Ole Gunnar Solskjær | 2021/22 Discussion

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I firmly believe that United should go after Pochettino to replace Ole at the first moment possible, however I can't deny the sensational job Ole has done in kicking out the trash and the dead-weight. Lukaku sold, Fellaini sold, Sanchez out, Matic on his way out, Smalling out and Jones (as good as) out. I'm willing to bet anything that Bailly and Rojo would be sold this summer too. His signings have been great as well.

Pogba is another one I want rid because I just don't like the drama he and his agent bring to the table, but in the meanwhile, put him in an advanced role without defensive duties (instead of Pereira/Lingard) and watch this team shine! Remember when he had like 10 goals in 10 games right after Ole had taken over? He was just incredible in that role
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Thoughts? Our ability to consistently pick up 3 points against smaller teams is awful but the deadwood is being cleared, young players are getting chances and players like Rashford are improving.

I'd love a more experienced, attacking coach, but Ole isn't doing such an awful job given the constraints placed by the board and the state José left the squad in.
Mind explaining why you quoted something from Reddit that isn't anything special or new instead of just writing your own thoughts on here? Even if they were rehashed from what you read?

Genuinely curious. (Wondering Are we reaching this stage where plagiarism encompasses opinion posts on forums?)
 
He must know something we don’t because this squad isn’t going to get us top 4. So no signings in January will cost him his job.
Fourth is definitely attainable now. Yes, Pool has locked it up unless a stray team bus takes Klopp out on the way to his car after a match. Leicester is safely in second, I think. But City looks a bit vulnerable now. Chelsea are on shaky ground right now and will probably see a dip coming as the season grinds on - they're only 5 points ahead at the moment. That could evaporate within four or five matches.
 
Mind explaining why you quoted something from Reddit that isn't anything special or new instead of just writing your own thoughts on here? Even if they were rehashed from what you read?

Genuinely curious. (Wondering Are we reaching this stage where plagiarism encompasses opinion posts on forums?)

Thought it was a reasonably interesting take on the situation, and the Caf is usually quite brutal in its assessments so I wanted to see its rejoinder.

Plus it was easier to copy and paste on my phone while I was at college :lol:
 
Fourth is definitely attainable now. Yes, Pool has locked it up unless a stray team bus takes Klopp out on the way to his car after a match. Leicester is safely in second, I think. But City looks a bit vulnerable now. Chelsea are on shaky ground right now and will probably see a dip coming as the season grinds on - they're only 5 points ahead at the moment. That could evaporate within four or five matches.

We've six points from six which makes the five point gap to Chelsea seem small, our (Ole's) big test will be against the smaller teams - we have to start consistently beating them. Dropping points against Palace, Southampton, Newcastle, Wolves, Sheffield and Villa already this season is absolutely unacceptable. Counter attacking serves us well against the likes of Spurs and City, but with the quality in our squad we have no excuses for the poor showings against much smaller teams
 
I can’t help but truly appreciate what he’s done for the club. A spine to the team is built through DDG - Maguire - Scott - Rashford who are all leaders within themselves. He’s galvanized the club to the core by bringing the youth to life through Williams, Garner, Tuanzebe and Greenwood. Tuanzebe is another one that is a proper leader with some silky feet on him for a defender. If Ole leaves today he’s left us with a team average age of ~22 that consist of very strong character, leadership and determination. Hes trimmed out many of the players that were either mercenaries or who didn’t really ‘get it’ playing for Manchester United. The squad now does. They take pride in actually doing well for Manchester United. You see the youth buzzing around wanting to impress. You see players like Rashford and Jesse who in the summer were posting videos humping pillows being bellends now actually becoming mature role models while taking accountability for their performances.

Oles really stamped down the culture in here again - all while being flawless in the transfer market. The football results will flow from here. His record against the top 6 is a result of his tactical edge but more importantly his ability to get 100% buy in from your players. That is half the battle as a manager. You can be a mourinho .. a pep .. a Klopp but if you don’t connect to your players forget it. Oles got it. Absolutely no sense to have anyone else in his spot moving forward.
 
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Well that's the thing. People won't mention when he does something good tactically, but are quick to spot his mistakes.

Exactly, plus you clearly don't need any tactics to beat City away, and take points to Liverpool?

The state of some fans...
 
Exactly, plus you clearly don't need any tactics to beat City away, and take points to Liverpool?

The state of some fans...
While I agree, his tactics are good vs the bigger clubs as he sets up in a way which utilises pace and wing play. The jury is out on small teams that sit back.

I’m not Ole in or Ole Out I feel he will do enough to stay here or not enough to be sacked but lately there was been improvement which is good to see.
 
