Ole Gunnar Solskjær | 2021/22 Discussion

[7even]

The signs are there that he’s starting to lose the dressing room.

The environment isn’t toxic but some players don’t care any longer about our results. The way he handle the Pogba situation is a telling sign about a manager without control. His post game presser was embarrassing and showed total lack of understanding of our shortcomings.

We start a away game against Arsenal with visible lack of intensity. How is it possible? Our pressing game isn’t synchronized, players don’t seem to know know when and how to execute simple instructions. We don’t have any game plan except counter attacks, we are defensively unorganized and players don’t communicate under pressure.

Ole bench in form players and starts with Lingard, Shaw and James. He put Matic on the left and Fred on the right.

His post game presser makes me cringe, it’s embarrassing to see a United manager with so little lack of understanding.

I understand why Pogba wants to leave. He’s probably not the only one.

 

[Judas]

Problem is we approached the Arsenal match not like a big game, I know they're terrible, but the approach was as if we were playing a relegation team, it was the sort of performance we're used to seeing from us against lesser sides.

 

[crossy1686]

Blame Solskjaer all you want but this says everything about our midfield and poor recruitment.

 

[Hammondo]

Next up on redcafe: "Arsenal have a better squad than us".

Ole's side has been in some decent form so he won't be sacked now, but feck me it's very very worrying just how fast Arteta has drilled this shite Arsenal team.

They were really not that impressive.

 

[Judas]

Any half decent side would have destroyed that second half Arsenal display, they were rubbish.

 

[izec]

They were really not that impressive.

they completely outplayed us in the first half.Could have been 3 or 4 up, while we had a Rashford shot from the first minute to show for.We were utter shite on top of it.

that we didnt do anything in the second half while they were gassed is a joke

 

[Sylar]

The biggest issue I have with him is how slow he is at reacting. We were poor and 1nil down. He didnt change anything. He doesnt even need to change players, but change tactics, make it a 451 until half time or 433 or something to overload the midfield.

He then waits another 12 minutes to make the subs after half time. Was he waiting to see what Arsenal would do before reacting? And if so, how does that even change which subs he makes. He needed 2 subs straight on at half time, but like with Watford he waits for the 55-60 minute period.

Id love to see what we are training also. It seems like we dont even train setpieces (taking and defending). Its all so frustrating.

And on top of that, it seems like a step forward, and then one backward with him in terms of selections.

 

[Moonwalker]

I support Ole Gunnar Solskjaer because:

He wears his heart on his sleeve and he leaves everything in the dugout. He always gives 110% and he knows what makes the players t(h)ick. Ole gets the soul of the club, but he also has a clear vision, and things are always moving in the right direction. He needs time, you need to back him or sack him, because Rome wasn't built in a day. He also has a clear tactical nous and a good understanding of the game. He coaches his team to win and believes in youth and progress. He's undoubtedly building the right foundations. He only picks players who want to play for the shirt and bleed red. Above all else, he understands conditio humana and what it is to be a United fan, because he's United through and through.

 

[Buchan]

Solskjaer is a perfect Glazer appointment. All of his Christmasses have come at once by getting the job in the first place and he’s not going to jeopardise that by rocking the boat in terms of criticising the board re: funds, more time to build etc. He’ll con them all by hiding behind this ‘cultural reboot’ and long-term vision (buzzwords which the Glazers and Woodward are hoodwinked by) and we’ll slowly and surely slip into the abyss.

It’s absolutely infuriating as a fan that this level is considered acceptable for a club of United’s stature.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

They were really not that impressive.

Ole’s United are seemingly good at one thing, playing against the big clubs, yet Arsenal absolutely dominated us for 45 minutes yesterday and had the game wrapped up by half time. United were very lucky not to be 4 nil down.

“Not that impressive”.

 

[Roboc7]

so you want to play like Liverpool and Man City with the squad we have? Hate to say this. But we’re not good enough. Not playing like Molde, just working with the material available at the moment.

