Ole’s former team-mates who are now pundits refusing to call a spade a spade

Where do people get this notion of pundits being these unflappable independent adjudicators from? They literally get ex-players to analyse their former team's games.
 
I don't get that code of not asking for managers to be sacked. They tear into players left and right, and a bad manager does more damage than any bad player could.

And for those saying that it's hard for him to ask for his friend to be sacked, I agree, but what about the nonsense of "hiring a new top manager won't be the answer"? He keeps repeating the same argument and it makes no sense.
 
I’ve never said it was okay for them to put the players above the parapet.

They haven’t kept the management team out of the firing line, I’ve never seen a management team get as much criticism from Gary, Roy etc. Read between lines a bit, you can be extremely critical & imply a manager isn’t good enough for the job without using words such as ‘fired’ & ‘sacked’. I would personally have less respect for them as people if they were the types to say their friend & former team mate should be sacked in public.




Their opinion seems to hold weight amongst a lot of fans which then led to the collapse of the super league because of the uproar from said fans (who would’ve been outraged even without Gary’s opinion), but in the Manchester United boardroom? Absolutely not.

And finally, if they can’t be completely objective should they comment on United games? Perhaps not, but if it’s a problem for you mute it.

So Manchester United is in disarray because of an incompetent manager and coaching staff. Yet they fail saying the bloody obvious because they are more concerned about their friend's feelings then the club that made them? Instead they have a go at certain players, mostly the foreign ones despite knowing full well that these people are being poorly managed, poorly coached and can easily walk out of the club once their contract is up much to the detriment of Manchester United. Jeez what a bunch of immature spineless people these people are. No wonder why they failed so spectacularly in management.

Maybe Manchester United should consider giving these pundits some shares. Let's see if Gary the pundit wouldn't suddenly turn into Gary the owner if Ole hits him in his pockets. Wellens was sacked after just 6 games.
 
The players deserve the same criticism, Gary is entitled to say what the feck he wants whether you like it or not and you need to get off this forum because you’re clearly losing your head :lol:

Seriously? Our players look lost. They seem poorly coached and our tactics are all over the place. Players follow instructions. They can't be expected to come out with winning tactics on their own That's why the likes of City, Chelsea and Liverpool hire top managers like Pep, Tuchel and Klopp instead of Goater, Duberry and Riise.

To answer your second comment if Gaz wants to make himself look ridiculous on live TV then of course he can. Its his own reputation that is at stake after all. I just posted a video were a fan confronted Keane with Roy running away after a brief argument between the two. I'd expect more of these unfortunate events to happen.

And any fan who truly loves Manchester United is fuming at the moment especially watching the likes of Keane and Gaz putting the good of their matey ahead of what is good for our beloved club.
 
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Seriously? Our players look lost. They seem poorly coached and our tactics are all over the place. Players follow instructions. They can't be expected to come out with winning tactics on their own That's why the likes of City, Chelsea and Liverpool hire top managers like Pep, Tuchel and Klopp instead of Goater, Duberry and Riise.

To answer your second comment if Gaz wants to make himself look ridiculous on live TV then of course he can. Its his own reputation that is at stake after all. I just posted a video were a fan confronted Keane with Roy running away after a brief argument between the two. I'd expect more of these unfortunate events to happen.

And any fan who truly loves Manchester United is fuming at the moment especially watching the likes of Keane and Gaz putting the good of their matey ahead of what is good for our beloved club.

I am glad I am not your good matey. I don’t stab my mates in the back.
 
I am glad I am not your good matey. I don’t stab my mates in the back.

That's just childish. There's a huge difference between going out of your way to try to get a friend sacked when you've got nothing to do with it and being in a highly paid job where you're paid to give your opinions on the subject. You can be friends with someone and say they've done shit work when they have, even if you hope they can turn it around. If someone becomes bitter for you speaking the truth, they're probably not actually a friend.
 
So if you worked with someone for years and were their mate you would publically call for them to be sacked?
It's difficult, and obviously it's understandable that they're going to stick up for their mate. But when they instead shift all the blame onto the players every time I think it's a bit rich. Actually it's a dickhead move.
 
I’m pretty sure Neville has said he’d never advocate any manager getting sacked. I think the idea that he’s only defending his mate is lazy. He went to war with AFTV defending Arsene Wenger. He said the club should have backed Mourinho too and went on a rampage when he was sacked.

It was the other guys, namely Scholes who’ve clearly treated Ole differently although I think Scholes has become aware of that criticism and is now going in a but harder.

