OK so I think it's time we weighed up the pro's and con's that have been argued throughout this thread and really look at them with open eyes and some real rationale.
Let us start with the arguments against Ole:
- 4 wins in 22 games since PSG.
- Currently 14th in the PL after 9 games;
- 2 points above relegation
- 15 points behind leaders
- GD of +1
- 22.22% win ratio
- 10 points from 9 games
- 2 wins in last 14 league matches, with 6 draws and 6 defeats.
- Winless away from home in eight matches.
- Haven't scored more than one goal since first game against Chelsea.
- Unable to hold on to a lead, having thrown leads away against Wolves, Southampton, Rochdale, Arsenal and Liverpool.
- Let go of Herrera, Lukaku, Fellaini and Sanchez without any like for like replacements and now the squad is threadbare and the best striker is a 10-goal-a-season man. Was the risk of injury to players not considered?
- Handed new contracts to Jones, Mata, Young despite claiming he wants to remove deadwood.
- Why are so many players injured (12 isn't it) 9 games into a season? Coincidence? Pure bad luck? Something wrong with training/fitness regimes?
- In-game management seems to be lacking. Subs made too late, system doesn't change, never appears to be a plan B, C or anything but a plan A.
- Won back to back titles with Molde in his first two seasons but finished 6th in his 3rd season, then heading to Cardiff, eventually relegating them and getting the sack.
- Won 9 out of 30 games for Cardiff (win rate of 30%)
- Returns to Molde and wins no titles finishing 5th in 2016, and runners up the following two seasons.
- Since leaving, Molde are now 1st in the league, 5 points clear with 5 games remaining, having lost only 3 of 25.
- Since leaving Molde, they have a win rate this season over 25 games of 68%. Ole's win rate for the club was 55.56%.
- Has a win rate for Manchester United, including the so called honeymoon period, of 47.5%, lower than any United manager since 1981.
- Worse start of a season for 33 years.
The arguments for Ole:
- If SAF had been sacked this early we wouldn't have had our many years of eventual success. (SAF had previously won silverware, incl European, for Aberdeen)
- It's a process (despite no visible progress and dire results, see above).
- His signings are good (Jose wanted Maguire, Giggs recommended James), so credit at least for AWB.
- He is a club legend.
- He had an initially good start with United.
- He is a nice guy, always smiling.
- He's giving youth a chance (despite Greenwood, Gomes etc barely playing).
- It has to get worse before it gets better (this one always amazes me).
- We drew against Liverpool.
- It's the United way.
- It's the players, not the manager.
- He has inherited years of bad management so deserves time to sort out the mess.
- Woodward is to blame for all the negatives, Ole is responsible for everything positive.
The thing that really strikes me is that all the negatives are backed up by hard evidence and statistics, yet the positives are somewhat subjective and there are zero stats which can be used to make a positive case for Ole.
Happy for anyone to add anything to either list if they are able to!?
For me, it all points to one thing, the need for Ole to go ASAP. But what do I know.