That's your mistake right there. You're taking the views of the most reactionary supporters on here and assuming those to be the general view. Most rational people will just put a bad half of football to being just that - a bad half of football. It happens to every single team in the history of the game. The management team made some adjustments at half time, we win the match in some style and come away with quite a few positives - game over, good win, move on.
Not really part of this conversation here, but I believe this was his point exactly. When we play badly, it's the player's fault. Then, when we do better in the second half, it's because the management made adjustments. I didn't see anything really different 'management'-wise in the second half, besides maybe the players coming back out a bit more fired-up. The first half we were so slow and so bad at...everything. If you are going to attribute the lack of creativity and general cluelessness in the 1st half solely to the players, then credit for the 2nd half should go to the players too. If our improvement in the 2nd half was Ole's and the coaches' doing, then our terrible play in the 1st should be on the management as well.

Or maybe it isn't all just black and white, something the majority of this forum fail to see.
 
The holier than thou condescension here is precisely the problem with those who reduce this situation to a false dichotomy of logic and rationality by pretending that they are the more sensible ones because of their cynicism. For all the criticism they level at the ones who support him, I haven't seen them have any perspective when they judge our form either in that a large reason why we have been up and down, apart from having a young squad is due to injuries to important players, so much so that we naturally play a lot better when we get people like mctominay and martial back. This is not even mentioning how they damn with faint praise when we do actually play well because it will mean that they have to challenge their own positions so also when they engage in double standards like putting an asterisk when we win but not when we lose. When we win the opposition is crap and when we lose it is because we are crap.

The political angle has a lesson there. One needn't take the moral high ground or automatically assume that one is right because of what they believe in.
Oh my. You don't even know how you sound, do you? Pot, kettle, black.
 
Not really part of this conversation here, but I believe this was his point exactly. When we play badly, it's the player's fault. Then, when we do better in the second half, it's because the management made adjustments. I didn't see anything really different 'management'-wise in the second half, besides maybe the players coming back out a bit more fired-up. The first half we were so slow and so bad at...everything. If you are going to attribute the lack of creativity and general cluelessness in the 1st half solely to the players, then credit for the 2nd half should go to the players too. If our improvement in the 2nd half was Ole's and the coaches' doing, then our terrible play in the 1st should be on the management as well.

Or maybe it isn't all just black and white, something the majority of this forum fail to see.

I don't disagree. Said in the post match thread that movement was sharper, passing was sharper. The adjustment I saw was in Mata and Garners positions though. We couldn't get the ball out from defence in the first half because the press was very good and our players were passing very poorly. Maybe the heat map will debunk my feelings here but it seemed very clear to me that those two were taking up different positions when the defence had the ball and it made it far easier to play out. Everything else followed on from that.
 
Thought it was a reasonably interesting take on the situation, and the Caf is usually quite brutal in its assessments so I wanted to see its rejoinder.

Plus it was easier to copy and paste on my phone while I was at college :lol:
Fair enough! Wasn't sure if you were being overly cautious with credit. And also f them. Their ITK bullsh*t caused my inner muppet great distress haha
 
I hope he's playing mind games. He has been bailed out by a lucky break of games again. Do not let this slip. Sign your players Ole, you can't afford another few months of poor form!
 
Comment from Reddit:


I firmly believe that United should go after Pochettino to replace Ole at the first moment possible, however I can't deny the sensational job Ole has done in kicking out the trash and the dead-weight. Lukaku sold, Fellaini sold, Sanchez out, Matic on his way out, Smalling out and Jones (as good as) out. I'm willing to bet anything that Bailly and Rojo would be sold this summer too. His signings have been great as well.

Pogba is another one I want rid because I just don't like the drama he and his agent bring to the table, but in the meanwhile, put him in an advanced role without defensive duties (instead of Pereira/Lingard) and watch this team shine! Remember when he had like 10 goals in 10 games right after Ole had taken over? He was just incredible in that role
.

Thoughts? Our ability to consistently pick up 3 points against smaller teams is awful but the deadwood is being cleared, young players are getting chances and players like Rashford are improving.

I'd love a more experienced, attacking coach, but Ole isn't doing such an awful job given the constraints placed by the board and the state José left the squad in.
Both of the paragrapghs seem schizophrenic
 
Just to chuck this in there, though.

Last 3-4 games we've looked good - very good / excellent to some.

So if we shit the bed against everton, what will the narrative be?

"Ole lacks the players, this squad is shit?"

"Ole has always been sub-par"

or something somewhere in between? Because I can tell you damn well right now, there will be about 10% of posts that is somewhere in between. So what is it? Is this squad shit and we've fluked some results or done what midtable teams do, and go on a purple patch? Or is this manager shit and he's over-achieved the past few games?

