Exactly my feeling, Ronaldo's arrival is a problem to him now. He cant say we are building anymore, these are players that have 1 or 2 years left at the top and need to win now.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær | 2021/22 Discussion
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
- Status
He's not getting the sack anytime soon.
Even a CL exit in groupstage would not get him the sack mid-season.
Even a CL exit in groupstage would not get him the sack mid-season.
Even the fans that are still in his corner would surely turn on him then, I think. Not qualifying from an easy group with a team as stacked as this, for the second season in a row would be beyond sackable imo.
Man CityGenuine question to people who think he won't get a job anywhere after this: Who was the last manager whose side finished in top 4 in a top 5 league (consecutively or not) and the manager was struggling to get a job?
Hell, who was the last manager who managed even 1 top 4 finish in PL and the manager struggled to get a job?
Or, am I mistaken and you guys are saying he won't get a job after this because he stays here for 20 years and will retire here?
Chelsea
Liverpool
Barcelona
Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid
Bayern
Dortmund
Juventus
Inter Milan
AC Milan
PSG
Which of these clubs you think will take a gamble on Ole. Give your head a wobble if you pick any of the above. The best case scenario I would give Ole is Spurs and even then it’s a long shot.
I think it's a moot point as to what other club would hire him because I don't think he would be interested in continuing a coaching career away from Old Trafford. Molde and Cardiff were stepping stones because he always wanted the United job. I suspect he will move upwards into a non-coaching role at the club.
Unlike Mou and LVG, Ole has a lot of support behind the scenes it seems. So I don't expect a ruthless chop just from CL failure. Particularly with no obvious candidate knocking around, as Liverpool and Chelsea both had when they got rid.
However when you look at the next 12 fixtures you realize that the stakes are really high. We're going to have to improve by a fair chunk or we'll be all but out of both the CL and the PL before November is out.
Personally, I think we'll be ok, Ole has a tendency to pull good runs of form out when it looks bleak. But while I think the CL could be survivable, falling behind in the PL too might do for him.
I have been supporting Ole and to an extent I still do but, it is obvious that we are winning nothing this season.
The football we are playing, I cannot see us challenging or even getting out the groups in the CL.
Young Boys lost, Villareal we can't beat, dont think we will beat them, Atalanta are of the Villa ilk, well coached and are very good on the transition.
We lose the ball in midfield too often, a half decent team on transition will beat us let alone one who is really good at it?
The football we are playing, I cannot see us challenging or even getting out the groups in the CL.
Young Boys lost, Villareal we can't beat, dont think we will beat them, Atalanta are of the Villa ilk, well coached and are very good on the transition.
We lose the ball in midfield too often, a half decent team on transition will beat us let alone one who is really good at it?
Maybe go through the earlier posts in the thread? Not getting a job among top 12 clubs and not being able to get a job "anywhere in PL" and "not even molde" and "not even championship teams" is quite different
He won't get a job in the PL. He's a meme outside of United.
I feel his usual run of good results when the scrutiny is high will fail to materialise this time.
Tough games ahead and I just don't think the players and coach will be up to it. I hope I'm wrong but we look an easy team to play and score against. Individual moments can only save you so many times.
I'm quite worried about the next two fixtures for sure, this time next week will be interesting to see where we are.
Our last 15 competitive games: P15 W6 D2 L7
Pretty grim reading.
Tough games ahead and I just don't think the players and coach will be up to it. I hope I'm wrong but we look an easy team to play and score against. Individual moments can only save you so many times.
I'm quite worried about the next two fixtures for sure, this time next week will be interesting to see where we are.
Our last 15 competitive games: P15 W6 D2 L7
Pretty grim reading.
Last edited:
Again, name one manager who's finished in top 4 and not gotten a job in PL after leaving. Hell, I'd say anyone who's finished in top 6-8 have also not really struggled for a job after that.
If Poch, Nagelsmann etc. had taken over when Ole did, cleared the deadwood, assembled a fantastic squad, finished 3rd, then 2nd, and then had a disjointed start to the season after introducing 3 new world class players to the squad, would fans be calling for their head? No. "Give him time" "Look at the progress and the players he's signed" would be the most common trend.
Show Ole the same respect.
Show Ole the same respect.
I don't think that argument holds up because I don't think a manager as poor as Solskjaer has finished top 4. Lampard probably being an exception but he's a lot younger than Solskjaer, is English and he had a relatively successful spell at Derby.
Solskjaer doesn't have much credit in the bank - nobody outside of the club thinks he's done a particularly great job. And I suspect when he does get sacked his reputation will be in tatters - because we don't tend to let managers go unless they've completely shat the bed. Maybe if he left last summer, someone would've taken a shot at him.
