Solskjaer's legacy and his future

Iker Quesadillas

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Plenty of people did predict we’d regress this season, it was clear last season flattered us but everyone got all giddy about finishing above Liverpool.
All teams have seasons that are worse than their previous ones at some point. It's not a super meaningful prediction.
 

Jackal981

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Ole was a mess. Under him discipline went to the dogs (injured players going to Dubai, agents speaking out of turn etc), his coaching team couldn't figure out how to tackle persistent issues like defending/scoring from set pieces while the club invested 415m without any form of return in terms of trophies. In terms of the squad he left a very unbalanced squad filled with players who are either ill suited for the modern game or have a weak mentality.

Let's dissect the team bit by bit

GK: He left a side with too many GKs. DDG is a top goalkeeper and the most highly paid one at the moment. Henderson is among the top 10 most paid goalkeepers in the world, Heaton can do a job as an EPL goalkeeper and only god knows why on earth Grant is still here. That could only cause friction in the dressing room as only one goalkeeper can play per game

DEF: He left a defence that is unsuited for modern football. Maguire is too slow for a high line, AWB offers nothing going forward which is acceptable for a late 80s RB but not for a modern FB, Telles can attack but he can't defend, Varane is good but there are question marks on whether he can remain fit and Shaw gives like 6 months of good football every 6 years.

DM: The only DM we've got is Matic whose 33. God knows why Ole never tackled that

B2B: We've got 2 and they aren't particularly good (McT and Fred)

No 10: We've got Pogba, VDB, Bruno, Lingard and Mata. WTF he was thinking hording so many no 10s? Couldn't he see a problem in having so many no 10s?

Flanks: We were told that the RW was a position we really needed to spend money upon. Ole's administration bought 3 and he barely played them. Sancho and Diallo were barely ever played while Pellistri was sent on loan. That's around 100m worth of talent.

STK: Ole saw no issues having a 36 year old and a 34 year old leading our line in an increasingly fast paced and defensive EPL
This. Plus almost all of his signing are either flop, misused or away from the club now. The only good one are Bruno, Sancho and Varane (jury still out for both of them) but any random fans in this forum would have signed them too not like they are some unknown talent from random league. We could get a proper CDM instead of wasting almost 80m in VDB, Amad and Pellistri who did not add anything to the squad at the moment.
 

Roboc7

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All teams have seasons that are worse than their previous ones at some point. It's not a super meaningful prediction.
Well obviously, stating the obvious there a team can get better or worse, not sure what your point is. But it was the correct prediction, the idea Ole was taking us forward was incorrect. Take what meaning you want but plenty were deluded enough to think we’d be competing for the title this year.
 

matsdf

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I hate to see us losing points, but at least it's good to see you miserable pricks complaining under a new coach. Just as you will under the next, and the next after that and so on.
 

SirReginald

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Ole was a mess. Under him discipline went to the dogs (injured players going to Dubai, agents speaking out of turn etc), his coaching team couldn't figure out how to tackle persistent issues like defending/scoring from set pieces while the club invested 415m without any form of return in terms of trophies. In terms of the squad he left a very unbalanced squad filled with players who are either ill suited for the modern game or have a weak mentality.
During Oles reign ithe started off wanting to play “the United way” attacking on the front foot at pace down the flanks. You targeted young English players.

At some point during the middle of his reign that was scrapped and no one associated with your club understood the tactics or plan going forward.

Ok James and AWB are not United quality and never will be. Even Maguire to an extent but the plan was clear. Losing your way has cost you probably 5 years.2-3 years to rebalance and restyle the team and 2 years to perfect it.
 

tenpoless

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If he didnt manage Cardiff I think his worth as a manager would have been much higher. I mean who would be surprised if a manager failed at United these days? Moyes failed spectacularly and got hired (and rehired) multiple times.
 

Denis79

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If he didnt manage Cardiff I think his worth as a manager would have been much higher. I mean who would be surprised if a manager failed at United these days? Moyes failed spectacularly and got hired (and rehired) multiple times.
Kinda sad state we're in when a relegation with Cardiff is considered a greater failure than going 3 years without a trophy at United.
 

Pintu

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Agreed, he should have saved the Glazers millions out of love :rolleyes:
The Glazers are cnuts, but he did not get the money from them. He got it from the club and that's definitely a 10M that will impact future football investments one way or another. It is highly unlikely to really impact the Glazers.

Not that he is wrong to take it, he is fully entitled to whatever the contract says we owe him.
 

Escobar

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I hate to see us losing points, but at least it's good to see you miserable pricks complaining under a new coach. Just as you will under the next, and the next after that and so on.
Most (sane) people continue to be unhappy about the results (obviously) but clearly see an improvement in so many areas. Ole was a disaster as a coach and no crucial goal in a CL final will change that
 

fastwalker

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Ole's legacy? History can be kind to reputations and time will tell whether, with the benefit of hindsight, it is kind to Ole as well. However, as it stands, Ole will ultimately be defined by the things that cost him his job - failure. Humiliating losses at home and away including having our pants pulled down at Old Trafford, by our biggest rivals. Re-occurring instances of tactical cluelessness and the inability to consistently get the best out of resources made available to him, no matter how seemingly abundant, is what defined Ole.

