Ole Gunnar Solskjær | 2021/22 Discussion

[Roboc7]

Pogba is the key for him now, Ole has a plan for games like Brighton but not for ones like Bournemouth. He has to find something for those games to start winning games back to back and really making some progress. If he can find a way to get anything close to best of Pogba it will make a huge difference.

As we have shown you can be pretty rubbish and still be around 5th-6th. This squad has its issues but anyone competent should be able to get us into the top six at least.

I don’t think Ole is going to get new players in January so he’s also going to have to manage the squad a bit better as there will be lots more injuries if he doesn’t find a way to rest more players.

 

[Judas]

It was obvious in the summer that we relied on Pogba not only staying fit, but being at his best every game for things to work as Ole envisioned.

 

[Gasolin]

I'm definitely an advocate for giving Ole more time, but I still don't think Rashford is very good. He's on a better stretch of form and he has his uses. But let's be clear, over the last 3 years he has oscillated between mediocre and awful more often than he's been decent.

He's making progress. On his goal, instead of shooting low, he took the time to control and put it high, which is where defenders and even keepers struggle more to block. I think he is having some discussions with Ole in that regard and that is great to see.

He needs to improve 2 things now:
- Easy tap in (missed another one)
- Thinking more than the first one two. There were chances where Martial was in position to do the tap in better instead of a hard shot.

But you can see improvements in his way of running and "counter running", or his insistence now to find a focal touch with Martial to move the ball and break the defensive shape.

 

[Sky1981]

As someone who remains Ole out, I guess my thoughts on the game are that is was great to watch but my fear is a big part of why we looked so strong is because of how Brighton play.

My issue is Ole is he seems happy with us being a counter attacking team. If you were to pick any PL teams at the start of the season to play against and bet on us winning you would likely pick Norwich & Brighton. Teams that despite 'weaker' squads will attempt to play football, won't sit back and also try to hold onto possession. This is where we are strong, waiting for mistakes and then being fast on the counter. What I don't understand is the wild swings we see on the caf, like in your post above about people 'spitting feathers', which seem to forget our record under Ole since he was made permanent is woeful. This run just now is our best chance all season to be getting wins on the bounce, Norwich, Bournemouth, Brighton, Sheffield United & Villa. You couldn't hand pick a better run. We should celebrate a good performance and a much needed win but also not lose sight of the fact that you are posting quite a strong opinion after a win at home against Brighton.

We have to accept we are nowhere near the league leaders at the moment but at the same time front up to the fact we should not be losing regularly to clubs like Bournemouth, Newcastle, West Ham and Palace. If that was over the course of a season, it'd be fine but that's after 12 games. I'm hoping we can find some consistency now until the holidays and if these kind of performances happen against teams that sit deep, we can talk about seeing tangible signs of progress under Ole.

FYI I agree on Pogba as a 10. He understands Martial's game better than anyone (and is a real goal threat himself when on form) and I think Rashford - Martial - James is good enough as a front three for now.

Counter attack is easier, as you just need pace and energy most of the times. It's not thst simple off course but sure as hell easier than breaking a 2 banks of fours

When we eventually got back to the top 4 teams would start giving us more respect and defend more. That's when we'll struggle back.

I'd say the greatest compliment you can get as a team is when teams stop bothering to change their formation against you because they know it's futile. They know they've been defeated before they kick the ball, the fear factor. That's when we know we're back

 

[Random Task]

Been seeing a new myth emerge on the caf recently, a few posters making comments suggesting solskjaer brings on young players now and then to boost a perception that he plays youth.

Can there be a communal effort to make this die before it takes off like the appalling 'Ferguson was tactically limited' farce.

Average age at weekend was 23, and has been more than once this season. A core line up consists of wan bissaka, mctominay, James and rashford. With Williams pushing to start. At a given time pretty much half the team is 'youth'. What exactly do people want?

Rashford is coasting to his best ever season in terms of goal return, martial looks closer to his first season form than any year since and mctominay has emerged into one of our key players.

