Ole Gunnar Solskjær | 2021/22 Discussion

[Rash Decision]

Conte wont go to that shitshow. He’d genuinely strangle Levy.

It is disgraceful though how low the standards are at board level. Just a money making operation to them and nothing else.

No ambition. No accountability. Hard to get too invested as a fan when the club doesn’t.

I’d hesitate to say they have no ambition because they do spend a ton, but the incompetence at that level is unbelievable. I could perhaps respect the claim that they’re looking for the “right” manager to continue the fabled “United Way” if they:
- didn’t completely fail to see that Ole was not delivering, with respect to either their investment in players or the “United Way”
- didn’t completely fail to have contingency plans in the case that they had to sack Ole
- didn’t put forward Rodgers and Pochettino as their foremost candidates to continue in the “United Way”, and
- didn’t show clear signs of looking for any excuse to stick with Ole despite his enormous failures this season. One win over a dreadful Spurs whose manager is on the verge of the sack himself, and it’s like the Board breathed a collective sigh of relief. Immediate crisis over!

I know all this is media talk and perhaps it’s all misinformation, but it’s hard to have any hope for this club in the near term at the moment. I agree with you - getting emotionally invested in this shitshow is not worth it.

 

[ShinjiNinja26]

It doesn’t sound like you’re happy we won. In fact, it sounds like quite the opposite.

I’m very much happy we won I just think it changes nothing in the long run. Just because I’m not waxing lyrical about Ole beating a shite Spurs team doesn’t mean I’m not happy.

 

[Berbasbullet]

Brilliant Ole!!! He threw 7 defenders on the pitch against a garbage Spurs side and came away with a win, congratulations. I guess that’s us now back on track and this tactical revelation will lead us to silverware this season right?

Yes that’s exactly what I said/think….

 

[Rash Decision]

This was the season to really make a push for the title too while Ronaldo is still capable of showings like yesterday but it's turned into him bailing out our incompetent coaching staff and manager. That's what his returning legacy will amount to.

Fan of the club not individual players and all that, but I do feel for some of them. Ronaldo should be ending his career on a high, not dragging us out of the shit every game and being blamed for not pressing. Young players like VdB, Sancho, Greenwood, Rashford to an extent should be taking their games to the next level under a great coaching team, not this farce of a setup we have. DDG, Bruno and Pogba should be winning big honours with a top team, not wasting the prime years of their careers with us.

The Board’s mismanagement is likely going to cost the club more than just a few more trophyless years.

 

[Zen86]

Sorry I forgot you have to praise everything the manager does and insist he'll win us the league to be a United fan

Well, you should want the team to win. That’s pretty par for the course.

 

[JPRouve]

Well, you should want the team to win. That’s pretty par for the course.

I think that it's fair to question whether this move can lead to winning big trophies in the very short term, essentially winning the league or the CL this year and if this move is good for the club midterm. We will see how Ole operates in the next weeks but if the younger players aren't at the heart of his priorities then we have a big problem ahead.

 

[Zen86]

I’m very much happy we won I just think it changes nothing in the long run. Just because I’m not waxing lyrical about Ole beating a shite Spurs team doesn’t mean I’m not happy.

Who’s waxing lyrical? The vast, vast majority of people acknowledge that Ole’s position is untenable at this point. That said, he changed a system that’s been ineffective all season for something new. And good for him, it paid off. If it works for the next 5 games then great, if it doesn’t then so be it.

 

[Zen86]

I think that it's fair to question whether this move can lead to winning big trophies in the very short term, essentially winning the league or the CL this year and if this move is good for the club midterm. We will see how Ole operates in the next weeks but if the younger players aren't at the heart of his priorities then we have a big problem ahead.

It’s a fair question of course. But that wasn’t the point. The point was essentially complaining that we won.

 

[largelyworried]

352 means we leave A LOT of attacking players on the bench with very few spots to share between them. Maybe 343 is a solution, but that means Bruno has to play wide

Conte doesn’t play the 343/352 like Ole did yesterday. One of Conte’s trademarks is to play at least one true winger at wingback, so he has four proper attackers on the pitch, same as when we play 4231.

 

[Castia]

The CAFs shiny new toy Conte religiously plays a 3,5,2 - so leaving talented players on the bench will continue if he comes in.

So what’s the difference?

He played 343 at Chelsea with 2 wide forwards and a striker that would suit our players better but then he would struggle to get Bruno in. That was the point of my first post we’ve spent years and god knows how much money buying players for a 4231 system if he changes to a back 5 a few big players are being left out regardless.