I am not saying that Ole did not have talents, skills and endearing qualities. I accept he had all that and more. My point is that as a Manchester United manager he failed. Yes, under Ole we got to a Europa League final. Yes, last season we finished second in the Premier League. But let's be real, in the context of what Manchester United represents, second is failure. Any attempt to re-package failure as some measure of 'progress' (especially when it is not built upon) is plainly daft. Coming second, in the European football equivalent of the Championship, is nothing to reflect positively upon. Similarly, the 'achievement' of finishing second last season can be seen in its proper context, now that Liverpool are over their injury crisis and the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal appear to have gained ground.

Even the vaunted 'rebuild' which Ole was supposed to have laid the foundations for, what has it produced? It seems widely accepted that the new manager when they are appointed will also need time to 'rebuild' and will likely show a number of Ole's players the door.

Let's be honest, Ole was a 'hit and hope'. We were seduced by the sheer romance of a club hero and undoubtedly likeable man, leading the club back to glory. True Roy of the Rovers type stuff. For reasons of sentimentality we ignored the necessity for due diligence and even when the evidence suggested that Ole was not the right man for the job, we kept willing him on as if by itself our hope for his success could cover up for his ineptitude.

I do not judge Ole by his outstanding and record breaking start, as United manager, nor his capacity to produce amazing one off results against the best managers. Instead I judge Ole by the fact that when it came down to it, he was simply not good enough.
 
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Gordon Godot

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Ole's legacy? History can be kind to reputations and time will tell whether, with the benefit of hindsight, it is kind to Ole as well. However, as it stands, Ole will ultimately be defined by the things that cost him his job - failure. Humiliating losses at home and away including having our pants pulled down at Old Trafford, by our biggest rivals. Re-occurring instances of tactical cluelessness and the inability to consistently get the best out of resources made available to him, no matter how seemingly abundant, is what defined Ole.

I am not saying that Ole did not have talents, skills and endearing qualities. I accept he had all that and more. My point is that as a Manchester United manager he failed. Yes, under Ole we got to a Europa League final. Yes, last season we finished second in the Premier League. But let's be real, in the context of what Manchester United represents, second is failure. Any attempt to re-package failure as some measure of 'progress' (especially when it is not built upon) is plainly daft. Coming second, in the European football equivalent of the Championship, is nothing to reflect positively upon. Similarly, the 'achievement' of finishing second last season can be seen in its proper context, now that Liverpool are over their injury crisis and the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal appear to have gained ground.

Even the vaunted 'rebuild' which Ole was supposed to have laid the foundations for, what has it produced? It seems widely accepted that the new manager when they are appointed will also need time to 'rebuild' and will likely show a number of Ole's players the door.

Let's be honest, Ole was a 'hit and hope'. We were seduced by the sheer romance of a club hero and undoubtedly likeable man, leading the club back to glory. True Roy of the Rovers type stuff. For reasons of sentimentality we ignored the necessity for due diligence and even when the evidence suggested that Ole was not the right man for the job, we kept willing him on as if by itself our hope for his success could cover up for his ineptitude.

I do not judge Ole by his outstanding and record breaking start, as United manager, nor his capacity to produce amazing one off results against the best managers. Instead I judge Ole by the fact that when it came down to it, he was simply not good enough.
Agree. Firstly, he should never have got the job, frankly even as caretaker we should have looked within and then accelerated appointment of a top manager (not anotehr Moyes or one on a downward path like LVG or Mou). Once he got the caretaker role, its on Ed to make him permanenet and then renew. Such bad decisiosn as to be incomprehensible. Trouble is that Ole was so far out of his depth but liked the self awareness to realise that. So more wasted cash on stupid signings, contract renewals etc. Again, not all down to Ole, but perhaps before putting pen to paper might have demanded mroe control over team and recruitment

Sadly the 'romance' of Ole also surrounded Ronaldo's return. Two terrible decisions. Fans we need to decide are we stuck in past or looking to future...
 

fastwalker

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Agree. Firstly, he should never have got the job, frankly even as caretaker we should have looked within and then accelerated appointment of a top manager (not anotehr Moyes or one on a downward path like LVG or Mou). Once he got the caretaker role, its on Ed to make him permanenet and then renew. Such bad decisiosn as to be incomprehensible. Trouble is that Ole was so far out of his depth but liked the self awareness to realise that. So more wasted cash on stupid signings, contract renewals etc. Again, not all down to Ole, but perhaps before putting pen to paper might have demanded mroe control over team and recruitment

Sadly the 'romance' of Ole also surrounded Ronaldo's return. Two terrible decisions. Fans we need to decide are we stuck in past or looking to future...
Sad but true. Much as I hate to say it but maybe Ole's true legacy is as a case study in what not to do.
 