There's enough justifiable stuff to hit solskjaer with, making shit up isn't neccesary

It's also worth noting that the side Ole put out yesterday was the youngest combined age of any team we have seen in the prem this season. By a fairly large margin to boot.

 

[Mainoldo]

It's also worth noting that the side Ole put out yesterday was the youngest combined age of any team we have seen in the prem this season. By a fairly large margin to boot.

What’s it on average though? As it will be largely inflated by the fact we have replaced a 35 year old regular with a 18 year old fill in left back.

 

[ReddBalls]

Pogba is the key for him now, Ole has a plan for games like Brighton but not for ones like Bournemouth. He has to find something for those games to start winning games back to back and really making some progress. If he can find a way to get anything close to best of Pogba it will make a huge difference.

As we have shown you can be pretty rubbish and still be around 5th-6th. This squad has its issues but anyone competent should be able to get us into the top six at least.

I don’t think Ole is going to get new players in January so he’s also going to have to manage the squad a bit better as there will be lots more injuries if he doesn’t find a way to rest more players.

Pogba is obviously key, and as I have said before: Ole has stated numerous times that he intends to build the team around Pogba. You don't build the team around a player playing a deep double pivot, you build it around a an attacking player in an offensive position. I think it's quite obvious Ole intends for Pogba to play in the same role he played in the first round of games under Ole after he took over José (hint: it was as a 10).

The reason Ole persists with 4-2-1-3 is because he wants Pogba to be the "1". The reason he played him in the double pivot was because Fred (or whoever he planned on using in that role) was not yet ready. Seems Fred has been coached to be a midfield destroyer, releasing Pogba to be the creative force which the team sorely lacks when Lingard, Mata and Pereira plays as 10 (as placeholders for Pogba).

A fully fit team with a midfield of Fred (granted he keeps playing like the last game) and McTominay behind Pogba feeding Rashford, Martial and James will be quite frightening for a lot of teams.

 

[matt10000]

Well, again... without wanting to seem cynically over-negative after a pretty good win, the reason Pogba has been MIA for nearly 2 months now, is entirely because Ole played him for the full 90 minutes in a pithy League Cup game, despite being notably only half-fit!... And whilst I did greatly enjoy our performance tonight, I also became increasingly annoyed by every passing minute beyond the 3rd goal, that any one of Rashford, Martial, Maguire or AWB stayed on the field... Because you'd like to think any manager who'd lost their best player very recently by needlessly risking them in a cup game, would be extra-wary of losing more of his first XI (especially those who'd only just returned to fitness - like Martial or AWB, who both played 90 - or were severely overplayed, like Rashford) by playing them in a competition where we already topped our group, and were in significantly less danger of decline than our disastrous League campaign!



I'm not gonna get into whose responsible for our transfer window. None of us really know, and anyone on either extreme of the Ole-Woodward blame spectrum can probably make a viable case for any of it.... However common sense dictates that it's hard to give Ole all the credit for our (so far) successful signings, whilst also fully absolving him of our horrendous squad management... just as it's hard to blame Woody solely for our pathetically overpaid squad, whilst pretending he had nothing to do with Ole's player recruitment. Common sense dictates that the state of our squad, our team, and our general style of play, has at least something to do with the manager that's been in charge for nearly 11 months now. Agreeing with that doesn't mean you're excusing the Glazer regime, or being irrationally impatient... Just as questioning it doesn't necessarily mean you're a daft nostalgic fantasist!

As for Coutinho... From what I remember, that was a very fleeting late window thing, no? We were never really in for him (and he was prominent enough at 'Pool to be aware of the backlash were he ever to do so, making it pretty improbable) ... Unlike Bruno Fernandes, for example, whom we were linked to throughout the entire window, was practically begging for us to sign him, and has subsequently proved to be a proper talent.... but whom (according to who you believe) we either weren't in for (making our scouting system potentially shitter than Goal.com and The Caf!) decided against due to price (despite spending £80m on Harry Maguire) or was turned down by Ole/United-Way Inc for not being young or British enough (making us the obsolete football equivalent of the "Ok Boomer" meme")..... None of which reflects particularly well on us.

