Ole Gunnar Solskjær | 2021/22 Discussion

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Both Herrera and Matic look unfit and have been rushed back too early IMO. They've struggled to back to their best so far, which is the main reason we're getting dominated in midfield especially.

I'd personally like to see Fred + Mctominay get another go against Wolves. They had the game of their lives against PSG and we haven't seen them since, bit odd that.
 
I'm a big believer in evolution in football & an even bigger believer in not harking back to the past. I don't think it's fair to judge Ole on our style of play this season because, in his own words, he hasn't changed a lot. The tweaks he has made are positive but we were a counter attacking and defensive team under Mourinho & we remain a generally defensive (slightly less in fairness) but reliant on the counter attack team now.

If that's Ole's plan moving forward, to basically stick with this system and buy better players, he's not the right man IMO. We can't buy into this 'Man Utd way' to the extreme because time has moved on, we need to think about how to a) get back to fighting for titles and b) how to ensure it's not a one off. However, I personally feel/hope Ole will be looking to change us and create a side that can control more of the ball - it won't come overnight but at a minimum I expect us to dominate games at home vs non top 6 and then we'll likely stick with a counter attacking setup on the road.

To do this - most importantly we must find a RW to balance out our attack and then it's about changing the way our CM 3 maintain and recycle possession. We don't have to play tiki taka but we do need to hold onto the ball and control games because we are excellent at the last gasp, cut and thrust type football (probably why we're so romanticised because there's regular drama and more highs/lows) but sub par at managing games like the European elite.
 
As always, it's the football that matters. When Ole came in, we played with an aggresive and fluid attacking style that was extremely entertaining to watch. Then we proceeded to play counter attacking football that wasn't as good to watch but continued to bring results. Now we've gone into a jammy version of the latter where we're playing well here and there in amidst largely disjoint and mediocre football.

Ole has done a terrific job and I backed him beocoming permanant manager. However he naturally has lots to prove and the area where I am most unsure about him is our footballing style. He seems to have no set way based on what we've seen so far. A horse's for courses manager, perhaps? I'm not a fan of that. I feel we need to become a team that has a true identity rather than one that fidgets about from game to game and spell to spell. Or maybe this due to injuries and circumstances that we are playing this way? But his answers and comments don't really give a clear picture either.

Anyway, early days and we're all behind him but it'll be interesting to see how attack minded a manager he is, given all the talk early on was about 'this is Manchester United, we attack and play on the front foot' which was followed up by peformances where we played in line with that, only to deviate since.
I think he's definitely more along the lines of a Klopp in his preferred method/philosophy. Molde apparently played a modern, progressive, counterpressing game, where the game was played on the floor.

What we're seeing at the moment, is a case of the players having to scale back their physical exertions after going from one of the least mobile, to one of the most mobile teams in the league. Klopp's Liverpool had a similar downturn in his first, and possibly also his second season (definitely in his first season though). Hopefully with our larger budget and the better quality of players that we currently have at our disposal than Klopp's at the time that he joined means our adaptation period won't be quite as prolonged as Liverpool's was back then.
 
Not sure where to put this.

It's the first time since the 95/96 season that United have 4 players hitting double figures. Martial, lukaku, pogba and rashford. Mad. I could have sworn a team like United 08/09 would have done that easily.
 
Not sure where to put this.

It's the first time since the 95/96 season that United have 4 players hitting double figures. Martial, lukaku, pogba and rashford. Mad. I could have sworn a team like United 08/09 would have done that easily.
Giggs, Carrick, Park and Scholes were our midfield. Not to many goals in those four. Ronaldo, Berba, Rooney and Tevez should have, though.
 
The prayer is that our lack of sophistication in our play is because of the technical limitations of our defence and midfield. There's a limit to what a team of Matic+Herrera+Smalling+Young can do in the build up. Also hoping there's more to this than just buying better players. Wanted us to verify this aspect before making him a permanent appointment.
 
The prayer is that our lack of sophistication in our play is because of the technical limitations of our defence and midfield. There's a limit to what a team of Matic+Herrera+Smalling+Young can do in the build up. Also hoping there's more to this than just buying better players. Wanted us to verify this aspect before making him a permanent appointment.

Not quite sure how you accomplish that... He's tried about everything with this bunch and their talent is limited. As you stated in the opening.
 