Something to bear in mind when reacting to the result this weekend, whatever the outcome. Bear in mind your previous opinions and reactions.
 
Just to chuck this in there, though.

Last 3-4 games we've looked good - very good / excellent to some.

So if we shit the bed against everton, what will the narrative be?

"Ole lacks the players, this squad is shit?"

"Ole has always been sub-par"

or something somewhere in between? Because I can tell you damn well right now, there will be about 10% of posts that is somewhere in between. So what is it? Is this squad shit and we've fluked some results or done what midtable teams do, and go on a purple patch? Or is this manager shit and he's over-achieved the past few games?

Something to bear in mind when reacting to the result this weekend, whatever the outcome. Bear in mind your previous opinions and reactions.

Why can't we just be a young team with a lack of squad depth and is therefore inconsistent? Why does it have to be either "we're a mid table team" or "players are shit" or "Ole is shit"?

Do you seriously see life in such binary terms as the bolded bit? Genuinely curious about this.

EDIT: Also regarding the mid table point. Finishing mid table one season doesn't make you a mid table team or club. Case in point Leicester were mid table last season and are flying now. We could just grow as again - we have quite a young team.
 
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We absolutely need to bring in at least a solid midfielder and a striker. Lots of people saying it would be naive not to sign someone and i agree. A look over the entire season show that we are too thin. And it would be really really stupid not to do it just because we've had a few decent results lately. All those recent results have done is given us a "chance" at top 4. We need to take advantage of that little chance.
 
Just to chuck this in there, though.

Last 3-4 games we've looked good - very good / excellent to some.

So if we shit the bed against everton, what will the narrative be?

"Ole lacks the players, this squad is shit?"

"Ole has always been sub-par"

or something somewhere in between? Because I can tell you damn well right now, there will be about 10% of posts that is somewhere in between. So what is it? Is this squad shit and we've fluked some results or done what midtable teams do, and go on a purple patch? Or is this manager shit and he's over-achieved the past few games?

Something to bear in mind when reacting to the result this weekend, whatever the outcome. Bear in mind your previous opinions and reactions.
If we lose then it's big Dunc's new manager bounce. If that excuse is good enough to dissmiss oles caretaker games then it's good enough for Dunc.
 
For some reason, I think we are starting to score more in recent games so we are getting in a safer zone in term of game management. Let's see.
 
Just to chuck this in there, though.

Last 3-4 games we've looked good - very good / excellent to some.

So if we shit the bed against everton, what will the narrative be?

"Ole lacks the players, this squad is shit?"

"Ole has always been sub-par"

or something somewhere in between? Because I can tell you damn well right now, there will be about 10% of posts that is somewhere in between. So what is it? Is this squad shit and we've fluked some results or done what midtable teams do, and go on a purple patch? Or is this manager shit and he's over-achieved the past few games?

Something to bear in mind when reacting to the result this weekend, whatever the outcome. Bear in mind your previous opinions and reactions.

No need to hold on to narratives. Just watch the match and comment on what you see.
 
The OleIn crowd, from my observations, lack rationality and operate solely on emotion. Sort of like Trump supporters.

Oh my. You don't even know how you sound, do you? Pot, kettle, black.

No, he’s absolutely right. Just look at how you started the op he replied to. Declaring people who disagree with you as irrational and driven solely by emotion. That’d actually be something akin to, say, Trump? It’s just a poorly thought out opinion which I’m sure was designed to make you seem rational and fair minded, and a worse start if you actually wanted to inspire genuine and interesting discussion, and not a tit for tat exchange which this predictably turned into.
 
No, he’s absolutely right. Just look at how you started the op he replied to. Declaring people who disagree with you as irrational and driven solely by emotion. That’d actually be something akin to, say, Trump? It’s just a poorly thought out opinion which I’m sure was designed to make you seem rational and fair minded, and a worse start if you actually wanted to inspire genuine and interesting discussion, and not a tit for tat exchange which this predictably turned into.
Eh, it wasn't meant to make me seem like 'anything'. It was just my opinion on the people declaring our manager can do no wrong no matter how badly we play or how bad our results go. The OleOut crowd aren't much better, unable to see ANY of the positives Solskjaer brings to the club (positivity, team spirit, both more important than people realize) and seeming like a rabid pack of wolves waiting to pounce on the manager's next misstep. To me, their accusations are equally idiotic. The difference, from my observations, is that the people against Ole usually point to our many sub-par statistics this season (some cherry-picked, for sure) which unfortunately do not look great for Ole. The people supporting Ole then respond with subjective observations of Ole's 3 great purchases, playing youth, and how he knows the United Way. So yes, one more objective, one more subjective. Both equally stupid when taken to extremes.