Perhaps he played him in order to build his match fitness!

 

[dev1l]

What’s it on average though? As it will be largely inflated by the fact we have replaced a 35 year old regular with a 18 year old fill in left back.

The 35 year old is a "regular" because the real 24 year old regular is injured.

 

[Mainoldo]

The 35 year old is a "regular" because the real 24 year old regular is injured.

Okay. When the season is done we will see who plays the most games and who really is the ‘regular’. Plus 35 to 24 is a smaller drop than 35 to 18.

 

[Gasolin]

Pogba is obviously key, and as I have said before: Ole has stated numerous times that he intends to build the team around Pogba. You don't build the team around a player playing a deep double pivot, you build it around a an attacking player in an offensive position. I think it's quite obvious Ole intends for Pogba to play in the same role he played in the first round of games under Ole after he took over José (hint: it was as a 10).

The reason Ole persists with 4-2-1-3 is because he wants Pogba to be the "1". The reason he played him in the double pivot was because Fred (or whoever he planned on using in that role) was not yet ready. Seems Fred has been coached to be a midfield destroyer, releasing Pogba to be the creative force which the team sorely lacks when Lingard, Mata and Pereira plays as 10 (as placeholders for Pogba).

A fully fit team with a midfield of Fred (granted he keeps playing like the last game) and McTominay behind Pogba feeding Rashford, Martial and James will be quite frightening for a lot of teams.

I so hope this is happening, Fred is key to allow us now to intercept and break most opposition attacks and come back against them. If that happens, I think it's not just a matter of counter, it will also be a lot of goals because we are forcing the teams to focus on defending rather than attacking us since we will be breaking each one of their attacks. That would be a dream come true for us.

 

[redIndianDevil]

So can the Ole Out brigade now kind of see what type of football he is attempting to play, that was a brilliant watch yesterday, pace, pressing, attacking, creativity.

Give the lad a little bit of time to get it right, more of the same please Ole, 5 wins from last 6. All the Ole/Rashford haters must be spitting feathers right now.

Pogba in for Pereira and we may well be onto something!

Match was decent after our third goal but until Brighton scored their goal it wasn't much. Apart from one lucky goal and a scrappy one, we didn't create much.

I'm not saying it was a poor game but we need a run of games like yesterday, it cannot be stop and start.

 

[Random Task]

What’s it on average though? As it will be largely inflated by the fact we have replaced a 35 year old regular with a 18 year old fill in left back.

With the emergence of Williams this season and Shaw to return before long, that 35-year-old's game time will rapidly decrease to the point he is phased out completely.

Slowly but surely, we're getting rid of the deadwood.

 

[Mainoldo]

With the emergence of Williams this season and Shaw to return before long, that 35-year-old's game time will rapidly decrease to the point he is phased out completely.

Slowly but surely, we're getting rid of the deadwood.

Come on now. Young will be first choice when fit and if Shaw comes back and plays crap. Young will be first choice.

 

[Cassidy]

How did they not sit deep? They had higher possession owing to United playing on the counter after half time but they barely even played any football apart from a 5 minute spell.

They were not compact

 

[Random Task]

Come on now. Young will be first choice when fit and if Shaw comes back and plays crap. Young will be first choice.

Initially, sure, but I think it's a fairly safe bet that Young will be phased out as the season progresses, forcing him to retire at the end of the season in all likelihood.

He's 35 now, he can't go on forever. Right?

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

They were not compact

Yes and it is no coincidence their flanks are lit up like a Christmas tree. The two fullbacks Montoya and Burn had a horrid time getting dragged around by Rashford and James. Martial had the time of his life with the spaces opening up around the center backs. Even a #10 like the current day Ozil would have had them up for an embarrassing score line.

 

[GaryLifo]

I'm convinced there's a bunch of opposition fans pretending to be United fans in this thread.

The in credible disrespect shown to our manager by some posters in this thread wouldn't be tolerated on other forums. Even worse, he' was one of our best and most decorated players.

I'd be interested to see how many of you would go to Old Trafford and shout out some of the things you are happy to write on here.