Maybe he isn't that poor at all? The side we had in the past 2 years was clearly not some prime Barca that would finish top 4 irrespective
It should unequivocally end with him getting the sack.
2 straight seasons of getting knocked out in the group stages would be a disaster.
Lampard
Di Matteo won the CL and can't get a job in the league.
Are you Ole's agent? Because you seem to take great offence when people say other clubs wouldn't hire him. The evidence that he returned to Norway and had no other offers in that time should suggest that he isn't as highly thought of outside United as you seem to think he is, or should be.
It didn't have to be, considering the state of our rivals. The fact that Leicester have been the most legitimate challengers for top 4 in the last 2 seasons, shows how weak the chasing pack was. It seems to have been resolved now and we've been 'put back in our place' behind Chelsea, Liverpool and City.
That's odd. My calendar says September, not May?
It tells you the manager is not good enough when you have a squad that should be favourites to win the PL and CL but fans are happy with finishing 2nd with no challenge, not making it out of CL groups and say we have no DM.
That is all false, we have options that the manager is too cowardly to try. Most managers when they fail with a certain system change it up, we instead keep persisting hoping it comes good when game after game the same issues are appearing.
How can you accept playing defensive football at home? yet still concede chances galore!
That is all false, we have options that the manager is too cowardly to try. Most managers when they fail with a certain system change it up, we instead keep persisting hoping it comes good when game after game the same issues are appearing.
How can you accept playing defensive football at home? yet still concede chances galore!
Palace job was his. He rejected it because they were among the favourites to go down. And it's been 8 months since he's been sacked - and there haven't been a lot of sackings last season
Mentioned PL. Being consistent in league is what clubs would consider while hiring a manager. His league record was as bad, if not worse than AVB.
He returned to Norway because his stint with Cardiff ended in relegation not top 4 and he had to effectively restart his career
Not panicking yet.
Needs 3 back to back wins before the Liverpool game though, all against tough teams. We'll do better than expected in November, as we usually do during tough runs, but we need to be getting 3 points against mid tablers if we want to be title contenders.
And we should be title contenders, even without a midfield.
Needs 3 back to back wins before the Liverpool game though, all against tough teams. We'll do better than expected in November, as we usually do during tough runs, but we need to be getting 3 points against mid tablers if we want to be title contenders.
And we should be title contenders, even without a midfield.
I believe at the start of last season people thought we wouldn't be finishing in top 4. Spurs were supposed to be good, Leicester and Arsenal after their FA Cup win as well. Everton had hired Ancelotti and people here were claiming we'd fall behind them as well.
It's now that we're saying that the competition was shit. No one expected us getting top 4 would turn out to be a formality last season
Winning the CL is far a bigger achievement than getting a top 4 finish. No matter how much you keep adjusting the goal posts Ole has never been a sought after PL manager.
We repeatedly emphasised the interim nature when he was first brought in, it was only an upwelling in support after Paris that landed him the job.
Your last paragraph highlights exactly why no other PL club has ever took the gamble on him. His time at United is unlikely to change that outlook because he's spent a fortune for minimal gains.
You disagree with the notion that the competition was shit then? You think Arsenal & Spurs were legitimate top 4 challengers who we did well to fend off?
He’s beaten better teams than Villareal plenty of times, and the players will be better prepared for the occasion next time. That extrapolation doesn’t make a ton of sense.
Winning CL but being shit at league doesn't help you as much. He won't be hired because teams look at league record first and foremost, and Di matteo had a poor PL record, not even an average one and hence he didn't end up in PL, but still managed a job in top 5 leagues - Schalke.
What he did at Cardiff doesn't matter now, just like what Klopp did at Mainz doesn't, and it rightfully shouldn't. What Jose did at Inter shouldn't as well for that matter. What you did at the most recent job is all that matters, and that's why the Cardiff jibes are stupid - not just because he got relegated with a team that were favourites for relegation, but also because it means nothing 7 years on.
I believe a lot of people were of that opinion at the start of last season- mid of last season, no? Spurs were top of the league in late November/early December, Arsenal were doing well till early November as well.
In fairness, I usually would tag, so apologises for that. It's kind of ironic you have an issue with tagging though, when you and your cronies endlessly quote people without tagging them in your echo chamber in the General. But hey, as I said, apologies on my end.
I have no issue if you have an issue with people calling for his head after every match. I've made my opinions very clear on where I currently stand, and it's that I support him for now but things have to change. I also have an issue with the micro analysis after every single game, be it a win, loss or a draw. However, at the moment, we're in a run of 3 defeats in 4, with our performances not looking too great. I think it's blind optimism, if you don't think at least a conversation has to be had.