Some of the stuff he says is nonsense, particularly about the traditions of the club and all that jazz but I don’t think he’s been much kinder to Ole than he was to Jose.
 
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Why would they... his mate in power is keeping them.all relevant both at club and in media. Leeches the lot if them.
 
I am glad I am not your good matey. I don’t stab my mates in the back.


This is not about stabbing mates. This is about two things ie a person's integrity and holding standards. United fans listen to these people because they believe that they are knowledgeable and that they love the club. If they are backing the manager simply because he's their mate then they are letting their fans, the club and themselves down. It's ain't personal and there's nothing wrong in saying that someone is not good for the United job. After all 99.9% of world's population falls in that category. Its not as if Ole would starve if he ends up unemployed. The guy is a millionaire on a 7.5m a year salary who'll probably see another 7-10m put in his bank account once he get sacked.

Surely Gaz the pundit can speak about this issue with Gaz the club owner. The latter is quite versed of the importance of pulling the trigger when needed. While at it he should talk with Gaz the player who stole off 12 months of salary off the club despite knowing that he was finished at this level. Who knows maybe the latter can persuade him to be kinder with players.
 
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You put your bins out on a Tuesday. Bin men come by your house and for the fifth week in a row they miss your one, take a shit on your porch and shoot your dog. You phone up the council and Nev answers.

"Sorry, but those bin men are my mates innit so they keep their jobs Iol"

Matt10000 puts the phone down and looks at himself in the mirror, theatrically prodding two thumbs against his chest. "This cnut right here doesn't stab his mates in the back either!" Before going back to Wikipedia for another attempt at trying to understand what cronyism means and why it's illegal in the private sector.
 
They do it wrong anyway. They should pick pundits who havent played for any team, so if its Utd v Liverpool, get a Chelsea, Villa, Watford pundit on. Get an Arsenal pundit sitting with the commentator, so they can all tell the truth.
 
You put your bins out on a Tuesday. Bin men come by your house and for the fifth week in a row they miss your one, take a shit on your porch and shoot your dog. You phone up the council and Nev answers.

"Sorry, but those bin men are my mates innit so they keep their jobs Iol"

Matt10000 puts the phone down and looks at himself in the mirror, theatrically prodding two thumbs against his chest. "This cnut right here doesn't stab his mates in the back either!" Before going back to Wikipedia for another attempt at trying to understand what cronyism means and why it's illegal in the private sector.

But it's football punditry. It's not real life. It's a make believe job. You think they're issued with a job description, monthly targets? Whatever they say or do it has zero importance in real life.

I saw somebody comparing it to a surgeon, incapable of his job and he's your mate. Do you say something.

I think some of you need to get punditry into perspective. It's just a bit of fluff. Nobody is going to publically call for their mate to be sacked for the sake of a bit of entertainment.
 
A pundit without a personal connection to Solskjaer will say he has to go, but I don’t know why folk on here find it difficult to accept maybe some of Solskjaer’s former teammates don’t want to stick the knife in.

Who on here would honestly do that to a close friend? I mean, Keane has pretty much said it without saying it, but if he did, would it tip the balance? Would it really get Solskjaer fired? No.

One is inclined to think results and performance would get you fired, but with Solskjaer it hasn’t happened. I doubt if all Solskjaer’s friends on pundit duties said collectively “He’s shite” on Sky TV …and it’s LIVE! it would not get him binned.

The stay of execution has taken place in the boardroom and one has to wonder who wields the power to persuade the board? I genuinely wonder if it is Ferguson. The man who probably suggested Solskjaer be appointed in the first place. If that’s true, Ferguson’s heart is in the right place, but his belief Solskjaer can turn it around, probably isn’t.

With all due respect to Ferguson, a genius who knows more about football than I.

Probably longest post I’ve ever made here. I’ll get me coat…

Because by doing that they're doing it at the expense of the club and the fsns and their integrity.

So it's ok to care about ole feeling, but feck the fans?
 
Ah we’ll just let the players off scott free then, not their fault at all, they are perfect :lol:

I was against some of the signings made from day 1. God knows how much criticism I got for my stance regarding us signing Maguire. I faced similar (but less) criticism regarding the Telles signing. However things need to be seen within perspective.

We have a manager who buys players on huge fees only to send them straight on the bench, a manager who signed a ridiculously slow CB on 80m to play in a high line defense and a fullback whose weak going forward to play as a wingback. Meanwhile he promises players whom he has no intention of playing a fair crack of the whip and he runs his first teamers to the ground often bringing them in before they are match fit. Formation change at a moment's notice and tactical weaknesses (ex set pieces) are never sorted. As Stephen Howson said (who believe me is the epitome of a top red and who clung to the Ole in mantra as much as humanely possible) United simply do not learn from their mistakes. Can you blame them for being confused?