Ought to hang your heads in shame some of you.

 

[lysglimt]

I don't mind people giving OGS stick for us not winning or for us playing poorly - as long as it's sensible criticism. But people stating that he is the worst manager in the P.L, that he is a clown, incompetent etc .. ? The less said about them, the better!

 

[fps]

His big challenge is how to incorporate Pogba into a team which is now beginning to find form and belief due to its togetherness and work ethic. If he comes back and United play a listless lethargic match he’s going to have some very tricky decisions to make.

 

[ScarleyUtd]

Good signings – defo.
Improvement in underperforming players – yes.
Wants to play attacking football – yes.
Has shipped out a lot of the deadwood everyone has been complaining about for years – yes.
Exciting focus on youth – yes.
Loves the club and knows it inside out – yes.
A sense of direction – yes.

In contention for the top 4 – no.

But I'd take the first seven any day if we want to rebuild long term. Otherwise we'll lurch from one big name who doesn't get the club, to the next. Like we have since Ferguson.

 

[ScarleyUtd]

I'm convinced there's a bunch of opposition fans pretending to be United fans in this thread.

The in credible disrespect shown to our manager by some posters in this thread wouldn't be tolerated on other forums. Even worse, he' was one of our best and most decorated players.

I'd be interested to see how many of you would go to Old Trafford and shout out some of the things you are happy to write on here.

Ought to hang your heads in shame some of you.

Well said. Fortunately this place doesn't match what happens at the ground.

 

[matt10000]

I don't mind people giving OGS stick for us not winning or for us playing poorly - as long as it's sensible criticism. But people stating that he is the worst manager in the P.L, that he is a clown, incompetent etc .. ? The less said about them, the better!

Spot on post could not agree more

 

[alexthelion]

As usual, wins = Ole. Losses = players.

As opposed to wins=players, losses=Ole like you and many others would have us believe?

 

[Adam-Utd]

As opposed to wins=players, losses=Ole like you and many others would have us believe?

Works both ways right

No surprise that since our better players have returned from injury our results improved. Funny that!

 

[el3mel]

As opposed to wins=players, losses=Ole like you and many others would have us believe?

Most of those who slaughter the manager also slaughter the players, and I saw many giving him praise after the last match, however just pointing even with the squad being bad it's not as bad as what our position in the table was pointing to like what some were convincing us. Last game proved these players can actually play some good football, not as rubbish as people were telling us after every loss.

 

[alexthelion]

Come on now. Young will be first choice when fit and if Shaw comes back and plays crap. Young will be first choice.

Young wasn't first choice before Shaw got injured, why would he be when he returns? Also, with the emergence of Williams, that's another player in front of him.

 

[ReddBalls]

Young wasn't first choice before Shaw got injured, why would he be when he returns? Also, with the emergence of Williams, that's another player in front of him.

It is quite fascinating how some confuse Mourinhos team selection philosophy with Oles.

 

[Alemar]

It is quite fascinating how some confuse Mourinhos team selection philosophy with Oles.

Lately (and it's important to underline - only lately) Ole looks to have changed his approach to team selection. He stopped starting Lingard, he stopped starting Mata, he stopped playing Matic, he stopped selecting Jones for matches. He also demoted Chong, Dalot dissapeared. On the other hand, he continues to play Fred, continues to select and sometimes play Williams, continues to select and sometimes play Rojo (instead of Jones), continues to play Pereira, is slowly starting to give chances to Garner, relatively frequently gives some chances to Greenwood.

What does all the above mean - that for some reason (it's yet a question what the real reason is) Ole started to put more weight into "merit" category when selecting his team. It was blatantly obvious even a month ago that it wasn't the case - but currently, the only figure that still plays a lot while being consistently dogshit (if not worse) is Ashley Young.

 

[Dve]

Lately (and it's important to underline - only lately) Ole looks to have changed his approach to team selection. He stopped starting Lingard, he stopped starting Mata, he stopped playing Matic, he stopped selecting Jones for matches. He also demoted Chong, Dalot dissapeared. On the other hand, he continues to play Fred, continues to select and sometimes play Williams, continues to select and sometimes play Rojo (instead of Jones), continues to play Pereira, is slowly starting to give chances to Garner, relatively frequently gives some chances to Greenwood.

