Would you sack or keep Ole? (Poll reopened)

[In Rainbows]

I will never understand the impatience and instant success culture of the modern fan. Ole is one of us and we should give him at least two years and back him fully in several transfer windows. The managerial merry-go-round needs to stop. We need to be patient and give him time. The only way we will get success in the future is if we are patient and allow a manager to build on his vision with backing in transfers in and out.

How is it a case of being impatient? Fans want to see United play attacking football and will be patient for that manager. Ole has been on the job since December. The fact of the matter is, Ole is not achieving attacking football, nor results. So there is nothing Ole has shown us that should make us be patient with him. That doesn't mean we wouldn't be patient for another manager who gets United playing attacking football. Since the Liverpool match, there have been excuses for Ole's inability to get United to play attacking football. After pre season that excuse no longer works. He's had a chance to get their fitness up, thus he should be able to show signs of his players attempting his progressive tactics.

Get the right manager who can get us playing attacking football and we'll be more patient. I'm still not Ole out as in sack him now, but based on the evidence this season I can't see myself not being Ole out once the season is over.

 

[Massive Spanner]

Is there an example within the last 10 years of 'giving a manager time' where it has paid off? From being totally aimless on the pitch, to then winning? Klopp and Pep weren't majorly successful at the start but you could see their impact tactically, and what the direction was at least. You could see they were a few players away from it coming together.

I just don't see Ole going from playing this kind of awful football where we can't even string 3 passes together, to challenging for a title in a year or two. A manager should be having an instant impact. He did at the beginning, because he was good at not being Jose Mourinho. But that was never enough, and that's what we're seeing. You look at the impact Rodgers has had at Leicester, and it's not just new manager bounce, it's because he's a smart manager tactically and he has an actual approach, even if it can be a little naive at times. It doesn't seem like Ole does, and that is a concern. I don't envisage it just clicking.

That said, I have no idea who could come in right now and get this squad playing either. It's paper thin and poorly planned.

I agree with most of this, but that last paragraph, this is essentially the same team that was the best side in the PL for his first two months in charge. Sure, you can say that's the "Mourinho out effect" or whatever, but they were still quality. Everyone who defends Ole say he has a terrible squad yet this squad has already shown they are capable of being far, far better than this. It's not a fecking lower table squad which is what we basically are producing in form right now.

How anyone can justify this current form and say it's because our squad is that bad, even though our squad has already shown, over a consistent spell, that it is clearly not that bad, is beyond me. It's quite clearly the manager.

 

[dove]

Is there an example within the last 10 years of 'giving a manager time' where it has paid off?

Of course there is not, even if you look last 30 years. Some people just live in some illusions world expecting every manager to turn into SAF if we give him at least 5 years. Constant comparisons with Klopp and Pep are extremely lazy and baseless. 2 winner managers who had their teams immediately playing good football but just lacked consistency in first season (s). Meanwhile we are very consistent (ly shit).

 

[Revan]

Sack, he has been very bad. Pogba as No 6, Rashford and Lingard playing regardless of how bad they have been, no wonder the results are so bad.

At the same time, we have bigger problems than the manager.

 

[pocco]

I just worry that in a year or two we'll be sat discussing why we never went for x, y, z. Some managers are getting a lot of praise at the moment, the likes of Nagelsman, Rose, Favre and probably others I've forgot about. I just hope we don't start regretting giving Ole too much time whilst Sours, for example, end up bringing one of them in after Poch and end up playing great football.

 

[In Rainbows]

I just worry that in a year or two we'll be sat discussing why we never went for x, y, z. Some managers are getting a lot of praise at the moment, the likes of Nagelsman, Rose, Favre and probably others I've forgot about. I just hope we don't start regretting giving Ole too much time whilst Sours, for example, end up bringing one of them in after Poch and end up playing great football.

It's going to happen. It's been happening since Fergie left. We're reactive and full of cowards at the board level. They want a big name in some form. Ole is a big name because of his history here as a player. Moyes because he was a PL manager for a decade. Same with LVG and Moyes in terms of their career.

 

[RoyH1]

I'd keep him right now, no point in changing him for a caretaker until the end of the season.