 

[OrcaFat]

There’s a lot of talk about Ole ripping up the old plan with this new formation and leaving all the top attackers on the bench etc.

I very much doubt we will play with three CBs in many games. For one reason or another we’ve been shipping goals and it had to stop.

This is a short term measure to right the ship. I can see us sticking with it until after the Chelsea game. If Maguire and Varane are back to their top level, we’ll go back to two CBs.

 

[Foxbatt]

I do not think he is simply good enough. Yes we beat a pathetic Spurs team and we would probably beat Atlanta but the City game worries me. They have lost to Palace at home and is going to be going for revenge.

 

[Giggsyking]

Honestly, it does not though.

352 means we leave A LOT of attacking players on the bench with very few spots to share between them. Maybe 343 is a solution, but that means Bruno has to play wide

Our team does not suit 352 (our wingers on the bench) nor 343 (Bruno on the bench).

 

[largelyworried]

The CAFs shiny new toy Conte religiously plays a 3,5,2 - so leaving talented players on the bench will continue if he comes in.

So what’s the difference?

Good grief. You should really at least do some minimal research before commenting on Conte.

 

[UnitedSofa]

Good Grief Indeed!

Good grief. You should really at least do some minimal research before commenting on Conte.

You must have misread me, the posts I quoted in the post that you quoted commented on the formation leading to so many attacking players on the bench, Conte plays the same formation. So by design, he too, would he leaving too many attacking players on the bench, as that video quite rightly points out.

I’m not commenting on how Ole/Conte uses the system but rather the system itself. The system itself by design leads to attacking players being on the bench.

So my point stands, people complain about Ole using it as it being too “defensive” for dropping attacking players, but Conte too uses that system, so i repeat, he too would be dropping attacking players, so what’s the difference?

(& yes before you “correct” me. I do know that 352 can be an attacking formation, but it would be with attacking full backs rather than attackers playing in defence)

 

[largelyworried]

(& yes before you “correct” me. I do know that 352 can be an attacking formation, but it would be with attacking full backs rather than attackers playing in defence)

Yep, this is exactly what I was talking about. He doesn't play with two attacking fullbacks. One of Conte's trademarks is that he plays an attacker at one of the wingback spots, not a full back. Perisic at Inter, Moses at Chelsea, Candreva at Italy. Its one is his trademark moves. I assumed from your comments you didnt know this, seems to be right.

 

[Polar]

Not only that, how’s squad harmony gonna be when we have Sancho, Rashford, Greenwood, pogba, lingard, martial,

Now the problem is that we have to many good players [on the bench]

Martial, Pogba and Martial are outgoing players (January or June). Cavani and Ronaldo aren’t getting younger, and this is probably Cavani’s last season here. In the meantime they set the standard and show young “non winning players” what requires to win (Sancho, Rash, Greenwood).

Anyway…I think Ole from now will change formation more often, so I don’t really see the problem. We’ll be more pragmatic and rotating players depending on who we play against.

 

[Forevergiggs1]

Of a likely front 4 of Rashford, Bruno, Ronaldo, and Greenwood, I don’t think you can count on much defensive support. It’s basically the reason we’ve been torn a new one during various games.

Isn't that a managerial decision if the players are weak defensively? No one is expecting Ronaldo to be up and down the pitch but surely if the manager is telling players like Rashford or Greenwood to not track back that's on him and if he is telling them to track back and they're not doing that also is on him by not dropping them?

 

[Ixion]

I think it's feasible that any or all of the following could leave by next season thanks to Ole's leadership: Pogba, Lingard, Martial, Baily, VDB, Henderson, Cavani, and depending if we get CL football Ronaldo.

That is a massive whole in the squad that would require a lot of cash to fill and that is without even touching our DM problem. We're not challenging the top sides if we just rotate the same 12 players, we need a squad. At least we still have Phil Jones I suppose.

 

[Bebestation]

I think it's feasible that any or all of the following could leave by next season thanks to Ole's leadership: Pogba, Lingard, Martial, Baily, VDB, Henderson, Cavani, and depending if we get CL football Ronaldo.

That is a massive whole in the squad that would require a lot of cash to fill and that is without even touching our DM problem. We're not challenging the top sides if we just rotate the same 12 players, we need a squad. At least we still have Phil Jones I suppose.

That's does not sound that bad at all except Cavani.