What does all the above mean - that for some reason (it's yet a question what the real reason is) Ole started to put more weight into "merit" category when selecting his team. It was blatantly obvious even a month ago that it wasn't the case - but currently, the only figure that still plays a lot while being consistently dogshit (if not worse) is Ashley Young.

Matic and Dalot are injured. Mata and Jones were never first choices. Lingard is dropped because he´s been crap. Playing your in form players is a chance of approach to team selection? What a load of crap. The biggest change "in approach" is that Williams and Garner are given chances instead of Gomes and Chang.

 

[Alemar]

Playing your in form players is a chance of approach to team selection? What a load of crap.

Crap or not, but that's what is happening. Previously, it wasn't happening - we had Lingard all the time, Matic all the time, Mata often, and all these players have been more or less shit all the time and yet were selected again. And again. And then again.

To select a team on merit looks a natural approach - but that's an approach Ole didn't previously pursue.

What will happen when Pogba, Tuanzebe and Shaw return from injuries - it will be interesting to see, certainly.

 

[USREDEVIL]

All this back and forth. Players or Ole, who's to credit, who's to blame. That's why an entire season needs to be permitted (assuming no relegation fight) as the realities will be more apparent as to what's really the main issue -- tactics/coaching or quality/injuries. Usually a mixed bag but we had a thin squad to start with and with losing Pogba, Martial for a while, and Luke Shaw, it's not really a mystery in my mind.

 

[SAFMUTD]

His big challenge is how to incorporate Pogba into a team which is now beginning to find form and belief due to its togetherness and work ethic. If he comes back and United play a listless lethargic match he’s going to have some very tricky decisions to make.

Easy Pereira out, Pogba In. Thats it, really there’s not much to think about Pogba is by far our most creative player and all other options are regular/mediocre at best. I dont see how its a problem, Pogba is not a lazy player just because he joggs in a particular way or he paints his hair in funny ways doesnt mean he is a diva.

 

[Mainoldo]

Young wasn't first choice before Shaw got injured, why would he be when he returns? Also, with the emergence of Williams, that's another player in front of him.

Did you not read what I wrote. Young plays even when he shouldn’t what makes you think things are going to change because you want it to.

 

[Tarrou]

Did you not read what I wrote. Young plays even when he shouldn’t what makes you think things are going to change because you want it to.

I think there is a good chance Williams will replace Young in the pecking order, sooner or later.

People were saying similar things about Matic not long ago, and he's disappeared. Lingard too.

 

[roonster09]

His big challenge is how to incorporate Pogba into a team which is now beginning to find form and belief due to its togetherness and work ethic. If he comes back and United play a listless lethargic match he’s going to have some very tricky decisions to make.

Most obvious and logical move would be in place of Pereira but instead of playing as a 10, he can play as attacking 8, like he did when Ole took over.

But we won't do the most logical thing, so it would be in place of Fred with Pereira playing as 10.

 

[Perseus]

Match was decent after our third goal but until Brighton scored their goal it wasn't much. Apart from one lucky goal and a scrappy one, we didn't create much.

I'm not saying it was a poor game but we need a run of games like yesterday, it cannot be stop and start.

Brighton went to a suicidal three at the back to chase the game. Rub of the green with all three goals.

Connolly was allowed a free header from the penalty spot in the first half (another set piece), but generally it was Fred and McTominay in midfield did the job they were expected to do. They prevented BHA from getting out of their own half in any meaningful way. Then the 4-2-3-1 without the ball can transform in a deadly 4-3-3 with plenty of pace on the counter.

 

[Sterling Archer]

Good signings – defo.
Improvement in underperforming players – yes.
Wants to play attacking football – yes.
Has shipped out a lot of the deadwood everyone has been complaining about for years – yes.
Exciting focus on youth – yes.
Loves the club and knows it inside out – yes.
A sense of direction – yes.

