Ole Gunnar Solskjær | 2021/22 Discussion

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What will happen if we don't win many games from now until we face Spurs and City back to back in December and we get beaten in them games. Would his job be safe?
 
Even Potter has significantly improved Brighton’s playing style and results after a-few months. Although, he’s from the breed of progressive, modern attacking managers. Some on here appear to have a snobbish opinion of these sorts of mangers for some reason. Did Potter need three years and hundreds of millions to implement a playing style that’s far more appealing than his predecessor? No he did not. But here we are with people still using the time and money excuse for Ole.

I’m sorry but I have seen literally zero progression under him. He hasn’t implemented a style or a pattern of attacking play despite all his talk. I’m stunned our fan-base appears just as fractured under him as it did under Mourinho. At least Mourinho had an amazing track record and pedigree which is why he had loyal devotees until the end. I didn’t agree with them and still don’t but I can at least kind of see the premise of their arguments and why they wanted to keep him. With Ole, there’s been no positives, for the most part and he has no track record to show that he can fix this nor have there been any signs of real significant improvement.

There are certain posters in this thread who have wholly nailed their colours to the Ole mast. They won’t deviate away from their support of him and at this point, it’s irrational bias. When a supporter is totally unwilling to change their views in light of the overwhelming evidence that Ole isn’t good enough, it doesn’t make them better fans like they think. It makes them look arrogant that they are unwilling to accept that maybe they were wrong about Ole and he isn’t up to the task. Using the whole “oh but there’s no one to replace him stick” just doesn’t cut it for me. Nor does the the lauding of his signings which have been very overstated on here by his fans, in all honesty.

The thing his arrogant fans who are unwilling to look past being wrong on an Internet forum need to realise is this: Unlike Jose, Ole had the full and unanimous backing of our fan-base. We all wanted a legend of the club to succeed and everyone wished him well. The only - and I have to reiterate only - reason that fans want him gone is because he’s simply not good enough. There’s no agendas like some had with Jose, it’s simply that he isn’t a good enough manager and never will be. He has totally failed to get us playing any semblance of modern attacking football and he looks incapable of doing so. The mental gymnastics about needing more time, money etc need to stop.

I’ve come to the stark realisation that some though, no matter how bad we get, will arrogantly stand by him while proclaiming the fan-base toxic, impatient glory hunters etc.

This. Might as well just cut and paste this every few pages or so of this thread.
 
I'm not disagreeing with you. I just think that is what they will do unless it gets even worse before then. That was why I mentioned if they back him, not that we couldn't afford to but they are not as you said great negotiators. I can see them being stop gap signings, not long term signings.

Ed does wants to back him for sure. At the end of the day he's the most desperate one for him to succeed to prove to everyone else he unscathed a gem and problems at the club were all thanks to Mourinho not him, hence he has been defending him the most out of all managers he hired.

However he also wanted to back him in summer, and we ended up having atrocious window that fecked up midfield and attack, so yeah since Ed is a terrible negotiator anyway as you said, it won't be anything more than 1 player, at most 2, which I don't think will end up solving much.
 
Ed does wants to back him for sure. At the end of the day he's the most desperate one for him to succeed to prove to everyone else he unscathed a gem and problems at the club were all thanks to Mourinho not him, hence he has been defending him the most out of all managers he hired.

However he also wanted to back him in summer, and we ended up having atrocious window that fecked up midfield and attack, so yeah since Ed is a terrible negotiator anyway as you said, it won't be anything more than 1 player, at most 2, which I don't think will end up solving much.
Everybody says about Mandzukic. He is not prolific is he? Are we then going to use him like Fellaini, when we are rubbish at crossing. Why not just keep Fellaini? I think getting rid of him was Ole just trying to show he was 'the man'.
 
Everybody says about Mandzukic. He is not prolific is he? Are we then going to use him like Fellaini, when we are rubbish at crossing. Why not just keep Fellaini? I think getting rid of him was Ole just trying to show he was 'the man'.

I like Mandzukic as a player, but signing him will be funny considering all the long term plan talking and selling Lukaku to let Martial and Rashford be starter just to go on ahead and sign a 33 years old striker that will displace Martial from striker position and bench Rashford, everything people were moaning about previously, but no doubt some will find other excuses for that mind you. I doubt Mandzukic will enjoy the idea of being a mere sub here in our current terrible form while he can stay as a squad option too at Juve while winning leagues and cups.
 
We're the biggest and most talked about club in England.

We don't have to be top of the table or competing to sell papers. Manchester United and doom sells, period.