Not quite sure how you accomplish that... He's tried about everything with this bunch and their talent is limited. As you stated in the opening.
It would be possible although difficult. It would be visible when the manager is trying to implement something but the players are just shite at it. Using LVG's tenure as an example we could see an attempt at a system albeit a miserable one. Right now under Ole it's hard to tell where we are on that spectrum
 
It would be possible although difficult. It would be visible when the manager is trying to implement something but the players are just shite at it. Using LVG's tenure as an example we could see an attempt at a system albeit a miserable one. Right now under Ole it's hard to tell where we are on that spectrum
It could simply be that Ole is an attacking coach but willing to compromise until he has squad suited to play his style of football. Squad and not just 11 players. A bit like Jardim. Monaco was seen as a defensive team then suddenly they put together a team capable of attacking and so Jardim took the hand brakes off and they scored 100+ goals to the title.
 
The prayer is that our lack of sophistication in our play is because of the technical limitations of our defence and midfield. There's a limit to what a team of Matic+Herrera+Smalling+Young can do in the build up. Also hoping there's more to this than just buying better players. Wanted us to verify this aspect before making him a permanent appointment.

Sadly it is simply about buying better players in these cases - even if Ole was the greatest coach of all time, there's a limit to how much you can improve someone technically. Especially given the players you mentioned are all in their 30's (appreciate Smalling is 29 but you get the point)

However, it's not about finding the most technical players and putting them into our counter attacking system - the actual system has to change for the technical players to thrive.
 
Giggs, Carrick, Park and Scholes were our midfield. Not to many goals in those four. Ronaldo, Berba, Rooney and Tevez should have, though.
Those stats have to be wrong! How the hell did Rooney Ronaldo and Tevez not hit double figures? can someone check the stats!?
 
Those stats have to be wrong! How the hell did Rooney Ronaldo and Tevez not hit double figures? can someone check the stats!?

It's only league games I think, he scored 5 league goals in 2008-09
 
Okay if its just PL then I guess those stats are correct! But what about 07-08? did RRT not hit double figures in the PL that season either?

They did but the stat is for 4 players
 
Those stats have to be wrong! How the hell did Rooney Ronaldo and Tevez not hit double figures? can someone check the stats!?
We didn't actually beat teams by that many goals back then. We won most our matches 1-0, or similar smaller scorelines.

Defensively we were a very solid team which is why we did so well in Europe. People think of Rooney/Ronaldo/Tevez as some sort of goal factory, but it really wasn't at the time.
 
We didn't actually beat teams by that many goals back then. We won most our matches 1-0, or similar smaller scorelines.

Defensively we were a very solid team which is why we did so well in Europe. People think of Rooney/Ronaldo/Tevez as some sort of goal factory, but it really wasn't at the time.

2007-08 we were good but 2008-09 season was just weird. We lacked any fluency in games and struggled to score goals.
 
I will be accused of being reactionary but I think the board should have held their nerve over the international break. We had two defeats on the trot when he was given the job permanantly, and the wheels are coming undone.
 
Need to get rid of a lot of dead wood this summer and sign some great players. He needs to make the sort of changes Guardiola did to Man City after his first season.
 
You look poorly coached, I see no movement between the lines, players drifting into half space to receive, good combination play. The positive aspects of play you displayed early on in his reign always seemed more adrenaline based and not because of his supposed impact. We'll see but I was surprised you hired him after loosing two in a row. Could of been argued your next 10 were more important than his first 10.
 
I will be accused of being reactionary but I think the board should have held their nerve over the international break. We had two defeats on the trot when he was given the job permanantly, and the wheels are coming undone.

Should have waited until the end of the season imo. Always said that.
 
Love affair with Young and Matic is destroying him, just like it did Mourinho.
 
I will be accused of being reactionary but I think the board should have held their nerve over the international break. We had two defeats on the trot when he was given the job permanantly, and the wheels are coming undone.
Grow up,
The performances are far superior than before, the players alas are not.
 
What has happened to our grit and determination since the PSG win?
 
Grow up,
The performances are far superior than before, the players alas are not.
I'm not grown up because I think the board should have held their nerve when we ran into a rough patch?
 
I really hope we haven't made a massive blunder.

Should have waited til the end of the season.
 
Two weeks ago when I said we should wait, I was told there was no point. Anyway too late now, we are all in. Need to get rid of most of the team.
 
Been disgraceful over the last month. Arsenal game aside (which we did lose), we have played awful and some of the selection choices are bizarre. Lingard and Young should not be starting games. The Jones and Smalling combination has never worked since Fergie yet he is now starting to resort to that. Must do better or he may be gone in a years time.
 
Should have been 3 nil up within 20 mins. Hardly on him when sitters are being missed.
 
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