We can only judge Ole by his actions and in game management. Even if you’re an ardent Ole in supporter you can’t say he’s done a good job consistently with his in game management and substitutions. As a supporter, you can only assess his mindset from this, so it’s fair to say that Ole was trying to at least save the draw rather than go for the win by keeping our defensive shape, even though we almost conceded a late winner anyways. Was Ole limited by a lack of options, of course. But he’s the manager and he needs to adjust to find a way to get a result. This is where he is levels below Pep or Klopp.
I don't think it's reasonable or fair at all. You don't know what he was trying to do or not, and it's all too easy to just make whatever assumptions you want. It's fair to raise the question, but neither you or anybody else around here can answer it. General plausibility would suggest that they weren't content with a point yesterday - I mean, why would they be? They're a much better team than Palace, dropping two points can't easily be afforded in the fight for 2nd place/top 4, and they all know very well that no one else is going to see that as anything other than a fiasco. And in any case, it's not like there's not better things to worry about than conjectural judgments about underlying character flaws. The team currently plays far below its usual level - what's wrong?
Moaning about low standards or cowardice may provide a simple and emotionally satisfying explanation for frustrated fans, but it illuminates nothing. It's an explanation that can't be proven or disproven, which makes it comfy to entertain, but also useless. It doesn't bring you anywhere. If you're going to simply believe the manager and the team lacks an ambition to win, well then, nothing else matters much. Good performances and results will be just a mirage - as soon as there's anything real on the line, they'll be certain to fold. Training won't fix it, rest won't fix it, tactics won't fix it, and new signings won't fix it either, at least not just a few of them. You just put yourself mentally in a place where you assume it's all gone to shite, and if you do that, that's all you're going to see (obviously, I don't mean YOU in particular here).
And in any case, it would make far more sense to assume the players and the manager care deeply whether they win, draw or lose, are pretty desperate to achieve it and are doing their best to get there. This would normally be the case, after all. They all seem very conscious that nothing other than winning titles will do at United. By all accounts, they are a tight-knit group that isn't plagued by internal divisions or lack of commitment the way some of our previous squads have been. They know from their own record how good they can be. They should lack neither confidence or ambition. All teams go through bad spells, like we are doing now. If you step out of your own emotions for a minute and consider the matter calmly, do you really think it looks plausible that the reason they're playing badly for the moment is that they're cowards?
Touche. Matic was the only title winner out there then yesterday, and he is famous for down-toolsing every other season.