We haven't competed with City or Liverpool for years. Only once have we come 2nd since SAF left and we were not really close to overtake City in that season. Despite this, you can't tell me we haven't dominated headlines consistently in major tabloid papers through those last barren years.

Wenger at Arsenal didn't challenge for titles either, yet when he was going through shit periods and fecking up, the press didn't hestitate to make headline articles as if they sky was falling.

If you're waiting for "The Boys" to talk against their old teammate, you're wasting your time. And it's not solely about Solskjaer, it's about their stance on the matter too. Their main argument all these years has been that what we're watching on the pitch under the previous regimes deviated from the path United are supposed to follow. Too slow, too defensive, too passive. Very little tactical insight, it could all be summarized into "it's not like Fergie used to do it".

Did any of them raise any concerns when the club/manager decided to reward Martial and Rashford with new prestigious contracts and to treat them like they were ready to lead the line? Has any of them ever said that maybe (just maybe) some of our academy products, like Lingard & Pereira, have had too many second chances or that some long-standing players like Jones, Rojo and Young have overstayed their welcome at the club? It's all about getting young and hungry players, promote academy players and play the United way... At any other club, the trimming of the squad and the lack of reinforcements while the manager sits in his chair smiling would have caused turmoil in the fanbase and the press. Here, the press are asking our former players who are pundits questions but they don't get any answers besides "time will tell". And, honestly, what would you have them say and do? If they admit that one of their own, the one who has actually enjoyed some success in a low-level league compared to them, can't bring back the glory days by using the infamous United way, then what the hell are they blabbering about?

As for the rest of the press, United are big enough to attract attention but, at some point, everybody gets tired of beating a dead horse. Soon enough, we'll start creating headlines and raising eyebrows when we get a win or when we cause an upset against the title/top-four contenders. Losing to the likes of Bournemouth has become something most of the island sees as normality nowadays. Nobody gives a feck about the "United way" (which is the story we're trying to sell with Ole) when Pep and Klopp have taken football to the next level in England by breaking records every week, making it to 100 points and winning CL titles. And as the season progresses and no matter how big United are, there's no bigger story than Liverpool winning the league after 30 years.
 
Whatever it is, Ole is pathetic coach. I don’t see AWB or Young doing any overlapping until we concede. Why can’t we go on the front foot and Attack Bournemouth. Why does it need to wait until we concede a goal before asking players to Attack. How many clean sheet did we keep? Ole is just a manager that is out of his depth. The sooner we sack him, we sooner the team play proper Football.
 
Whatever it is, Ole is pathetic coach. I don’t see AWB or Young doing any overlapping until we concede. Why can’t we go on the front foot and Attack Bournemouth. Why does it need to wait until we concede a goal before asking players to Attack. How many clean sheet did we keep? Ole is just a manager that is out of his depth. The sooner we sack him, we sooner the team play proper Football.

We were like this under Jose too. It's so depressing to watch such a negative team.
 
Arsenal, Bayern could be on the lookout for a new manager very soon, Allegri could easily end up at Bayern. If we don't move fast well who else is available?
I'd prefer if we identify someone and go all out even if he's not unattached.
 
Someone I work with met a guy who works in a high level position at the club a couple of weeks back. When asked about Solskjaer's position his response was that he is both respected and loved by everyone at the club in equal measure and that there were absolutely no plans to sack him as this is a 'long term' project. Of course this could all be company-line bullshit.
 
Sounds like the company line, but it would be very modern Utd to back to the hills the worst manager we've had in 30+ years.
Maybe we are trying to emulate City and go down to Division I and come back up. It is going to be a long slog.:( Whose going to be our Nicky Weaver?
 
I do sometimes wonder how low we could actually end up. I mean if someone had told me 15 years ago that a win against Norwich would be treated with such smugness and elation, I’d have passed out. There was a post after the Chelsea win in round 1 that I saw when someone said “we are so lucky” in terms of the manager. It’s stayed with me all season and I’m still cringing now.

We don’t seem to have any standards anymore, as supporters as much as anything else. Mark my words, if Jesse Lingard ever manages to put two half decent performances together in a row, people will be on here telling us “I told you so, as if you all wrote him off”.

Consistency does not exist here anymore. There was a time when we’d make judgments off a season, performances over a season. You can have 5-10 half decent performances a season now and be seen as a good player at United.
 
Today there are No big dramatic headlines in the press piling pressure on Ole or criticizing form after another embarassing defeat

No Rio, Scholes or Neville coming out and damning the performances or the manager.