By then I would expect a DOF to be hired and to go after someone like Nagelsman. Make a proper strategy, targeting specific kind of players who're going to be here long term and grow with the new manager.

 

[ROFLUTION]

Is there an example within the last 10 years of 'giving a manager time' where it has paid off? From being totally aimless on the pitch, to then winning? Klopp and Pep weren't majorly successful at the start but you could see their impact tactically, and what the direction was at least. You could see they were a few players away from it coming together.

I just don't see Ole going from playing this kind of awful football where we can't even string 3 passes together, to challenging for a title in a year or two. A manager should be having an instant impact. He did at the beginning, because he was good at not being Jose Mourinho. But that was never enough, and that's what we're seeing. You look at the impact Rodgers has had at Leicester, and it's not just new manager bounce, it's because he's a smart manager tactically and he has an actual approach, even if it can be a little naive at times. It doesn't seem like Ole does, and that is a concern. I don't envisage it just clicking.

That said, I have no idea who could come in right now and get this squad playing either. It's paper thin and poorly planned.

Actually there is proof of the opposite. Studies have shown that there is definitely a "New manager effect", which makes teams over-perform compared to their chances of winning, but it dies out after 5 games and there's no long term effect to be proven.

We sort of saw the same effect when Ole started and we won constantly. Some luck involved too in that streak I believe.

 

[Robbie Boy]

He’s fecking clueless and it’s obvious to anyone that this ‘project’ has been an unmitigated disaster.

 

[Volumiza]

It's not a fecking lower table squad which is what we basically are producing in form right now.

How anyone can justify this current form and say it's because our squad is that bad, even though our squad has already shown, over a consistent spell, that it is clearly not that bad, is beyond me. It's quite clearly the manager.

It is a worse squad. Sorry it is. Maybe our defence is better but our midfield and attack is far worse. Herrera, Sanchez, Lukaku, Fellaini may not have been performing a the level we wanted but they needed to be replaced. Our current form and lack of goals is a direct result of the decision to let these 4 players leave without buying replacements.

 

[dove]

It is a worse squad. Sorry it is. Maybe our defence is better but our midfield and attack is far worse. Herrera, Sanchez, Lukaku, Fellaini may not have been performing a the level we wanted but they needed to be replaced. Our current form and lack of goals is a direct result of the decision to let these 4 players leave without buying replacements.

Just to make sure, are you saying our squad is worse than lower mid table teams?

 

[Massive Spanner]

It is a worse squad. Sorry it is. Maybe our defence is better but our midfield and attack is far worse. Herrera, Sanchez, Lukaku, Fellaini may not have been performing a the level we wanted but they needed to be replaced. Our current form and lack of goals is a direct result of the decision to let these 4 players leave without buying replacements.

Herrera was the only one of those playing in the side at the time of that run, though. Lukaku was grabbing an assist or goal here and there off the bench but he was a peripheral figure. It may be a worse squad but we still have most of the players here from that run as well as our 3 new signings who are all an improvement on the players that were in the side at the time.

These players have already shown they can play to a far, far higher standard than we're currently seeing, and all it took for that to happen was Mourinho getting sacked, yet now we look even worse than we did under Mourinho, so who's to blame for that?

Hint: It's the manager and coaches.

 

[ROFLUTION]

For me there's no point of a caretaker to replace him. We want a real manager like Poch and no manager like that is available in october.

We also need someone who plays attacking football, but most importantly one who develops players like Rashford, Greenwood and Martial, as we wont be getting Neymar's in our current state

 

[Suedesi]

If Ed Woodward is still in charge of footballing decisions, what difference does it make either way. Say he sacks Ole, do you have confidence in the board to hire the right manager, and then get him the targets he needs to rebuild? If the answer is no, then Ole might as well stay, he's a nice bloke and I have a lot of time for the guy.

 

[Woodzy]

Do the media ever talk about his form? I mean just this season is bad enough (3 wins and a penalty shootout ffs) but if you factor in his form since becoming manager then surely you take a look and realise that there might be a problem there.

Even relegation candidates sack their manager for that sort of form.

What’s going to happen up until Christmas is that we will win a game here and there which will buy him some time, but the quality of football and overall results are going to have a familiar pattern.

