Ole Gunnar Solskjær | 2021/22 Discussion

[Lee565]

what was worrying was we weren't seeing the type of open free flowing attacking football that we witnessed in the first 3 or 4 games that gave us that brilliant Martial goal and witnessing Lindelof joining the attack, after about a month in charge we reverted to uninspiring football that heavily relied on just counter attacking tactics.

 

[Celoti23-81]

Tbf, any manager we had coming in as interim after the Jose Mourinho 3rd season meltdown would have our overall form better!
Let's take Guus Hiddink's 2nd spell as Chelsea manager after the Jose meltdown!
After the home draw against Stoke City, Hiddink set a new record for the longest unbeaten streak as a new manager in the Premier League with 12 games unbeaten, previously a record held by Frank Clark with Nottingham Forest in the 1993–94 season.[66]

Chelsea ended the season in tenth place in the Premier League, climbing six positions from 16th upon Hiddink's arrival.

Then they appointed Antonio Conte! Why wasn't Hiddink given the permanent job?

Roberto Di Matteo
Chelsea, Mar 2012-May 2012
Played 12 Points 24

Having served as an assistant to André Villas-Boas for more than a year, Di Matteo stepped into the breach when the manager was fired in early March. Chelsea were outside the Premier League’s top four and 3-1 down after the first leg of their Champions League tie against Napoli. The former midfielder had an instant impact, with Chelsea overturning the deficit against Napoli and picking up an average of two points a game until the end of the season. Victories in the FA Cup and Champions League finals saw Di Matteo handed the role permanently but he was out of a job by November.

Rafael Benítez
Chelsea, Nov 2012-May 2013
Played 26 Points 51

Di Matteo’s abrupt departure left Chelsea in need of another rescue act and it surprisingly came in the form of the former Liverpool manager. A deeply unpopular appointment given his previous allegiances, Benítez was booed before his first match at Stamford Bridge and subsequently urged to apologise to supporters for comments he had made while at Anfield. Despite the fractious atmosphere, Chelsea recovered from their poor start and Benítez ended his tenure by winning the Europa League.

Just saying. Benitez did it with being a hated figure at Chelsea. New manager bounce and all

 

[Leftback99]

Roberto Di Matteo
Chelsea, Mar 2012-May 2012
Played 12 Points 24

Having served as an assistant to André Villas-Boas for more than a year, Di Matteo stepped into the breach when the manager was fired in early March. Chelsea were outside the Premier League’s top four and 3-1 down after the first leg of their Champions League tie against Napoli. The former midfielder had an instant impact, with Chelsea overturning the deficit against Napoli and picking up an average of two points a game until the end of the season. Victories in the FA Cup and Champions League finals saw Di Matteo handed the role permanently but he was out of a job by November.

Rafael Benítez
Chelsea, Nov 2012-May 2013
Played 26 Points 51

Di Matteo’s abrupt departure left Chelsea in need of another rescue act and it surprisingly came in the form of the former Liverpool manager. A deeply unpopular appointment given his previous allegiances, Benítez was booed before his first match at Stamford Bridge and subsequently urged to apologise to supporters for comments he had made while at Anfield. Despite the fractious atmosphere, Chelsea recovered from their poor start and Benítez ended his tenure by winning the Europa League.

Just saying. Benitez did it with being a hated figure at Chelsea. New manager bounce and all

So the manager with no experience Di Matteo got more points per game (2) than Benitez which is also more than anyone bar City and Liverpool did this season.

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

So the manager with no experience Di Matteo got more points per game (2) than Benitez which is also more than anyone bar City and Liverpool did this season.

And how did he do once the honeymoon period was over?

 

[Leftback99]

And how did he do once the honeymoon period was over?

He was 3rd with 24 points from 12 games when they sacked him.

 

[soaphroniscuss]

Having 5 months to manage is not a chance. My simple point is just replacing him would not solve a thing. We would still be stuck with Woodward making stupid decisions, We would still be stuck with half of average players, we would still be stuck with an unbalanced squad. If Ole does not deliver in another 5 months and we are playing clueless football then I would understand and maybe change my mind but right now he is least of our issue. Again before you term em a blind Ole fan, I am not even remotely saying he will be a success, just that any manager would need a summer transfer and a preseason to have his input in the squad.

It is. That is why he got the job no?