Last season any draw or lose and there were pages of article criticising Mourinho boardering on harrassment.

Scholes and Neville couldn't keep their gobs shut when LVG wasn't playing pretty football, and where jumping down his throat for any sub standard result.

Ole can sink us down to the bottom half of the table and there is silence.

Absolute disgusting double standards
It's still better this way though.
 
Any thoughts on the idea that Mike Phelan is a big part of the playing style? I have wondered for a while if ole could appoint an attacking coach to try to help us in that space. Look at the difference between United under quiroz and under phelan - the last few years of fergie were very like today in terms of solid defence and really struggling to kill teams off. Fergie was very well known for letting his coaches do the training and taking a step back
 
If you're waiting for "The Boys" to talk against their old teammate, you're wasting your time. And it's not solely about Solskjaer, it's about their stance on the matter too. Their main argument all these years has been that what we're watching on the pitch under the previous regimes deviated from the path United are supposed to follow. Too slow, too defensive, too passive. Very little tactical insight, it could all be summarized into "it's not like Fergie used to do it".

Did any of them raise any concerns when the club/manager decided to reward Martial and Rashford with new prestigious contracts and to treat them like they were ready to lead the line? Has any of them ever said that maybe (just maybe) some of our academy products, like Lingard & Pereira, have had too many second chances or that some long-standing players like Jones, Rojo and Young have overstayed their welcome at the club? It's all about getting young and hungry players, promote academy players and play the United way... At any other club, the trimming of the squad and the lack of reinforcements while the manager sits in his chair smiling would have caused turmoil in the fanbase and the press. Here, the press are asking our former players who are pundits questions but they don't get any answers besides "time will tell". And, honestly, what would you have them say and do? If they admit that one of their own, the one who has actually enjoyed some success in a low-level league compared to them, can't bring back the glory days by using the infamous United way, then what the hell are they blabbering about?

As for the rest of the press, United are big enough to attract attention but, at some point, everybody gets tired of beating a dead horse. Soon enough, we'll start creating headlines and raising eyebrows when we get a win or when we cause an upset against the title/top-four contenders. Losing to the likes of Bournemouth has become something most of the island sees as normality nowadays. Nobody gives a feck about the "United way" (which is the story we're trying to sell with Ole) when Pep and Klopp have taken football to the next level in England by breaking records every week, making it to 100 points and winning CL titles. And as the season progresses and no matter how big United are, there's no bigger story than Liverpool winning the league after 30 years.

Well the last time a failing United manager was protected this hard was when David Moyes was here, and the media and old united players played dumb and acted like they didn't understand what the problem was whilst ignoring the elephant in the room while he took the club down to 7th and broke all sorts of horrific records.

And the reason why Moyes was protected was because G.Neville brother Phil was one of Moyes' assistant

They had no problems hounding LVG and acting like he was taking the club down the drain even though in his 1st season got us back in the CL and won the FA cup. There was no talk of give it time, needs more windows, be patient or any benefit of the doubt., since they were angling for their mate Giggs to takeover and be handed the job

My point isn't to simply complain about their bias, but rather to highlight the insedious manipulative influence they have on the club and it's fans.

The emotional manipulative arguments they put forward goes towards producing deluded top red fans who to this day believe Ole is doing a good reasonable job after 5 wins in 19 games.

You had Evra coming out the other day and basically saying if you're a real fan then you be patient and back the manager. Failing to account for the fact that We are not struggling through lack of patience, we are struggling through incompetence

And now he's been back at carrington doing his coaching badges, he's in negotiations to become part of Ole's coaching staff no matter whether he's qualified on merit for the role.

it's this kind of shit that needs to stop, and the old boys and legends need to be removed far away as possible from the club.

None of them most vocal ones of Fergie's fledglings have any experience being managed by any other manager bar Fergie. So they all have this sam deluded mentality that the United Way is the only way.

This is why G.Neville embarrassed himself in Spain, and the rest of the 99 lot at their respective clubs they presided over. They're all dinosaurs who are actually not helping the club because they all filter everything through sentimentality because this is all they know.

Not to mention they care more about ensuring their mates are financially secured than the good of the club.

This clown could relegate the club and they still wouldn't be pointing any fingers in his direction, that's how dishonest and agenda driven these legends are who supposedly bleed United.

And this is why old boys like Young, Phil Jones and Mata were rewarded with contracts ahead of players like Fellaini, Lukaku and Herrera who were actually producing on the pitch.
 
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A mistake? Are you kidding? You won't be saying that when he brings home the coca cola cup, and covers himself in sticky sweet glory.