Ronaldo won't leave United like that after literally just joining us 2 months ago.

If he can't win the CL with us he will aim to win the PL with the next manager be that with Conte or whoever.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

Spurs sack Nuno after a 3-0 loss to Manchester United.

We keep Ole after a 5-0 loss to Liverpool.

It's actually hilarious how low the standards have fallen at Old Trafford.

 

[Ixion]

That's does not sound that bad at all except Cavani.

Ronaldo won't leave United like that after literally just joining us 2 months ago.

If he can't win the CL with us he will aim to win the PL with the next manager be that with Conte or whoever.

Well who you replace them with in the squad? Reserve players? We need a strong squad to compete with City and Chelsea.

And Ronaldo would 100% leave if we didnt get into the CL. He won't miss a season to keep extending his records.

 

[Zen86]

Isn't that a managerial decision if the players are weak defensively? No one is expecting Ronaldo to be up and down the pitch but surely if the manager is telling players like Rashford or Greenwood to not track back that's on him and if he is telling them to track back and they're not doing that also is on him by not dropping them?

Some players are just inherently more inclined to track back and have a higher workrate than others. I don’t think any of our forward players are particularly inclined to defend, so dropping one won’t really achieve much.

 

[Rash Decision]

Spurs sack Nuno after a 3-0 loss to Manchester United.

We keep Ole after a 5-0 loss to Liverpool.

It's actually hilarious how low the standards have fallen at Old Trafford.

Says it all really. And Nuno has only been there a short while. At least the people at Spurs have probably been looking at the metrics underlying the team’s performances under him, unlike ours who still appear convinced that Ole has done phenomenally well.

 

[The Oracle]

With the departure of Nuno from Tottenham, and with Conte increasingly likely to be their next manager (especially with Sky Italy reporting that he is going to be in London today to hold talks); how many teams in the league genuinely have a better manager than us?

A quick look at our traditional rivals in the league, and their current managers, and it is doesn't make for happy viewing from our point of view:
> Man City - Pep
> Chelsea - Tuchel
> Liverpool - Klopp
> Spurs - Conte (very likely)
> Arsenal - Arteta
> Leicester - Rodgers

In my opinion, the only manager from the list above who would struggle with a case for being better than Ole would be Arteta; though he would certainly point to the fact that he has won the FA Cup and Community Shield, and therefore shown that he can deliver silverware - something which our manager has not been able to do up to now.

Move away from our traditional rivals, and you don't have to look much further to find another manager who is arguably better than ours again... Graham Potter of Brighton & Hove Albion.
Exciting football? Yes. Attacking football? Yes. Has a budget that is less than other teams towards the top of the league? Yes.

Gone are the days when we used to be a shoe-in for challenging for the league each season (though there was genuine expectations for us to have been challenging for the league from the start of this season after our recruitment in the Summer - despite us not signing a defensive midfielder)

Welcome to the days where our battle for a 'Top 4' finish is under threat* from at least 7 other teams in the league who arguably have a better manager in their hot seat than we do in ours.

*whether that be finishing above us, or taking points off us to affect our chances of Top 4.

 

[Desert Eagle]

With the departure of Nuno from Tottenham, and with Conte increasingly likely to be their next manager (especially with Sky Italy reporting that he is going to be in London today to hold talks); how many teams in the league genuinely have a better manager than us?

A quick look at our traditional rivals in the league, and their current managers, and it is doesn't make for happy viewing from our point of view:
> Man City - Pep
> Chelsea - Tuchel
> Liverpool - Klopp
> Spurs - Conte (very likely)
> Arsenal - Arteta
> Leicester - Rodgers

In my opinion, the only manager from the list above who would struggle with a case for being better than Ole would be Arteta; though he would certainly point to the fact that he has won the FA Cup and Community Shield, and therefore shown that he can deliver silverware - something which our manager has not been able to do up to now.

Move away from our traditional rivals, and you don't have to look much further to find another manager who is arguably better than ours again... Graham Potter of Brighton & Hove Albion.
Exciting football? Yes. Attacking football? Yes. Has a budget that is less than other teams towards the top of the league? Yes.

Gone are the days when we used to be a shoe-in for challenging for the league each season (though there was genuine expectations for us to have been challenging for the league from the start of this season after our recruitment in the Summer - despite us not signing a defensive midfielder)

Welcome to the days where our battle for a 'Top 4' finish is under threat* from at least 7 other teams in the league who arguably have a better manager in their hot seat than we do in ours.