We have been here with LvG and Jose - we won’t pull the plug while the signs are there, we will wait until the season is a write off.

I like Ole, and part of me thinks that with a squad in this state at least it’s good to have a likeable character around. At the end of the day though, he’s actually a poor manager that’s trying to get by on his understanding of the club and it’s values, with a disregard for the actual football.

 

[roonster09]

I don't see the point of keeping him. We are not showing any progress but I don't have any trust on this board to make the decisions proactively and also make good appointments.

 

[KM]

He's had 30 PL matches and I don't see any improvement in our play. As much as I love the bloke, I don't think he's good enough.
Sack for me.

 

[Sunny Jim]

I wouldn't have hired him

that's a different story altogether.
He was great as a caretaker. Should've finished last season and walk away.

 

[Eleven-Eighteen]

Should've kept Mourinho

 

[AneRu]

Keep , I think people are really underestimating the poor quality squad he has inherited , no manger in the world could make this squad competitive in only one transfer window.

We can't keep sacking managers and going back to square one , time to stick now and give him more time. His first transfer window was decent in the players he brought in , he needs the chance of at least another two windows and be judged then.

There is no quick fix here , it is criminal that we have let the squad quality fall so low for such a big club but that is not on Ole.

I think people realize that there is no quick fix but it's also possible to realize that the architect for our so called rebuild isn't good enough. You don't need a squad overhaul to outscore the likes of Burnely and Bournemouth that's just refusing to see the reality of our situation. I like Ole for what he has done for the club but he isn't good enough for this level.

 

[RUCK4444]

No let's give him 5 more years and watch us linger in the table. That plan is obviously better. Since Ole is not doing the job right no one else can. Literally.

I didn’t say give him five more years did I, one full season at least might be fair considering the time so called more experienced managers have had here.
And they were given that time after making poor signing after poor signing.

Look at the side we fielded yesterday, 6 academy players, teenagers, lots of injuries and we should have comfortably won.
Emery has been at Arsenal longer and has more experience yet should have lost that game.

Who are these other managers people want to sack him for that will turn United around completely within the spoilt-fans determined timeframe of a single transfer window?

Yes it’s not nice being 10th and the results have been poor but we have to break the cycle of sacking and hiring.

Director of football and some more spot-on signings would make the world of difference going forward over the next few seasons.
Not replacing Lukaku was crazy and it’s biting us in the arse like I knew it would, I doubt Ole would have wanted to let him go without a quality replacement, that’s Woodward’s fault.

Fans need to take a deep breath, find their balls and get behind the team and the change of tactic the club are trying to implement.

Like I tell my Liverpool supporting mates, I’m not worried and I’m patient, winning everything has afforded me the patience to get it right.

 

[Sunny Jim]

i voted keep for two reasons:

-the squad is nowhere good enough to compete for top 4. The arrogance shown in failing to address two key positions (right wing and CM) is costing Ole much
- There is absolutely no one better available.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

It ends when we find the right manager.

Ole Gunnar Solksjaer has been coaching these players for coming on 10 months, and he isn't a good enough coach.

He gets paid more than Jurgen Klopp ffs, more than Pochettino - and he's giving us very little in terms of quality coaching.

He's done. Let him go before it gets any messier.

This is Man Utd, not a fecking managerial training camp - which I literally can't believe I'm saying AGAIN after the Moyes era.

This is a job for a proper manager, this is a job for a coach who is ready to be at a club of this size.

Well said.

We don't have time for a manager to learn on the job.

 

[Volumiza]

Hint: It's the manager and coaches.

Edit: It's the manager, coaches and players. Sorry dude, our midfield is crap and our attack (Dan James aside) is currently crap.

 

[Volumiza]

Just to make sure, are you saying our squad is worse than lower mid table teams?

No, I'm saying our midfield and attack is worse than some lower midtable teams.

 

[Matt007a]

It's a shame because I think outside of match performance he has done all the right things. He's made good signings in my opinion, he's started the process of shipping players out we don't want or need. He's also got the players back onside after the issues we had under Mourinho.