In contention for the top 4 – no.

But I'd take the first seven any day if we want to rebuild long term. Otherwise we'll lurch from one big name who doesn't get the club, to the next. Like we have since Ferguson.

Quite a bit there that's going to vary from fan to fan


Good signings – debatable. Sheffield and Leicester have let in fewer goals than us and are further ahead in the table. The latter, we paid 80 million to take their 'best' defender near the deadline day.

Improvement in underperforming players – not really. Young is terrible. Lingard is terrible. Matic is terrible. Lindelof looks worse than he did last season. Shaw is injured again. Pogba looked terrible being played in the wrong position. De Gea has had quite a few howlers.

Wants to play attacking football – Erm...wants? So did Jose and LVG.

Has shipped out a lot of the deadwood everyone has been complaining about for years – Sanchez is still on our books. Smalling as well. Mata, Rojo, Matic, Young, Jones, Bailly all of whom I've heard called deadwood are still here. Who left? Lukaku and Herrera, neither of whom was deadwood.

Exciting focus on youth – agree, yes.

Loves the club and knows it inside out – irrelevant.

A sense of direction – I mean, he knows where the stretford end is. But for the club? I don't think we've seen enough tangibles.

In contention for the top 4 – actually disagree with your no here. Still time to see where this heads.

 

[lRed]

I was looking for a "transfers" topic but I didn't find it, I guess it matches with this one to talk about Ole's future signings.
Feel free to answer and debate.

To keep heading where we are and reinforce/rebuild our team in the next 3-4 transfers windows, Solskjaer will have to look at players who fits his vision and his tactics. With time, we are clearly on the verge of seing something slowly building around attacking football. If we buy the right additions to the team, we'll progress sooner than we actually think. To fill the gaps I think we need to make the next positions our priorities : AM, DM, RW and ST. When we'll have players at these positions, we'll need to look at : a back up CB, LB depends on Shaw/Williams and a box-to-box profile depends on Pogba departure or not.
I'll put a little shortlist of mine, some of them are affordable/realistic, some of them could be hard to get depends on our qualification for Champions League or not, like I said, feel free to add your opinion about it I'm not closed.

AM : James Maddison, Bruno Fernandes, Dani Olmo, Kai Havertz
DM : Sander Berge, Declan Rice, Wilfred Ndidi
RW : Jadon Sancho, Hakim Ziyech, Jarrod Bowen, David Brooks
ST : Erling Braut Håland, Aaron Anthony Connolly, Ollie Watkins

LB : Ben Chilwell, Jamal Lewis, Greg Taylor
CB : Kristoffer Vassbakk Ajer, Ben Godfrey, Jack O'Connell
CM : Lewis Cook, Jack Grealish, John McGinn, Ryan Christie

To complete this exhaustive list, I let some of the Academy players I want to see regularly on the team sheet or/and loaned to come back to the club if it's a success. Greenwood, Garner, Gomes, Levitt, Williams, Tuanzebe, Laird, Henderson. Question mark on Chong and TFM, not sure about them. About the youngest and early prospects, we'll see how they do with the reserve : Kovar, Tanner, Puigmal, Galbraith, Mellor, Mengi, Devine, Mejbri, Elanga.

If Solskjaer manages to get the right signings at the right spots, I think we'll come good and have a strong side to challenge again for the very first places of Premier League and get back to winning days, maybe some trophies on the road.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Good signings – defo.
Improvement in underperforming players – yes.
Wants to play attacking football – yes.
Has shipped out a lot of the deadwood everyone has been complaining about for years – yes.
Exciting focus on youth – yes.
Loves the club and knows it inside out – yes.
A sense of direction – yes.

In contention for the top 4 – no.

But I'd take the first seven any day if we want to rebuild long term. Otherwise we'll lurch from one big name who doesn't get the club, to the next. Like we have since Ferguson.

I'd go for

• Appreciate the focus on the younger players but
• The management of the actual team has been crap

I mean, Manchester United are 9 points off 4th playing dreadful football most of the season and he's getting a positive assessment in 8/9 categories. Standards are low these a days.