People are free to give your opinions on the 'OleOut' crowd, which I am sure both you, judging by your need to pick out my post and respond, and he, have.
 
Comment from Reddit:


I firmly believe that United should go after Pochettino to replace Ole at the first moment possible, however I can't deny the sensational job Ole has done in kicking out the trash and the dead-weight. Lukaku sold, Fellaini sold, Sanchez out, Matic on his way out, Smalling out and Jones (as good as) out. I'm willing to bet anything that Bailly and Rojo would be sold this summer too. His signings have been great as well.

Pogba is another one I want rid because I just don't like the drama he and his agent bring to the table, but in the meanwhile, put him in an advanced role without defensive duties (instead of Pereira/Lingard) and watch this team shine! Remember when he had like 10 goals in 10 games right after Ole had taken over? He was just incredible in that role
.

Thoughts? Our ability to consistently pick up 3 points against smaller teams is awful but the deadwood is being cleared, young players are getting chances and players like Rashford are improving.

I'd love a more experienced, attacking coach, but Ole isn't doing such an awful job given the constraints placed by the board and the state José left the squad in.
I agree mostly with this, if pogba can get his mind on the rest of the season knuckle down who knows he may change his ways as he is imo the world class player when on his game he's unplayable, loving the young guns is the United way couple of world class players were do good next season, we knew it would be hard but it will come I have faith in this young team long may they grow with confidence
 
Eh, it wasn't meant to make me seem like 'anything'. It was just my opinion on the people declaring our manager can do no wrong no matter how badly we play or how bad our results go. The OleOut crowd aren't much better, unable to see ANY of the positives Solskjaer brings to the club (positivity, team spirit, both more important than people realize) and seeming like a rabid pack of wolves waiting to pounce on the manager's next misstep. To me, their accusations are equally idiotic. The difference, from my observations, is that the people against Ole usually point to our many sub-par statistics this season (some cherry-picked, for sure) which unfortunately do not look great for Ole. The people supporting Ole then respond with subjective observations of Ole's 3 great purchases, playing youth, and how he knows the United Way. So yes, one more objective, one more subjective. Both equally stupid when taken to extremes.

People are free to give your opinions on the 'OleOut' crowd, which I am sure both you, judging by your need to pick out my post and respond, and he, have.
When you make ridiculous generalizations like you did, you can be sure someone will call you out on it, be it me or whomever else has reading comprehension above a fifth grade level, which is all it takes really to spot the folly of said generalization. The fact that you reduce individual people, in this case posters on redcafe, to opposing groups of ‘OleIn crowd’ and ‘OleOut crowd’ says a whole lot about your perspective. You also invoked the spirit of Trump supporters, for those exact same people you made that incredibly thick generalization about, which is the exact thing these Trump supporters do, on just about every subject (or so I’m told). Afterwards you go all out like you’re not one of these extremes.

Do you really not see the irony here?

To be clear, I wouldn’t want to cast judgement on those who want him sacked, seeing as I’m still in that group (edging ever closer to jumping ship though). I just appreciate precise language and respectful discussion, and so found your starting op in that exchange incredibly bloated, and in lack of a better expression at this time, houlier than thou’. Like you can see reason but noone else can, except those whose opinion you deem objective. Like a threadbare squad and injuries to important players aren’t actually factors in our poor runs, no that’s just subjective conjecture, or something.
 
Why can't we just be a young team with a lack of squad depth and is therefore inconsistent? Why does it have to be either "we're a mid table team" or "players are shit" or "Ole is shit"?

Do you seriously see life in such binary terms as the bolded bit? Genuinely curious about this.

EDIT: Also regarding the mid table point. Finishing mid table one season doesn't make you a mid table team or club. Case in point Leicester were mid table last season and are flying now. We could just grow as again - we have quite a young team.

Very much this. We aren't going to win every game we play and there is no doubt the pitchforks will come out when that happens, all from the same group of posters.

We will be brilliant one week and awful the next. It's not really about this season. We now have a very good first XI backed up by some concerning replacements in certain positions, but there is a lot of promise there.

We need to be patient. If we win something this season that's a bonus, but I'm not personally going to judge him on that, or whether we get a top 4 finish.

If we lose at Everton? Well that will suck, and will be a step back, but we cant be deciding game by game whether this mgmt team are good enough. It's not fair to do that this season. Not until we get those 3 or 4 additions that we badly need.
 