 

[soaphroniscuss]

I felt it was not worth it but I couldn't stand the hypocrisy of the posters claiming that we should have waited or given it to the best mangers when they themselves advocated for him earlier. A bad run and we just rewrite everything!

Yes, we should have waited. The fact that there is a lot of emotional reasoning around here does not change that fact.

 

[soaphroniscuss]

Tbf a majority of managers are better qualified to manage United over Solskjear, that's just the reality when his record is poor every where except in Norway, you have a manager like Laurent Blanc who is far better qualified and can also point to experiencing as a player what it's like to be part of this club.

When you look at how poorly Giggs is doing as a manager and to think the club was actually serious about grooming him to be the next United manager after Van Gaal and fans backing it believing he will be our Guardiola, it shows how silly the romantic idea that this club and the fans have in mind of thinking"one of our own" will come good for us as a manager of this club just because they "get it".

His record was eclipsed by his successor in Norway in 2014.

 

[Kush]

I am not quoting out of context, You had said you were excited about United again and if it were upto you, he will get the job for that alone. You were fine as long as we were winning and back to moaning and calling him to be sacked once results went down south.

How dare a United fan get excited when we were on a good run? Blasphemy! Also, you're full of shit. Find me a single post where I'm calling for his head?

You're going on a tangent just because views of few fans don't align with you. I was fine as long as we were making mid-table fodder look like mid-table fodder, but as soon as it started to emerge that we're playing no better football than these and manager cannot arrest slump of form in number of players it became clear he isn't cut out for the task. Its not the first time opinions change after a run of form, it certainly won't be the last. Board fecked up by giving him the job mid-way through the season, majority shared the opinion including myself. Our worst run of form in 60 years which followed that only seemed to confirm my beliefs.

You felt he was doing well and then you changed your mind.And there is nothing wrong with that. Just don't pretend that you wouldn't have done the same as the board at that time and say that they should have researched better and all other BS.

I don't resort to name-calling but I'm pretty tempted to do so. You have no idea what went in my mind, you cherry picked one post to push through your agenda. But as soon as I pointed out, number of posts which alluded to concerns in how we rushed through that decision. You simply skipped by that part.

Go ahead pointing out the 'hypocrisy' if it makes your chest swole. But for majority 1) It looks petty 2) It's rather pathetic.

 

[Escobar]

I hope he stops talking what United should be all about and actually show it on the pitch

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

He was 3rd with 24 points from 12 games when they sacked him.

And how has his managerial career been since then? Has he proved that they were wrong to sack him?

 

[Leftback99]

And how has his managerial career been since then? Has he proved that they were wrong to sack him?

We don't know how he'd have done if he stayed on. On the same basis they weren't wrong to sack the super experienced Mourinho. People are going on about experience at other clubs like it would guarantee us success, it wouldn't and hasn't.

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

We don't know how he'd have done if he stayed on. On the same basis they weren't wrong to sack the super experienced Mourinho. People are going on about experience at other clubs like it would guarantee us success, it wouldn't and hasn't.

Well whatever he was doing behind the scenes he clearly wasn't impressing the powers that be was he?! Football management, like anything, has a skillset, and if Di Matteo was a good enough manager to be in charge of a big club like Chelsea he would surely have showed that talent elsewhere since wouldn't he? Since then he's resigned from Schalke after a terrible run of results, and been sacked at Villa.

This notion that experience, or an impressive career at previous clubs is completely worthless is utterly mental.

 

[Leftback99]

Well whatever he was doing behind the scenes he clearly wasn't impressing the powers that be was he?! Football management, like anything, has a skillset, and if Di Matteo was a good enough manager to be in charge of a big club like Chelsea he would surely have showed that talent elsewhere since wouldn't he? Since then he's resigned from Schalke after a terrible run of results, and been sacked at Villa.

This notion that experience, or an impressive career at previous clubs is completely worthless is utterly mental.

Has anyone said that?

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

Has anyone said that?

Well what's this about then?

We don't know how he'd have done if he stayed on. On the same basis they weren't wrong to sack the super experienced Mourinho. People are going on about experience at other clubs like it would guarantee us success, it wouldn't and hasn't.

You appear to be saying that as experience at other clubs is no guarantee of success then there is no value in looking for a manager that has it?

And anyway, let's not forget that Ole is not some rookie - he's got the best part of a decade of managerial experience, most of it pretty unremarkable.

 

[Leftback99]

Well what's this about then?