Gordon Godot

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Sad but true. Much as I hate to say it but maybe Ole's true legacy is as a case study in what not to do.
The whole management of this club since Fergie retired (and it started before that) is a case study in how not to run a top sports club. Depite the rule breaking, City are a perfect case study in how to build a top football structure. Its really not that hard. It all comes down from the CEO and board to hire the best people and put a cleat structure in place. We had/ have the resources, we may just about be putting a structure in place but its still a mess.
 

fastwalker

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The whole management of this club since Fergie retired (and it started before that) is a case study in how not to run a top sports club. Depite the rule breaking, City are a perfect case study in how to build a top football structure. Its really not that hard. It all comes down from the CEO and board to hire the best people and put a cleat structure in place. We had/ have the resources, we may just about be putting a structure in place but its still a mess.
Your point about the vision of the ownership is absolutely spot on. The orientation of City and also Chelsea is 100% geared towards being successful on the pitch and winning trophies (Newcastle will be the same). However, the Glasers are fundamentally concerned with making money. It may seem like distinction without difference, because but it is not. Look at United, we are the richest club in the Premier League and one of the richest in the world despite being comparatively unsuccessful in terms of winning trophies. Yet, savvy commercial initiatives such as shirt sales, regional expansion into emerging markets, turning United into a global brand and securing top four finishes have been enough to keep the cash rolling in.

However, investing £1bn in player recruitment is utterly meaningless if the money is not spent wisely and strategically. Likewise being the highest payers in the league has simply created a culture where a reward is not something that is earned, but rather something that you are entitled to. All of the above are problems created and further exacerbated by the owners and symptomatic of a club with a weak structure. Likelihood is that we will, for the foreseeable future, continue to be a commercial juggernaut, but will not win trophies in a sustainable way until we structure ourselves like a club that actually wants to win things.
 

Karlos PFC

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Likelihood is that we will, for the foreseeable future, continue to be a commercial juggernaut, but will not win trophies in a sustainable way until we structure ourselves like a club that actually wants to win things.
I'm not really sure that without winning we can remain a commercial juggernaut though. These things go hand in hand. For the past 9 years we've been feeding from past successes, if we can't add to that, our commercial growth will decrease over the years. And no winning an FA cup or EL here and there will have minimal impact on our revenue from shirts and shit.
 

fastwalker

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I'm not really sure that without winning we can remain a commercial juggernaut though. These things go hand in hand. For the past 9 years we've been feeding from past successes, if we can't add to that, our commercial growth will decrease over the years. And no winning an FA cup or EL here and there will have minimal impact on our revenue from shirts and shit.
Agreed. That's why I said for the "foreseeable future". Look at Liverpool they largely survived off former glories, with some contemporary success for decades. I also mentioned that we will not win trophies in a "sustainable way" until we restructure. I am by no means ruling out the prospect of United winning trophies. But I just cannot see how that success will be sustainable.
 

MoskvaRed

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It’s absolutely mental that we entrusted a hugely expensive 3-year rebuilding project to a manager with no relevant qualifications. At least Liverpool sacked Kenny fairly soon. We doubled-down and now we have a squad where nearly all positions are open to debate.
 

Jackal981

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130 mil for Maguire and AWB. That is something which sticks every fecking game.
He should be blacklisted from managing any top team for that mistake alone. Man cant be trusted with money. He spent it like a kid going to the candy store. Dont forget VDB, Diallo, Pellistri. Almost 200m with no value added to the squad
 

Andycoleno9

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He should be blacklisted from managing any top team for that mistake alone. Man cant be trusted with money. He spent it like a kid going to the candy store. Dont forget VDB, Diallo, Pellistri. Almost 200m with no value added to the squad
Top club? He should be banned managing clubs in general....
 

bosnian_red

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The 130m we paid for Wan Bissaka and Maguire with no installments is big yikes. That's a hard one to recover from.
 

Andycoleno9

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Apart CL losses in finals against Barca, United's worst defeat in history is a win against PSG. Who would know back then that that win will cost club this much.
 

amolbhatia50k

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Thank you for getting us used to not winning trophies and players like Maguire, awb, Ronaldo and co on big money we'll struggle to sell. And of course not developing us tactically at all in 3 years.
 

amolbhatia50k

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The 130m we paid for Wan Bissaka and Maguire with no installments is big yikes. That's a hard one to recover from.
Seriously. So many were praising his signings at the time but it's clear they weren't meant for a big club and we screwed ourselves over on these deals.
 

RORY65

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For a supposed cultural reboot the squad and the culture he has left behind look absolutely rotten. 3 years completely wasted, there will be more to come as we try to unwind the mess we have now.
 

pratyush_utd

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All his achievements will be overshadowed because he made us pay 50 fecking million for AWB and 80 fecking million for Slabhead.