Of course we play like Molde that’s Ole’s style. He’s been here a year he’s playing how he wants us to play, it’s quite negative and basic but that reflects his ability as a manager. No point pretending we hired someone better than we did or that he’s going to magically get better.

Give him whatever players he wants and he won’t have us playing like the top sides, he doesn’t know how to.

 

[Utdstar01]

not because others failed, because he is rebuilding. We can’t afford to keep changing managers/changing the club’s direction every year. Like you said, we need to sort out the structure first.

Doesn't change the fact the manager isn't good enough. We've shown no signs of improvement in any area of the pitch in the last year. No change in style of play. We don't know how to beat teams unless it's on the counter. Why would you give millions of pounds to a manager that has done nothing to suggest he's capable of leading this team to titles? I don't blame Pogba for wanting to leave. We don't deserve players like him and Martial at the club. It's like any job.

How would you feel working at your job with a team full of employees, some who aren't good enough but severely lack guidance and coaching from their manager who has no strategy or ideas to achieve, can't assemble a successful functioning team and only knows one way of working?

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Tell me how good does it feel

Not great to be honest.

Not sure about that.

Drifter knew...

 

[Nou_Camp99]

I think this team has the least creativity in it than any United team I can remember in my lifetime and i'm nearly 35.

Midfield can't see a pass. Fullbacks can't beat a man or cross. James is still incredibly inconsistent which is to be expected tbf. Rashford is a forward playing outwide. He's not a natural winger. Martial still hit and miss.

Absolutely borderline criminal to go into the season with just one player who makes stuff happen and said player, Pogba, doesn't even want to be there. It's not an exaggeration.....we have the most inept board out of any Elite football club bar none.

 

[tenpoless]

Blame Solskjaer all you want but this says everything about our midfield and poor recruitment.

that's your take from a video where Rio and Van Persie literally said Sir Alex used to say "Find a pass to your CF (Van Persie) or you will not play" and "If the conversation never happened in the office, Van Persie would have never scored that volley against Villa"?

They're encouraging change in tactics and hoping for more from Ole.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

I think this team has the least creativity in it than any United team I can remember in my lifetime and i'm nearly 35.

Midfield can't see a pass. Fullbacks can't beat a man or cross. James is still incredibly inconsistent which is to be expected tbf. Rashford is a forward playing outwide. He's not a natural winger. Martial still hit and miss.

Absolutely borderline criminal to go into the season with just one player who makes stuff happen and said player, Pogba, doesn't even want to be there. It's not an exaggeration.....we have the most inept board out of any Elite football club bar none.

Ole was happy going into the season with this squad.

He is as much to blame as the board.

Both are completely inept.

 

[el3mel]

Blame Solskjaer all you want but this says everything about our midfield and poor recruitment.

All I get from this quote is we had a more demanding coach back then.

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Aren't we supposed to appoint a DOF first before letting him make a decision to pick the manager?

Complete reactionary club without a plan, doubt we will ever make it back to the top.

In the midst of all the celebrating at the time, this posts stands out as the most sensible one.

Reactionary and a sucker for sentiment sums up our club and our fans really.

 

[Gehrman]

Maybe the worst manager since SAF himself finished 11th?

I don’t know if OGS will succeed to the standard we desire, but from what he started with, we won’t know and it will take a lot longer than 12 months.

The knee jerk hyperbole is so tiresome. How do you guys do it?!

Look where United where when Saf took over.

 

[DWelbz19]

 

[ruudvan10]

A list of records broken under Solskjaer

• United had never went 500 minutes without scoring from open play until...Solskjaer
• United went on a run of losing 7 out of 9 matches between the months of March-May. Hasn't happened since 1930-1931 until....Solskjaer.
• United have never lost at home to Crystal Palace in the PL era until...Solskjaer.
• United have never gathered under 30 points in the PL era by Boxing Day until... Solskjaer.
• Arsenal have failed to keep a clean sheet in 18 of their last 19 fixtures, lost their last 4 at home & have won 1 out of their last 15 in all competitions until....Solskjaer.