As stated, the issue is the extreme reactions from both sides, not just one. Your posts in here seemed extremely wummy after the Villa result, and it wasn't just me who called you out on it. You can't have your cake and eat it, unfortunately; if you act like you want the quality of debates to improve, it's your job as a member of the forum to contribute towards that. How about reporting the posts that are out of line with forum rules, and engage in debate with people who have reasonable doubts about him? I mean, isn't that the point of a forum, to debate with others and to share your viewpoints etc?
You are actively contributing to the negative atmosphere by posting wummy nonsense. Standing behind that behaviour and passing it off as 'passion for the club' is dishonest, and you know it. Express your passion by engaging in meaningful debate, and outline why you have the stance that you have. The extreme 'in' side that never bother engaging in actual debate and instead come in posting wummy nonsense and leaving straight away, is no better than the fans that call Ole an idiot etc. Blind unwavering support is as bad as the negative Nancys, as neither side want a balanced, nuanced, fair debate.
Last edited:
Fecking Jesus wept. So would Shaun Dyche. Some of these names being thrown around are mental.
I know, it reminds me of when everyone on here was shouting for Eddie Howe.
Doing a good job at a small club does no equate to success at Manchester United, the Moyes disaster showed that.
Are you saying our squad last season should have been favourites to win the PL and CL?
I don't see many who would be happy about not challenging for the league this season.
Leipzig is also a small club though. It doesn’t guarantee succes also doesn’t equal disaster. I think Ten Haag should have a go at a big club.
Ole also came from managing a very small club by the way.
This season for definite. Chelsea's squad is similar to last season, in which they were in the same position as us, a top manager comes in and now they look like the team to beat.
Well, dropping points to Villa and Southampton is not good enough in a season where the rivals won't drop that many.
You might counter and say we are 1 point but that means nothing considering Chelsea have played Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool
City have played Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea
Liverpool have played Chelsea
Once we get into those games, it will become clear how far behind we are to these clubs.
Juve gambled with Pirlo.
AC Milan gambled with Seedorf, Inzaghi and Gattuso.
Real gambled with Solari and Zidane.
Chelsea gambled with Lampard.
Barca gambled with Pep and Koeman.
I have thought at times that maybe Ole is learning and improving on the job, but it’s hard to tell. He does seem to have managed to kept the players happy and motivated. Also, although I’m not sure how much of it is his doing he has improved the squad to the point where we have a team of hugely talented players.
But his deficiencies are still clear to see and I just wonder can an average manager learn and improve to become a very good or great manager.. I can’t think of any one that has done that.. all the great managers around seem to have been great from early on or at least have shown big early potential. Is there any manager who looked average and then massively improved to become highly successful?
But his deficiencies are still clear to see and I just wonder can an average manager learn and improve to become a very good or great manager.. I can’t think of any one that has done that.. all the great managers around seem to have been great from early on or at least have shown big early potential. Is there any manager who looked average and then massively improved to become highly successful?
There's a common theme there if you look.
Yes, some people did think Mourinho would continue his 2nd season effect at Spurs and that the FA cup win under Arteta would propel Arsenal going forward. Why does that matter more than them actually then shitting the bed when it came down to it? Both teams were miles off competing for top 4 when it came down to it, and exposed themselves to be nothing more than pretenders.
Arteta is garbage. He's been there 1.5 seasons and spent just as much as Ole has the past 2 summers. A big reason their squad is shite is because of Arteta in the first place.
Ole took over after half a season and was 3rd place for the half season he was there in 18/19. Then finished 3rd in 19/20. Then finished 2nd.
Arteta took over at the same point the following year, was 7th in his half season and then 8th in his full season. It's not like Arteta had a massive worse squad than Ole did when they each took over. There's a massive difference between them and the jobs they've done.
Eh that's a different question. He has done an acceptable job though, one which I'd bet the vast majority of the premier league managers right now wouldn't have done any better. Managing a big club is different to managing a small club, I would say it is almost entirely unrelated having success with one vs another. Moyes is a good manager for a small team, but horrific for a big team. Same with Hodgson. Pochettino wouldn't have done any better the past few years IMO. The only managers I'd take above Ole the past few years in the prem have been pretty much Pep, Klopp and Tuchel... Probably Ancelotti while he was here as well. I don't really think that anyone else would have done as good of a job as Ole. That doesn't mean he's a better manager than the others for their teams, but he has been a better manager for United.
Them shitting the bed does not mean that they weren't contenders. It's only with hindsight that we're saying that there was no competition. And in each of those 2 seasons, had Leicester won their final game, they'd have been in top 4, so top 4 in both these seasons wasn't a given.
This season, I agree, top 4 is pretty clear and if any of these teams doesn't finish in top 4, it'd be a massive disappointment
- Status