was comfortably beating the lower-level sides. He was shite at everything else.
We'll be 10th by the end of February. I'm confident of that. I can see a proper nosedive on the horizon, after the Tranmere game.
"We must stay together, stick together " is starting to get a little tiring
Taken from here: https://www.manutd.com/en/news/deta...724542745&utm_medium=post&utm_source=facebook
I'm sure I even saw an article on the sky sports website that he STILL has backing of the board, I think hes able to hide behind the injuries but he's partly in this position due to his squad management. We don't know to what extent he has been backed by Ed and co in the transfer market but I've always said Ole isnt the only problem.
Plus people are starting to call out Ed so he can hide behind Ole if he sacks him he is admitting he messed up as had he waited til the end of the season like he said he would the poor run at the end of last season would probably have still happened and we could have simply thanked Ole for the memories eg PSG and just not made him permanent. Had his run continued he would have had stronger backing to be given more time.
Taken from here: https://www.manutd.com/en/news/deta...724542745&utm_medium=post&utm_source=facebook
I'm sure I even saw an article on the sky sports website that he STILL has backing of the board, I think hes able to hide behind the injuries but he's partly in this position due to his squad management. We don't know to what extent he has been backed by Ed and co in the transfer market but I've always said Ole isnt the only problem.
Plus people are starting to call out Ed so he can hide behind Ole if he sacks him he is admitting he messed up as had he waited til the end of the season like he said he would the poor run at the end of last season would probably have still happened and we could have simply thanked Ole for the memories eg PSG and just not made him permanent. Had his run continued he would have had stronger backing to be given more time.
I think he wants to play a hybrid. The ability to play counter attacking football when it’s to our advantage but also developing a possession based game. His insistence on playing out from the back is a sign of that in my opinion.
ha ha. Well it's not exactly like I'm sat here rubbing my hands together that we have Wolves and Chelsea to come and that I fully expect us to be around 10th in a few weeks, I absolutely hate it.
But I think that's where we're heading and I think at some point, people will realise that poor managers DO in fact exist and that his Cardiff spell coupled with his (by then) 14 months at United probably hint at Ole being one.
I think management at the top level is one of the hardest jobs in the World, it's why there are so few elite managers. I'm not even sure Poch or Nagelsman are close to elite either, but I am certain on all of the evidence that they are a damn site better the Ole Gunnar Solkjaer. It sucks to say it, I got giddy and jumped on the Ole wheel, I wanted nothing more than for him to be amazing here
Only in the same sense David Moyes wanted to. Difference is that Ole wants to do everything on the counter and Moyes wanted everything to be about getting the ball wide and whipping balls into the box.
Our most entertaining season by far since SAF left was the Zlatan/Pogba year, we made so many chances that year and I just wished we could've seen that team with the current Rashford sharing the goalscoring burden.
I think I remember one match under Moyes at OT where we lost but had something like 70 plus crosses in the box that day (or something like that - remember white shirts somFulham or maybe Swansea....) spot on with the Moyes comment
Don't think we even tried to cross the ball that much. It was that Fulham game, but we never had Fellaini playing high up the pitch as someone to target in the box.
If Moyes really aimed for that football he would have used him in the same role he had at Everton.
Moyes actually tried to play more possession based football, but just had no clues how to do it. Got better near the end with Mata a bit in the easy games though.
I’m not sure why we would though scholsie, he had a poor first touch and ultimately you kind of expect your strikers to finish one of the crosses coming in.
The point about possession football under moyes I think was to stretch and open spaces in wide areas. He suffered a similar problem to ole, the ball just wasn’t being passed around quickly enough, there were a lot of small side ways lethargic passes and teams would sit deep against us and park busses which made it even more difficult.
I remember we only ever really utilised Fellaini high up the pitch when we we’re chasing a goal near the end of games.
Thanks for,pointing out it was the Fulham game. Do you r member roughly how many crosses we tried I seem to remember it was ridiculous
feck me. Since he took over as permanent manager, we're 2 points off 17th. And closer to the relegation zone than top 4. 42 points from 32 games is a horrendous return.