*whether that be finishing above us, or taking points off us to affect our chances of Top 4.

tl;dr version: We have a shit manager and are fecked because of it.

 

[Polar]

I think it's feasible that any or all of the following could leave by next season thanks to Ole's leadership: Pogba, Lingard, Martial, Baily, VDB, Henderson, Cavani, and depending if we get CL football Ronaldo.

Don’t agree about Cavani and Ronaldo. This season is probably Cavani’s last season in Europe anyway (regardless of Ole).

Well done to Ole if he is able to ship out Martial, Bailly, Pogba and Lingard

 

[bosnian_red]

Pep at City, Klopp at Liverpool, Tuchel at Chelsea, Conte at Spurs.... Ole at Man United

Seriously though what the feck are they playing at? It just doesn't make sense from any perspective. It's one of the biggest managerial jobs in world sport, and we basically have a competition winner in charge as charity and protect him beyond belief despite failure after failure? I'm lost for words. Seriously. It's like Ole is their love child or something and can do no wrong and the board has so much delusion when it comes to him that they protect him above all else. It's absolutely fecked up and persisting with him now, missing out on YET ANOTHER WORLD CLASS MANAGER is a decision that is going to set us back even further. fecking hell are we a disaster.

Fully expecting Ole to stay until the end of the season and then replace him with some bang average manager like Rodgers or Pochettino and the disaster to continue.

 

[bosnian_red]

With the departure of Nuno from Tottenham, and with Conte increasingly likely to be their next manager (especially with Sky Italy reporting that he is going to be in London today to hold talks); how many teams in the league genuinely have a better manager than us?

A quick look at our traditional rivals in the league, and their current managers, and it is doesn't make for happy viewing from our point of view:
> Man City - Pep
> Chelsea - Tuchel
> Liverpool - Klopp
> Spurs - Conte (very likely)
> Arsenal - Arteta
> Leicester - Rodgers

In my opinion, the only manager from the list above who would struggle with a case for being better than Ole would be Arteta; though he would certainly point to the fact that he has won the FA Cup and Community Shield, and therefore shown that he can deliver silverware - something which our manager has not been able to do up to now.

Move away from our traditional rivals, and you don't have to look much further to find another manager who is arguably better than ours again... Graham Potter of Brighton & Hove Albion.
Exciting football? Yes. Attacking football? Yes. Has a budget that is less than other teams towards the top of the league? Yes.

Gone are the days when we used to be a shoe-in for challenging for the league each season (though there was genuine expectations for us to have been challenging for the league from the start of this season after our recruitment in the Summer - despite us not signing a defensive midfielder)

Welcome to the days where our battle for a 'Top 4' finish is under threat* from at least 7 other teams in the league who arguably have a better manager in their hot seat than we do in ours.

*whether that be finishing above us, or taking points off us to affect our chances of Top 4.

1. Pep
2. Klopp
3. Tuchel
4. Conte
5. Potter
6. Rodgers
7. Benitez
8. Bielsa
9. Moyes

I'd say these 9 are clearly ahead. Wouldn't necessarily say Ole is ahead of many of the others either.

 

[laughtersassassin]

Well the dissapointment I'm feeling today is immeasurable.

We reached the point once again where it's hard to see any good future for the club.

Thus is why managers should be sacked sooner than later.

 

[Zaphod2319]

 

[WolfInSharp'sClothing]

With the departure of Nuno from Tottenham, and with Conte increasingly likely to be their next manager (especially with Sky Italy reporting that he is going to be in London today to hold talks); how many teams in the league genuinely have a better manager than us?

A quick look at our traditional rivals in the league, and their current managers, and it is doesn't make for happy viewing from our point of view:
> Man City - Pep
> Chelsea - Tuchel
> Liverpool - Klopp
> Spurs - Conte (very likely)
> Arsenal - Arteta
> Leicester - Rodgers

In my opinion, the only manager from the list above who would struggle with a case for being better than Ole would be Arteta; though he would certainly point to the fact that he has won the FA Cup and Community Shield, and therefore shown that he can deliver silverware - something which our manager has not been able to do up to now.

Move away from our traditional rivals, and you don't have to look much further to find another manager who is arguably better than ours again... Graham Potter of Brighton & Hove Albion.
Exciting football? Yes. Attacking football? Yes. Has a budget that is less than other teams towards the top of the league? Yes.

