Knows the club, loves the club is a good punchline. While contributes zero to the overall performance.
I really fail to see how knowing the club and passion about the club would help on field performances.
Well, just loving the club and claiming to know the club isn't enough in itself or, a lot of random United-fans could have been the manager. However, it does help if we do have a manager that largely is on the same page as the club and the fans. If he is a capable manager as well and has other qualities and is not just a talking puppet, then it is possibly a very powerful combination, which over time definitely can contribute to on field performances. We have a few issues as a club, and lack of great performances on the pitch are also tied into that.
We need a strong and ruthless leader who will demand that everyone is being held accountable to follow certain values that made us successful, even before playing style and tactics. To have a certain blueprint that ensures the club is keeping on our path in the right direction, instead of just throwing shit on the wall and hope it sticks. If Ole is being trusted to do this or is being treated as just a short-term risk is another matter, but I do think this is what we need and a man that knows the club very well could be a key factor in making it work. Maybe this is asking too much from Ole, but I feel he has the pedigree for some parts of the job, even before we talk about tactical knowledge etc.
We can take a chance on Ole and give him the proper backing to rebuild and create a better culture here. He has the potential to bring that feeling back, but he do need backing from everyone for that to happen. If we treat him as the finished article and expect him to work miracles on the level of SAF, like we have at times have done with our previous managers, then he'll not make it obviously. We can change managers later and this is a opportunity to have someone who understands the club actually work to make the changes that the fans want to make. He'll at least try, that much is clear for anyone who knows Ole. But, he'll have to work with the trust afforded to him and it'll make it very difficult for him if he doesn't get some leeway to make some big changes.
A lot of fans want to focus on blaming the manager for lack of short term results and might think anyone who doesn't is just sentimental, but I think this manager is looking to change more than just that, which is what I want and that might take more time. The risk is still very much there, but my point is just that there is more than blind sentimentalism behind the sentiment of 'knowing the club' and 'loving the club'. He might be a good manager, and so those ingredients makes him a good fit.
I hope the fans will back him enough to let him have a chance to stand up against Ed in the future. If the fans want him out quick then Ed will just get rid of Ole and admit to making the wrong decision of appointing him, which will change nothing and the next manager comes in. It will be especially easy for him to do fire Ole if the fans want him out while Ole is challenging him to make big changes. If nobody turns on Ole, he might be the one to make our board see sense down the line. At least thats what I think. I'm sure Pochettino would just resign if he was unsatisfied with the culture here and the bosses. Too big of a job. Ole loves the club and to make these changes is what he want, that is the good part which I think we have to protect.
I expect Ole to not get the backing needed if he sees the need to make some radical changes, which may seem wrong. Either the fans or Ed will stand up to him and he'll get fired. If he doesn't try to take charge and just tries to make everyone happy then he'll definitely not be successful on the pitch and he'll get fired. He could be Guardiola tactically and I don't think he could turn our performances around without the proper build around him.