Few months ago, Ole inners were praising Ole for building a team brimming with players in line with the United way and DNA. Team building was a feather in Ole's cap. Now its mostly their fault.
 
Neville and Ole probably have dinner at each other's houses often. They're very good friends and Neville is totally compromised in his assessment of the club while Ole is manager. They shouldn't even be giving him airtime where United are concerned until Ole is sacked.

Paradoxically they know he is compromised and his shit opinions will bring massive clicks.
 
Because by doing that they're doing it at the expense of the club and the fsns and their integrity.

So it's ok to care about ole feeling, but feck the fans?

"feck the fans." This is a huge overreaction. Would saying the exact words he had to go make one blind bit of difference? Really?

I would say it makes me a shit friend to throw one under the bus when it would make little difference.
 
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"feck the fans." This is a huge overreaction. Would saying the exact words he had to go make one blind bit of difference? Really?

I would say it makes me a shit friend to throw one under the bus when it would make little difference.

Well doh, words have meaning when you're a public figure. Especially if you're a public figure.

I'm not sure I can take your comment seriously. Glen Hoodle got sacked because he said something, Jose got roasted for his Seville comment, Moyes, LGV my captain shall always play, Ronaldo slave comment, so yes... words matter
 
Well doh, words have meaning when you're a public figure. Especially if you're a public figure.

I'm not sure I can take your comment seriously. Glen Hoodle got sacked because he said something, Jose got roasted for his Seville comment, Moyes, LGV my captain shall always play, Ronaldo slave comment, so yes... words matter

I feel the same about your hysteria and "words have meaning when you're a public figure" statement. As for your wildly off tangent examples...
 
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It's difficult, and obviously it's understandable that they're going to stick up for their mate. But when they instead shift all the blame onto the players every time I think it's a bit rich. Actually it's a dickhead move.

Keane has previous for it though. It got him shown the door at the club.
 
They do it wrong anyway. They should pick pundits who havent played for any team, so if its Utd v Liverpool, get a Chelsea, Villa, Watford pundit on. Get an Arsenal pundit sitting with the commentator, so they can all tell the truth.

Yup, speak freely without ties. Are Carragher and Murphy the only ones to say he should go? Souness and Richards? I actually thought Ince would have by now.
 
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You put your bins out on a Tuesday. Bin men come by your house and for the fifth week in a row they miss your one, take a shit on your porch and shoot your dog. You phone up the council and Nev answers.

"Sorry, but those bin men are my mates innit so they keep their jobs Iol"

Matt10000 puts the phone down and looks at himself in the mirror, theatrically prodding two thumbs against his chest. "This cnut right here doesn't stab his mates in the back either!" Before going back to Wikipedia for another attempt at trying to understand what cronyism means and why it's illegal in the private sector.

:lol:
 
I don't really see the point in getting hugely annoyed or upset with Neville or Keane over this. The annoying aspect is some of the silly excuses Neville especially is trying to come up with in order to be seen to protect his mate.

The Glazers couldn't give a flying feck what any of these pundits think.... they seem to get more focused on sacking someone when the match going crowd starts to turn, and the chants start are getting back to "Glazers Out". So if you want Ole out, go to a game and share around loads of Glazer Out banners and scarfs. When our owners feel their own necks might be on the line, that's when they are suddenly willing to act.
 
I don't really see the point in getting hugely annoyed or upset with Neville or Keane over this. The annoying aspect is some of the silly excuses Neville especially is trying to come up with in order to be seen to protect his mate.

The Glazers couldn't give a flying feck what any of these pundits think.... they seem to get more focused on sacking someone when the match going crowd starts to turn, and the chants start are getting back to "Glazers Out". So if you want Ole out, go to a game and share around loads of Glazer Out banners and scarfs. When our owners feel their own necks might be on the line, that's when they are suddenly willing to act.

Agreed. Pundits have no power. Glazers didn't give a shit about green/gold either. Something or somebody has clearly persuaded them to stay the hand, but the current team form and trajectory would suggest their precious income will be affected significantly.
 
The majority of fans wanna see Ole be replaced but that doesn't mean we have to sit on a little bit of common sense.
It's extremely stupid, as far as I'm concerned, to expect Ole's former teammates/friends to be extremely critical towards him like they should be.
It's their job for sure but they're not robots :lol:
 
Players who are left on their own device tend to play football in the way they like to play. When that doesn't work they get demoralized and that effects their game. We're talking here about 20 year old something people who are playing a football game. Its not as if they are war veterans who are few meters away from Gold Beach during D Day.