Gone are the days when we used to be a shoe-in for challenging for the league each season (though there was genuine expectations for us to have been challenging for the league from the start of this season after our recruitment in the Summer - despite us not signing a defensive midfielder)

Welcome to the days where our battle for a 'Top 4' finish is under threat* from at least 7 other teams in the league who arguably have a better manager in their hot seat than we do in ours.

*whether that be finishing above us, or taking points off us to affect our chances of Top 4.

Take it one stage further. If there were a theoretical 'Manager draft' of the 20 PL Managers (as of this morning) and fans had to pick which manager they would like to manage their team, what would it look like?

Pep and Klopp would be in or near the top 2 for most fans of any club.

Then the likes of Tuchel and Rodgers. Then maybe Moyes, Potter, Benitez, Bielsa, Frank, possibly even Vieira.

Lage would be high on my list, but he's an unknown to most. I think given his extensive coaching background and his knowledge of tactics, he could probably get more out of your current squad than Ole!

Where would Ole be? I'd hazard a guess that he'd be down near the bottom with Farke and Jones.

Extend that into the Championship and I'd doubt there'd be many top half clubs that would swap for Ole.

Who will employ him when he is inevitably sacked?

That level just shouldn't be accepted for a club of your size.

 

[Litch]

It's going to be a long and slow death. Never bad enough to get rid but never good enough either......

 

[NK86]

It's going to be a long and slow death. Never bad enough to get rid but never good enough either......

Never bad enou..... Sigh. 0-5 against your fiercest rival at home and he's never "bad enough to get rid"?

 

[Ixion]

Don’t agree about Cavani and Ronaldo. This season is probably Cavani’s last season in Europe anyway (regardless of Ole).

Well done to Ole if he is able to ship out Martial, Bailly, Pogba and Lingard

And who do you replace them all with, while also fixing the DM problem? We're not signing 5-6 players.

 

[NK86]

Take it one stage further. If there were a theoretical 'Manager draft' of the 20 PL Managers (as of this morning) and fans had to pick which manager they would like to manage their team, what would it look like?

Pep and Klopp would be in or near the top 2 for most fans of any club.

Then the likes of Tuchel and Rodgers. Then maybe Moyes, Potter, Benitez, Bielsa, Frank, possibly even Vieira.

Lage would be high on my list, but he's an unknown to most. I think given his extensive coaching background and his knowledge of tactics, he could probably get more out of your current squad than Ole!

Where would Ole be? I'd hazard a guess that he'd be down near the bottom with Farke and Jones.

Extend that into the Championship and I'd doubt there'd be many top half clubs that would swap for Ole.

Who will employ him when he is inevitably sacked?

That level just shouldn't be accepted for a club of your size.

But it is and it seems the fans would rather write off another season with THIS squad than have Conte.

 

[Kaos]

Take it one stage further. If there were a theoretical 'Manager draft' of the 20 PL Managers (as of this morning) and fans had to pick which manager they would like to manage their team, what would it look like?

Pep and Klopp would be in or near the top 2 for most fans of any club.

Then the likes of Tuchel and Rodgers. Then maybe Moyes, Potter, Benitez, Bielsa, Frank, possibly even Vieira.

Lage would be high on my list, but he's an unknown to most. I think given his extensive coaching background and his knowledge of tactics, he could probably get more out of your current squad than Ole!

Where would Ole be? I'd hazard a guess that he'd be down near the bottom with Farke and Jones.

Extend that into the Championship and I'd doubt there'd be many top half clubs that would swap for Ole.

Who will employ him when he is inevitably sacked?

That level just shouldn't be accepted for a club of your size.

I've always claimed he's possibly the worst manager in the league, which he's able to hide with the squad and resources he has at this disposal. Give Daniel Farke the United job and I'm certain he'd do job than Ole.

The question as to who would employ him after is an interesting one, and I actually started a thread on it last week. But the short answer is I don't think a single big club, or even ANY premier league club would go for him, which it makes all the more insane that we offered him a new contract. But again I'm used to this board making calamitous decisions.

 

[UnofficialDevil]

We are going to miss out on another top quality free manager for this fool.

 

[AndySmith1990]

It's so ridiculous you have to laugh. We get battered by Liverpool, then predictably beat a crappy Spurs team which will result in them hiring a superior manager than what we have. We'll now plod through the season desperately hoping to get top 4, and if not we'll end up sacking him anyway and being left with scraps to replace him with. This club...

 

[laughtersassassin]

Happy we won but there is no denying winning that game will be bad for us long term