It was around 70 or something crazy like that. Evra and Rafael I think put in most of them. We didn't seem to have a plan beyond cross it and hope for the best. I don't think even Fellani played in that one, but it was crosses towards Rooney and Persie I think. Good players in the air when given time and space, but not enough to justify crossing towards them like crazy.
Nail on the head. Prior to Pool Klopp was already a proven top manager. Ole just isnt
Can only assume with the lack of transfers he’s gonners soon/summer. I mean, we have no players, and he’s still not being allowed to open the cheque book
27 crosses per game we averaged, and not City-esque crosses from the byline, they’d come in 30 yards from goal etc from out fulbacks.
Moyes gameplan was the same as at Everton but with added possession I’ll admit, stretch the oppo, get it wide, get it in.
I’d like to know how the poster @fergieisold thinks we’re playing exciting attacking football when the stats not only say we aren’t but every single week we line up with 2 DM’s and more often than not a non-scoring, non-assisting number 10.
Apart from the Fulham game I am not sure we had that as a plan though. More like we didn't know how to break teams down and then crossed it.
Valencia obviously tried his fast crosses towards noone that sometimes worked.
If it was a plan then why on earth didn't he bring Fellaini into the box more like LVG and Mourinho did and Moyes the season before at Everton when Fellaini dominated for him?
Fellaini had 0 goals for us under Moyes and played as a DM away from the goal a lot. Not like he did a good job there anyway.
I guess the answer is Moyes had no clue though. Not sure he had a plan.
Anyway regarding Ole it is clear that we do not have a plan apart from counter attacks when we get the chance.
Counter attack football is not a style of play, we should be ashamed of saying it as a club like united. If he is using the counter attack football because he has no players then he should be fired. He should implement his ideas of the attacking football he promised the fans of even with shitty players. We see managers around the word try to show their style of football with their teams disregard to the players quality, Poch in Espanyol and Southampton and early Spurs, Klopp in early BVB and early Liverpool. Everybody saw what they were doing. But Ole, what is his style? It is sit back and wait for the other team to lose the ball and counter attack and that is disgraceful to build a team around.
Agreed. I have to say I concur with a lot of your posts. You set out the situation perfectly in one post. We all wanted ole to succeed when he got the job it’s not that we didn’t. I dont think there’s a United fan out there who doesn’t love ole the player.
But that can’t be utilised to defend or justify his weaknesses as a manger. Once you know it ain’t gonna work you have to say so regardless of who the manager is.
This is embarassing. Regardless of Ole keeping his job or not but having no new players is already screwing the potential next manager.
Do they owners really think we will remain a top-club and generate so much money if this goes for another 5 years? I hope not and don't think so. We don't have a series of bad luck or whatever, we fail to do everything a big club has to do, i doubt the "fans" will stick to this poor work.
Do they owners really think we will remain a top-club and generate so much money if this goes for another 5 years? I hope not and don't think so. We don't have a series of bad luck or whatever, we fail to do everything a big club has to do, i doubt the "fans" will stick to this poor work.
Only if behind the scenes the new manager has signed a contract and Ole knows he is off. It takes a good while to pick your targets, so you'd hope the new manager is already relaying to the club who he is interested in.
Counter attacks is a style though. Not enough for a big side though since teams will not give away space for the counter more often than not.
Not sure what else he is trying to do. He has let a lot of good players go and his sigings do not indicate anything other than counter attacking football.
Basically all his signings comes from teams having played on the counter a lot. Leicester not as much under Rodgers though, but they played it before.
its historically the tactic of the underdog, originally .... for simple obvious reasons, kill space and the opposition flow....
Self preservation. He didn't want his marquee signing to be associated with hoof ball, so he was reluctant to put him in the box.
2 midfielders. I don’t see Fred as a purely defensive midfielder at all. He’s actually been pretty good getting the ball forward. What we do in the middle is good generally, quickly getting the ball forward...but that’s when the problems start. No creativity.
we don’t have an assisting goal scoring number 10. That’s one of the problems.
Why on earth get Fellaini then? The point of having him is putting balls into the box towards him.
If he wanted him to play like prime Xavi then I guess he was truely clueless.
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