You appear to be saying that as experience at other clubs is no guarantee of success then there is no value in looking for a manager that has it?

And anyway, let's not forget that Ole is not some rookie - he's got the best part of a decade of managerial experience, most of it pretty unremarkable.

Saying that experience is 'completely worthless' is a different thing to 'no guarantee of success'. The fact that two of the most experienced managers of all time have recently failed here is evidence of that.

Im not saying I think this will work (for me the poor quality of our players and structure will hold any manager back) but I'll give it a chance rather than complain about it every day as if something is going to change.

 

[elnorte]

Has anyone said that?

The usual suspects go out of their way to trivialise it's relevance even though this factor is one of the most crucial aspects in determining whether a manager is capable of taking on such challenging responsibilities. The very same people also tend to dismiss the results towards the end of the season as anything to be concerned about.

 

[Celoti23-81]

It took Liverpool 30 years to find a manager that had the skill set and style of football that suited the liverpool of the glory years! They found it in Klopp. But the most important part about this, Klopp has not changed anything from his style of football to when he was at Dortmund or Mainz. He is his own man! Like pep at City, their own men with their own philosophy!
Our managerial appointments have been Moyes (defensive), LVG (conservative), Mourinho (defensive). And now we have Ole, who we don't have a clue what his philosophy is! The reason this will fail is, because he is not his own man! He is a Utd legend that aspires to play the way SAF did. He doesn't have his own ideas, he is just trying to replicate what SAF did in a counter attacking sense, and transfer Strategy!

 

[tob]

It took Liverpool 30 years to find a manager that had the skill set and style of football that suited the liverpool of the glory years! They found it in Klopp. But the most important part about this, Klopp has not changed anything from his style of football to when he was at Dortmund or Mainz. He is his own man! Like pep at City, their own men with their own philosophy!
Our managerial appointments have been Moyes (defensive), LVG (conservative), Mourinho (defensive). And now we have Ole, who we don't have a clue what his philosophy is! The reason this will fail is, because he is not his own man! He is a Utd legend that aspires to play the way SAF did. He doesn't have his own ideas, he is just trying to replicate what SAF did in a counter attacking sense, and transfer Strategy!

Think Ole is inspired by Ferguson but I think he has his own ideas - just as we all do.

 

[Leftback99]

The usual suspects go out of their way to trivialise it's relevance even though this factor is one of the most crucial aspects in determining whether a manager is capable of taking on such challenging responsibilities. The very same people also tend to dismiss the results towards the end of the season as anything to be concerned about.

I don't think any one is saying the results at the end of the season weren't terrible. However Pochettino was getting similarly bad results at the end of the season with a better team and he's the man everyone seems to want. Double standards.

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

Saying that experience is 'completely worthless' is a different thing to 'no guarantee of success'. The fact that two of the most experienced managers of all time have recently failed here is evidence of that.

Im not saying I think this will work (for me the poor quality of our players and structure will hold any manager back) but I'll give it a chance rather than complain about it every day as if something is going to change.

But isn't this exactly what Redcafe exists for? Yes it's a place for United fans to get excited about new signings, or pick apart the latest performance, but it's also somewhere for people to discuss their concerns about the direction that the club is taking isn't it? Unless you want it to be the discussion forum equivalent of Pravda/MUTV, where only positive comments are allowed?

The fact is that unlike Mourinho, who a sizeable chunk of fans were against before he'd even led his first game for us, Ole comes here with nothing but goodwill from all United fans. There is nobody here that is hoping that he'll fail. I guarantee that all of us would love nothing more than for him to be a huge success - I literally can't think of anything better. But that hope shouldn't mean that any discussion of our concerns should be off the table - or that you're somehow less of a fan if you don't blindly parrot the 'he's our manager so get behind him' mantra, that effectively is just looking to shut down any opinion that doesn't fit with the narrative.

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

I don't think any one is saying the results at the end of the season weren't terrible. However Pochettino was getting similarly bad results at the end of the season with a better team and he's the man everyone seems to want. Double standards.

See, this is also the sort of comment that makes no sense to me. Firstly, Spurs were in the CL final, and so I don't blame them at all for taking their eye off the ball in the league. But far more importantly, that poor run of league form from Pochettino needs to be viewed in the context of 4-5 years of incredibly consistency and punching well above their weight. It is no way double standards to recognise the difference in how we view that compared to how we view United's atrocious run.

 

[Handré1990]

Has anyone said that?