Don't talk about it being the Coca Cola cup,brings back horrible childhood memories of losing that 1994 final to Villa. Mind you didn't help Eric and Pete were suspended did it.
 
Not even a peep from the media. Man is just out here dragging the club down with impunity all cause he was a super sub back in the day. Must be nice.
 
Not even a peep from the media. Man is just out here dragging the club down with impunity all cause he was a super sub back in the day. Must be nice.

He's not going anywhere in near future. Our qualification to KO stage in Europa League is more or less set. He just knocked out Chelsea in League Cup to reach QF.

He's bought himself a lot of credit with those 3 results last week, this season is a total waste like one under Moyes. Just accept it, while he never sinked us to bottom half of the table in his time here like Ole has but it was similar back and forth with him. One win, and top reds would be out in droves screaming about him deserving of more time before being silenced by an inevitable shit result the following week. He lasted into April because of progress in CL, I see same parallels with Ole as well. He'll only go once all options to a CL places are closed to us and that ain't happening until March so strap back and suffer for few more months before he's sacked.
 
Any thoughts on the idea that Mike Phelan is a big part of the playing style? I have wondered for a while if ole could appoint an attacking coach to try to help us in that space. Look at the difference between United under quiroz and under phelan - the last few years of fergie were very like today in terms of solid defence and really struggling to kill teams off. Fergie was very well known for letting his coaches do the training and taking a step back
I’ve stated this before. All the rubbish about playing the United way under Phelan. Like we ever played particularly good football. If you took Rooney and Van Persie out of that 2013 team. It’s exactly the same now albeit with a slightly better midfield and more experience then.

Stick two worldie’s up front and they’d carrry this side due to our defence being solid atm a lot like 2013 imo. We would need Pogba back in form though to like our midfield to attack first. Our midfield currently wouldn’t get the ball to them enough.
 
Today there are No big dramatic headlines in the press piling pressure on Ole or criticizing form after another embarassing defeat

No Rio, Scholes or Neville coming out and damning the performances or the manager.

Last season any draw or lose and there were pages of article criticising Mourinho boardering on harrassment.

Scholes and Neville couldn't keep their gobs shut when LVG wasn't playing pretty football, and where jumping down his throat for any sub standard result.

Ole can sink us down to the bottom half of the table and there is silence.

Absolute disgusting double standards
I still stand by the fact Mourinho was the best thing we’ve had going for our club in the past 6 years.

Had us competing on all fronts barring the CL. Even with the shock loss the Sevilla though fans forget we absolutely eased through the group stage which was pretty impressive considering our form post Fergie.

He got absolutely destroyed by the media and our ex players for even a draw however. He is probably glad he quit. The job was just a hassle for him in the end once the good will went away. If we got a new ownership and they brought Mourinho back i for one would be happy but most fans would revolt.
 
I still stand by the fact Mourinho was the best thing we’ve had going for our club in the past 6 years.

Had us competing on all fronts barring the CL. Even with the shock loss the Sevilla though fans forget we absolutely eased through the group stage which was pretty impressive considering our form post Fergie.

He got absolutely destroyed by the media and our ex players for even a draw however. He is probably glad he quit. The job was just a hassle for him in the end once the good will went away. If we got a new ownership and they brought Mourinho back i for one would be happy but most fans would revolt.

He didn't quit. He was fired which it looked like he was pining for. If he hadn't thrown is toys out of the pram he wouldn't have been fired. We were right to sack him just like Chelsea did in their 3rd seaon.
 
I still stand by the fact Mourinho was the best thing we’ve had going for our club in the past 6 years.

Had us competing on all fronts barring the CL. Even with the shock loss the Sevilla though fans forget we absolutely eased through the group stage which was pretty impressive considering our form post Fergie.

He got absolutely destroyed by the media and our ex players for even a draw however. He is probably glad he quit. The job was just a hassle for him in the end once the good will went away. If we got a new ownership and they brought Mourinho back i for one would be happy but most fans would revolt.

Agreed.
 

Mourinho's football heritage

Sanchez - Shown nothing. Highest wages in the league. Currently we are paying him to play for Inter
Lukkaku - Decent first season. terrible 2nd. Sold to Inter
Mihki - Plays for Arsenal
Matic - was past it after 3 months for the club
Pogba - World record transfer, he's amazing when he's on form, but he's hardly ever on form. Wants out.
Lindehof - Looking fairly decent
Baily - Terrible transfer
Dalot - ?
Fred - 50 million, shouldn't even be on the bench.
Ibra - decent free transfer first season then past it.
 