It can't be all his fault that the players look poorly coached. What are Phelan, Carrick and McKenna bringing to the party? Should their influence not be quite big on how we play? I mean SAF knew he wasn't a world class coach and let McClaren and Meulensteen etc have great control over that aspect of the job.

We would need to have someone lined up who meets all our requirements. We don't want to be bouncing around between managers on a whim. I'm not sure really who that man is?

 

[devilish]

Edit: It's the manager, coaches and players. Sorry dude, our midfield is crap and our attack (Dan James aside) is currently crap.

This

 

[Judas]

Average squad with a even more average manager, terrible situation to be in. He needs to go for everyones sake, we're going nowhere and its not even all his fault.

 

[Volumiza]

It's a shame because I think outside of match performance he has done all the right things.

He has ... but he has either stripped our squad down to bare bones or allowed our squad to be stripped down to bare bones. Either way, he's screwed up massively.

 

[Ballache]

I see nothing in the way we play to feel confident about him being the solution. Sack but only if we completely restructure.

 

[dove]

No, I'm saying our midfield and attack is worse than some lower midtable teams.

But its not, it’s just an excuse for clearly failing manager.

 

[Rendezvous with Ronaldo]

Absolutely keep. Results will improve and in any case, you're 7 bloody games into the season. At least wait until December to see where you stand, you impatient ninnys.

 

[Massive Spanner]

Edit: It's the manager, coaches and players. Sorry dude, our midfield is crap and our attack (Dan James aside) is currently crap.

Our players are more than good enough to beat these teams. If they had a competent manager and coach, they would be beating them, like they've already shown they CAN do last season.

 

[Bojan11]

If Ed Woodward is still in charge of footballing decisions, what difference does it make either way. Say he sacks Ole, do you have confidence in the board to hire the right manager, and then get him the targets he needs to rebuild? If the answer is no, then Ole might as well stay, he's a nice bloke and I have a lot of time for the guy.

Ok.

So he’s a nice bloke so should stay. I’m sure Lingard and Jones are nice blokes too, but I don’t want to see them kicking another ball for us.

Tactically he is inept and all he knows is counter attack football which even the likes of Pullis and Allardyce can drill into their teams.

 

[kouroux]

that's a different story altogether.
He was great as a caretaker. Should've finished last season and walk away.

Just saying that I don't necessarily wish for his sacking, it will eventually happen.

 

[Roboc7]

There there isn’t much point sacking him at this stage because the club won’t know what to do next and the squad just isn’t good enough. There’s no quick fix and this is going to be a painful season whoever is in charge.

I think it’s unlikely he can last the season as I think we will spend a lot of the time not that much higher up in table than we currently are. We also have to accept the fact he is quite an average manager and not the right choice for longer term.

 

[Massive Spanner]

Absolutely keep. Results will improve and in any case, you're 7 bloody games into the season. At least wait until December to see where you stand, you impatient ninnys.

Genuine question - what PL manager has actually improved on results like that before? 2 wins in 12, 15 goals in 17 games. When has it actually happened that a PL manager has turned it around and become a success after dogshit like that?

 

[Volumiza]

But its not, it’s just an excuse for clearly failing manager.

I agree, he is failing. But our squad is paper thin and has some very average players in that are regularly getting outperformed.

 

[TrueRed79]

His record since being made permanent is relegation form. Theres simply no way he will be kept on if it continues. Woodward is an inept fool but he's not stupid. Of course he'll sack him despite all the mantra of short-term outlook etc. I can't see him lasting but i hope he turns it around.

 

[ROFLUTION]

If Ed Woodward is still in charge of footballing decisions, what difference does it make either way. Say he sacks Ole, do you have confidence in the board to hire the right manager, and then get him the targets he needs to rebuild? If the answer is no, then Ole might as well stay, he's a nice bloke and I have a lot of time for the guy.

This, for me, too - Ole has a lot of good cleaning up abilities and this is a transition year anyways - Where very young players like Greenwood, James and Gomes grows into the squad for a new manager to build on. A bit worried about Rashford's decline lately though. And knowing this was a transitional year, we should have bought more talent this summer - like Maddison.

Our squad is currently not one for top 4 neither.