Eh, it wasn't meant to make me seem like 'anything'. It was just my opinion on the people declaring our manager can do no wrong no matter how badly we play or how bad our results go. The OleOut crowd aren't much better, unable to see ANY of the positives Solskjaer brings to the club (positivity, team spirit, both more important than people realize) and seeming like a rabid pack of wolves waiting to pounce on the manager's next misstep. To me, their accusations are equally idiotic. The difference, from my observations, is that the people against Ole usually point to our many sub-par statistics this season (some cherry-picked, for sure) which unfortunately do not look great for Ole. The people supporting Ole then respond with subjective observations of Ole's 3 great purchases, playing youth, and how he knows the United Way. So yes, one more objective, one more subjective. Both equally stupid when taken to extremes.

People are free to give your opinions on the 'OleOut' crowd, which I am sure both you, judging by your need to pick out my post and respond, and he, have.

To summarise this post:

Regalia's opinion = objective analysis
Those who disgree = subjective analysis
Most people are stupid. Regalia is not.

:lol: :)
 
The holier than thou condescension here is precisely the problem with those who reduce this situation to a false dichotomy of logic and rationality by pretending that they are the more sensible ones because of their cynicism. For all the criticism they level at the ones who support him I haven't seen them have any perspective when they judge our form either in that a large reason why we have been up and down, apart from having a young squad is due to injuries to important players, so much so that we naturally play a lot better when we get people like mctominay and martial back. This is not even mentioning how they damn with faint praise when we do actually play well because it will mean that they have to challenge their own positions so also when they engage in double standards like putting an asterisk when we win but not when we lose. When we win the opposition is crap and when we lose it is because we are crap.

The political angle has a lesson there. One needn't take the moral high ground or automatically assume that one is right because of what they believe in.
Also, don't forget that the next game is always the "real test". Doesn't matter who we've just beaten, it's always the next match.
 
Just to chuck this in there, though.

Last 3-4 games we've looked good - very good / excellent to some.

So if we shit the bed against everton, what will the narrative be?

"Ole lacks the players, this squad is shit?"

"Ole has always been sub-par"

or something somewhere in between? Because I can tell you damn well right now, there will be about 10% of posts that is somewhere in between. So what is it? Is this squad shit and we've fluked some results or done what midtable teams do, and go on a purple patch? Or is this manager shit and he's over-achieved the past few games?

Something to bear in mind when reacting to the result this weekend, whatever the outcome. Bear in mind your previous opinions and reactions.
The answer is a lack of creative midfielders.
 
He still needs to go. If we do don't get Haaland he needs to go even quicker.
 
Oh my. You don't even know how you sound, do you? Pot, kettle, black.
i am quite aware of how i sound but you don't because by saying that you either have trouble with comprehension or are just offering up a token weak riposte because you have nothing else OR don't know what pot, kettle, black means because i've not said anywhere i am absolutely right. OTOH you reduced it to 2 camps and generalizations while creating like i said a false dichotomy which plainly doesn't exist and now are trying to sit on the fence and appear neutral. we know the abuses and unflattering characterizations for Ole that have come from some people in particular by calling him an incompetent fraud, glazer shill ,etc.
 
Why can't we just be a young team with a lack of squad depth and is therefore inconsistent? Why does it have to be either "we're a mid table team" or "players are shit" or "Ole is shit"?

Do you seriously see life in such binary terms as the bolded bit? Genuinely curious about this.

EDIT: Also regarding the mid table point. Finishing mid table one season doesn't make you a mid table team or club. Case in point Leicester were mid table last season and are flying now. We could just grow as again - we have quite a young team.
This. A reasonable point of view that seems to escape most posters.
 
Why can't we just be a young team with a lack of squad depth and is therefore inconsistent? Why does it have to be either "we're a mid table team" or "players are shit" or "Ole is shit"?

Do you seriously see life in such binary terms as the bolded bit? Genuinely curious about this.

EDIT: Also regarding the mid table point. Finishing mid table one season doesn't make you a mid table team or club. Case in point Leicester were mid table last season and are flying now. We could just grow as again - we have quite a young team.

There's no issue with a young team being inconsistent, but being consistently poor against lower half opposition is still a worry until it's addressed, rather it's an issue with mentality, tactics or both. There's plenty of young teams built in the past and present that are able to show their quality vs teams like Crystal Palace and Bournemouth. Arsenal's young team under Wenger, years back, although didn't win titles, put away weak opposition fairly consistently which is why they always ended up 4th.
 
If we go into the new year top 5, without Pogba barely playing all season I'll be quite impressed. Long way to go though, this period of the season is a nightmare for teams even with squads much deeper than ours.
 
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