Yes, admitting you don’t know the future equals either being a sychophant or stupid with these posters. I’m sure you can connect the dots...

 

[Rafaeldagold]

Yes, admitting you don’t know the future equals either being a sychophant or stupid with these posters. I’m sure you can connect the dots...

Well yes- hiring a better manager gives you a better chance of success.

You could also hire bob from the local shop as ‘you don’t know the future’ yet that would be stupid & give a higher risk of failure

So why take the risk?

 

[Grylte]

It took Liverpool 30 years to find a manager that had the skill set and style of football that suited the liverpool of the glory years! They found it in Klopp. But the most important part about this, Klopp has not changed anything from his style of football to when he was at Dortmund or Mainz. He is his own man! Like pep at City, their own men with their own philosophy!
Our managerial appointments have been Moyes (defensive), LVG (conservative), Mourinho (defensive). And now we have Ole, who we don't have a clue what his philosophy is! The reason this will fail is, because he is not his own man! He is a Utd legend that aspires to play the way SAF did. He doesn't have his own ideas, he is just trying to replicate what SAF did in a counter attacking sense, and transfer Strategy!

"We don't have a clue what his philosophy is".

What you mean to say is that you don't have a clue. He's been a manager for what.... 10'ish years now? Of course he has a way to play. Many of us have seen him and his teams several times, and have tried to explain how he wants to play.
I have never seen him saying he's trying to do anything that SAF did, but he has said he has learned from him.
It's not the same.

I'm looking forward to the season, we finally have an attacking manager, who wants to play young hungry players.

It's sad to see that half the Caf wants him to fail, just so they can be right when they say he's going to fail, because he got relegated with Cardiff. By the way, Cardiff would have been relegated by any manager that year.
Oh and one more thing, Klopp got relegated with Mainz, in a weaker league. But that's okay, because you, and many others on here, now know how Klopp wants his team to play.

Give the lad a chance, i think many will be surprised..... atleast i hope so.

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

It's sad to see that half the Caf wants him to fail, just so they can be right when they say he's going to fail, because he got relegated with Cardiff.

What an absolute pile of horseshit. The idea that any United fan would want to see Ole fail, and the club therefore be in an even more fecked up state than it already is, exists only in your bizarre mind.

 

[elnorte]

What an absolute pile of horseshit. The idea that any United fan would want to see Ole fail, and the club therefore be in an even more fecked up state than it already is, exists only in your bizarre mind.

Pay Grylte no mind. He's drowning in his own self-indulgence.

 

[roonster09]

Yes, admitting you don’t know the future equals either being a sychophant or stupid with these posters. I’m sure you can connect the dots...

Did they come up with how "Ole in fans didn't come up with any points" post yet?

 

[Grylte]

What an absolute pile of horseshit. The idea that any United fan would want to see Ole fail, and the club therefore be in an even more fecked up state than it already is, exists only in your bizarre mind.

It does look like that when reading some posts on here.

 

[Grylte]

Pay Grylte no mind. He's drowning in his own self-indulgence.

Why? Because i don't like how some posters don't want to give Ole a chance?
Or because i have a different opinion than you?

 

[Rusholme Ruffian]

It does look like that when reading some posts on here.

That is a product of your fecked up brain - don't tar everyone with that. How messed up that, rather than thinking, "well fair enough, I disagree with those guys, but I guess they're just really worried about the club" you think "those guys hate Ole so much they would rather him fail and the club get into even more trouble just so they can say 'I told you so'". Take a second to think about that.

 

[Celoti23-81]

"We don't have a clue what his philosophy is".

What you mean to say is that you don't have a clue. He's been a manager for what.... 10'ish years now? Of course he has a way to play. Many of us have seen him and his teams several times, and have tried to explain how he wants to play.
I have never seen him saying he's trying to do anything that SAF did, but he has said he has learned from him.
It's not the same.

I'm looking forward to the season, we finally have an attacking manager, who wants to play young hungry players.

It's sad to see that half the Caf wants him to fail, just so they can be right when they say he's going to fail, because he got relegated with Cardiff. By the way, Cardiff would have been relegated by any manager that year.
Oh and one more thing, Klopp got relegated with Mainz, in a weaker league. But that's okay, because you, and many others on here, now know how Klopp wants his team to play.

Give the lad a chance, i think many will be surprised..... atleast i hope so.