Saying Jose is the best is a pretty empty compliment unless you're a bit of a fanboy of his, its hardly a big victory is it. He's the best of a terrible terrible bunch.
 
Mourinho's football heritage

Sanchez - Shown nothing. Highest wages in the league. Currently we are paying him to play for Inter
Lukkaku - Decent first season. terrible 2nd. Sold to Inter
Mihki - Plays for Arsenal
Matic - was past it after 3 months for the club
Pogba - World record transfer, he's amazing when he's on form, but he's hardly ever on form. Wants out.
Lindehof - Looking fairly decent
Baily - Terrible transfer
Dalot - ?
Fred - 50 million, shouldn't even be on the bench.
Ibra - decent free transfer first season then past it.

Unless Solskjaer is able to win two trophies and claim a 2nd place or better Mourinho is still the best thing that has happened to United after SAF, regardless of your view of him.
 
Unless Solskjaer is able to win two trophies and claim a 2nd place or better Mourinho is still the best thing that has happened to United after SAF, regardless of your view of him.

But that is a low standard for a United Manager and the money we've spent. We can all agree that Mourinho is a greater manager than Solskjær, but he imploded in his 3rd season just like he did at Chelsea and was completely shitting on the club. Personally I don't the mighy europa league is a big honour for united to win other than it garauntees CL football. And the league cup who really cares.

We were right to sack Mourinho and in the wrong for hiring solskjær as his replacement.
 
Any thoughts on the idea that Mike Phelan is a big part of the playing style? I have wondered for a while if ole could appoint an attacking coach to try to help us in that space. Look at the difference between United under quiroz and under phelan - the last few years of fergie were very like today in terms of solid defence and really struggling to kill teams off. Fergie was very well known for letting his coaches do the training and taking a step back

I've definetely thought this, as Ole doesn't come across as a leader to me. But in that case we still need to get rid. Phelan out, too!
 
But that is a low standard for a United Manager and the money we've spent. We can all agree that Mourinho is a greater manager than Solskjær, but he imploded in his 3rd season just like he did at Chelsea and was completely shitting on the club. Personally I don't the mighy europa league is a big honour for united to win other than it garauntees CL football. And the league cup who really cares.

We were right to sack Mourinho and in the wrong for hiring solskjær as his replacement.

All agreed, except for underrating the trophies a bit. Beggars can’t be choosers. But sure, we are mostly synced.
 
Saying Jose is the best is a pretty empty compliment unless you're a bit of a fanboy of his, its hardly a big victory is it. He's the best of a terrible terrible bunch.

He actually was a success. He came in and did exactly what it says on the tin. Abit like Ole only the romantic expected something different.

Before he got here we said - wins titles, doesn’t develop youth, siege mentality and out by 3 years.

By the time he left - won ‘trophies’, did frig all to develop youth, siege mentality with him Fellaini; Lukaku and Matic and got sacked in his third year.
 
All agreed, except for underrating the trophies a bit. Beggars can’t be choosers. But sure, we are mostly synced.

Considering our transfer fee's and wages, we're not beggars though. We are among the wealthiest and most prestigeful clubs in the world.
 
Considering our transfer fee's and wages, we're not beggars though. We are among the wealthiest and most prestigeful clubs in the world.

In terms of results after Fergie United certainly are!
 
He actually was a success. He came in and did exactly what it says on the tin. Abit like Ole only the romantic expected something different.

Before he got here we said - wins titles, doesn’t develop youth, siege mentality and out by 3 years.

By the time he left - won ‘trophies’, did frig all to develop youth, siege mentality with him Fellaini; Lukaku and Matic and got sacked in his third year.
It was the implosion. His first and second seasons were relatively good, and he took us to three cup finals, winning two, and a second place finish. Even though these would be too simplistic, going exclusively by win rate, he is the second-best we've had in our history behind only Fergie, and he's one of the only 7 managers to win a major. Only Magnall, Busby and Fergie won more majors. His implosion in the third season ruined everything and what could have been.
 
He actually was a success. He came in and did exactly what it says on the tin. Abit like Ole only the romantic expected something different.

Before he got here we said - wins titles, doesn’t develop youth, siege mentality and out by 3 years.

By the time he left - won ‘trophies’, did frig all to develop youth, siege mentality with him Fellaini; Lukaku and Matic and got sacked in his third year.

Unless he won the title, I don't think we got what what is says on the tin. Mourinho himself was mocking Chelsea for winning an FA cup after he left.
 
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