Its the manager's and the coaching team's job to drill players so that doesn't happen.

Agree, I'll quote Pep who said it's the natural tendency of human beings to relax (seek comfort), so it's his job to ensure they don't - or something along those lines.

That's nail on the head and Ole's players, even during the "better" seasons, tend to ping from relaxed - till they concede - to panicky very quickly. They're very rarely determined, on it, and in control from start to finish. It's on the manager.
 
The majority of fans wanna see Ole be replaced but that doesn't mean we have to sit on a little bit of common sense.
It's extremely stupid, as far as I'm concerned, to expect Ole's former teammates/friends to be extremely critical towards him like they should be.
It's their job for sure but they're not robots :lol:

Maybe the S word shouldn't be used but what's wrong in saying that he is clearly out of depth as manager of Manchester United? This is the club that made these players what they are. Don't they owe this very club and its fans the truth?

I miss the time when people had some integrity. For example Kidd is a United legend and SAF's no 2. That didn't stop the gaffer from saying that he thought that Kidd's move to Blackburn was a bad move as he thought he would be out of depth there.
 
Well Gary is at least now talking some sense. Still disagree when he says the board won't sack Ole, but he's a lot more impartial in his analysis here and he's not trying to dump it on the players.

https://www.skysports.com/football/...-i-dont-see-them-sacking-ole-gunnar-solskjaer

He's actually calling out the organisation of the team and the lack of answers to City's way of playing - which everyone knows. He's saying something has to be done, but just not spelling it out.
 
Agreed. Pundits have no power. Glazers didn't give a shit about green/gold either. Something or somebody has clearly persuaded them to stay the hand, but the current team form and trajectory would suggest their precious income will be affected significantly.

We're apparently still selling so many shirts that there's a 2+ month lead time on customers receiving orders. i.e. we can't make them fast enough.

I'm hearing fan protests are being organised now. So my theory is about to be tested regarding what it will take for Ole to be sacked.
 
A pundit without a personal connection to Solskjaer will say he has to go, but I don’t know why folk on here find it difficult to accept maybe some of Solskjaer’s former teammates don’t want to stick the knife in.

Who on here would honestly do that to a close friend? I mean, Keane has pretty much said it without saying it, but if he did, would it tip the balance? Would it really get Solskjaer fired? No.

One is inclined to think results and performance would get you fired, but with Solskjaer it hasn’t happened. I doubt if all Solskjaer’s friends on pundit duties said collectively “He’s shite” on Sky TV …and it’s LIVE! it would not get him binned.

The stay of execution has taken place in the boardroom and one has to wonder who wields the power to persuade the board? I genuinely wonder if it is Ferguson. The man who probably suggested Solskjaer be appointed in the first place. If that’s true, Ferguson’s heart is in the right place, but his belief Solskjaer can turn it around, probably isn’t.

With all due respect to Ferguson, a genius who knows more about football than I.

Probably longest post I’ve ever made here. I’ll get me coat…

So if you worked with someone for years and were their mate you would publically call for them to be sacked?

I totally get it that they can't bring themselves to criticize their mate. So then why are they taking money to provide objective analysis when they can't be objective? Is that ok?
 
Atleast the likes of Scholes,Rio and Keane are tolerable.While they aren’t calling for his head,atleast they are not embarrassing themselves like Gary Neville by staunchly Supporting Ole…
 
Like many in this thread have already said Neville quite clearly needs to refuse to comment on Utd when he clearly isn't in a position to be objective about our situation at all
 
This is not about stabbing mates. This is about two things ie a person's integrity and holding standards. United fans listen to these people because they believe that they are knowledgeable and that they love the club. If they are backing the manager simply because he's their mate then they are letting their fans, the club and themselves down. It's ain't personal and there's nothing wrong in saying that someone is not good for the United job. After all 99.9% of world's population falls in that category. Its not as if Ole would starve if he ends up unemployed. The guy is a millionaire on a 7.5m a year salary who'll probably see another 7-10m put in his bank account once he get sacked.

Surely Gaz the pundit can speak about this issue with Gaz the club owner. The latter is quite versed of the importance of pulling the trigger when needed. While at it he should talk with Gaz the player who stole off 12 months of salary off the club despite knowing that he was finished at this level. Who knows maybe the latter can persuade him to be kinder with players.
Yes you know what? You are probably right
 
Glad one of our recently retired players has finally decided to say it as it is.

Kudos to Rio for having the balls that Neville and Co don't possess.