I'll tell you what his philosophy is, counter attacking. That's why he wants to sign players with pace. It's not so different to Mourinho tactics, except mourinho wanted to play with a target man/hold up striker. That's not attacking.
I don't want him to fail. But you have to look no further to why he got the permanent contract, the honey moon period at the start! He was given the interim job because the Norwegian league had finished!
Can you explain to me why soon after that PSG game, where his agent was probably negotiating that permanent contract for Ole, why all of a sudden he looked clueless? Was it pressure? Or was it pure coincidence that fitness failed the team from that moment on!
And if certain players did actually feel the effects of fatigue, why oh why did he keep playing them, and not freshen the team with Chong, Garner, Gomes, Greenwood etc?
As alluded by an ex pro on TalkSport earlier, we are arguably in a worse predicament than Arsenal. That says a lot for a team that had finished 2nd last season!
If Ole is to succeed, he needs better players than Dan James and Longstaff etc! Yet I see no real movement in the transfer market! We need a rebuild not too dissimilar to what Real are doing now!

 

[Grylte]

That is a product of your fecked up brain - don't tar everyone with that. How messed up that, rather than thinking, "well fair enough, I disagree with those guys, but I guess they're just really worried about the club" you think "those guys hate Ole so much they would rather him fail and the club get into even more trouble just so they can say 'I told you so'". Take a second to think about that.

I do think many would take joy in saying "i told you so".
But i do obviously think they'd rather see us win, and admit they were wrong.

 

[Glideman]

I'll tell you what his philosophy is, counter attacking. That's why he wants to sign players with pace. It's not so different to Mourinho tactics, except mourinho wanted to play with a target man/hold up striker. That's not attacking.
I don't want him to fail. But you have to look no further to why he got the permanent contract, the honey moon period at the start! He was given the interim job because the Norwegian league had finished!
Can you explain to me why soon after that PSG game, where his agent was probably negotiating that permanent contract for Ole, why all of a sudden he looked clueless? Was it pressure? Or was it pure coincidence that fitness failed the team from that moment on!
And if certain players did actually feel the effects of fatigue, why oh why did he keep playing them, and not freshen the team with Chong, Garner, Gomes, Greenwood etc?
As alluded by an ex pro on TalkSport earlier, we are arguably in a worse predicament than Arsenal. That says a lot for a team that had finished 2nd last season!
If Ole is to succeed, he needs better players than Dan James and Longstaff etc! Yet I see no real movement in the transfer market! We need a rebuild not too dissimilar to what Real are doing now!

Maybe just maybe Chong, Garner, Gomes, Greenwood aren't ready for first team football with top 4 is still in the balance??? This isn't Fifa you don't just throw in underdeveloped youngsters amongst men in a high pressure run in.

 

[Handré1990]

Well yes- hiring a better manager gives you a better chance of success.

You could also hire bob from the local shop as ‘you don’t know the future’ yet that would be stupid & give a higher risk of failure

So why take the risk?

The sheer disrespect towards a club legend without really giving him any chance. This type of talk could be understandable if we were in mid November midtable.

 

[Glideman]

The sheer disrespect towards a club legend without really giving him any chance. This type of talk could be understandable if we were in mid November midtable.

No word of a lie deep down I hoped OGS didn't get the job because with our current fanbase no matter how good or bad he does the level of disrespect he will get will be too much

 

[Rafaeldagold]

The sheer disrespect towards a club legend without really giving him any chance. This type of talk could be understandable if we were in mid November midtable.

Why is everyone so precious..? He can still be a club legend & respected as such (which he is & I do as a great player) yet not be right fit for our manager.

People need to just grow up a bit to be honest

 

[Rhyme Animal]

No word of a lie deep down I hoped OGS didn't get the job because with our current fanbase no matter how good or bad he does the level of disrespect he will get will be too much

Yeah, that's not really true though, is it?

Ole is being judged more softly than other managers - and it will continue so through his time here.

 

[Celoti23-81]

Maybe just maybe Chong, Garner, Gomes, Greenwood aren't ready for first team football with top 4 is still in the balance??? This isn't Fifa you don't just throw in underdeveloped youngsters amongst men in a high pressure run in.

Ok. Fair enough. What about the Ole situation I asked you about? Nobody can answer this question for some reason

 

[roonster09]

Ok. Fair enough. What about the Ole situation I asked you about? Nobody can answer this question for some reason

Here we go.