Tbh now I can see why around 48% of people on this forum want him to stay. Who can argue with those records and that goal he scored 20 years ago

 

[Nickelodeon]

The smile in his post match presser shows how it's completely fine losing. It's almost like we tried and we lost, so what? Plus apparently losing once a month (even though its two weeks) is now a norm and how we shouldn't complain against it. Moyes level cluelessness and Mourinho like self-absorption.

At least he could come out and be honest and say that our squad is not good enough and we are working towards making it a title challenging squad. But no. Lads tried their best, will only sign if players fit our magical DNA and everything is hunky-fecking-dory.

This is the season beyond which the smaller teams wouldn't even consider winning against us as an achievement. Due to poor recruitment (manager as well as players), squad management, and the overall nonchalance in the face of repeated humiliations, we have finally escaped what could be called a blip and officially entered an AC Milan like has-been phase.

 

[TrueRed79]

So what‘s the plan? Sack the manager every year? No thanks. For the first time since SAF, I see work being done to properly build the team. Good summer signings, players who don’t want to be there are sold and youngsters are given a proper chance. We won’t see results immediately. It will take time until we sign the right players and until our young players mature (Tuanzebe, Williams, McTominay, Greenwood.... great potential there).

Managers better than Ole have failed at the job since they all had short term vision. let’s really stick by our manager this time.

He's taken 39 points from a possible 90 over the last year. He's incapable of managing this club. Theres a base standard to be here and managing this club. He's falling well short of that and deserves to be sacked. The "give the manager time" brigade really are a strange bunch.

 

[Kurton]

So what‘s the plan? Sack the manager every year? No thanks. For the first time since SAF, I see work being done to properly build the team. Good summer signings, players who don’t want to be there are sold and youngsters are given a proper chance. We won’t see results immediately. It will take time until we sign the right players and until our young players mature (Tuanzebe, Williams, McTominay, Greenwood.... great potential there).

Managers better than Ole have failed at the job since they all had short term vision. let’s really stick by our manager this time.

Don't understand what rebuild everyone speaks about. What Ole is doing is even more short-termist than any other previous managers had done. In fact, LVG was the only one really building something because he was focusing on implementing a system rather than players, but our fans had no patience as he's not a club legend. What Ole is doing is just patching up things and saving his own arse at the expense of the club's long-term approach to a footballing philosophy. Its always going to fail, you don't build a house on a week foundation, it's going to crumble eventually.

He bought Maguire and AWB because he could then defend as if our lives depended on it and hope with the pace we have upfront that we could muster something. If he had an actual plan, he wouldn't have squandered so much transfer money on one defender. Instead, he would have made sure to have a more balanced squad. He and the board as just saving each other's arses using his legend status to pull the wool over our stupid fans, that's all it is.

 

[TsuWave]

wow

 

[slored1]

It's not merely about results. I remember when Mourinho finished 2nd and Klopp finished behind us (17/18). Even then many of us had said that despite our better results over the course of the league campaign, Liverpool were taking bigger strides towards becoming a top class football team. And if I'm not mistaken this was before they spent big. Their defence was leaky but their football was slick, dominant, exciting and fitting for a club that wanted to be the best. Klopp's tactical ideas were clearly visible from watching that team play and it was a modern/progressive system which was suited aim high i.e dominate teams.

There are many other examples but the point is that clinging on to mere results, which aren't even impressive, and ideological choices (youth etc) as signs of true progress IMO is as flawed as it was when people were hailing Mourinho. We need to make progress on the football pitch. In the way we play the game. In the fluidity and cohesion of the team. And that progress needs to be in the right direction - aimed at becoming a dominant football team. And I see none of it under Ole. For me, he's an average manager for this level. On that'll come and go and make way for someone else to have for sort us out. He's got a few ideological parallels with SAF in the same manner that 99% of players/coaches/fans for whom the SAF era was close to their hearts would. We'd all like to pkay exciting football with young players. I'm sure Rene (our ex coach) should. I'm sure the sardars who sit near the dugout would too. They all can't manage this football club. At the end of the day, alongwith focus on youth or pace or whatever, to be successful at Manchester United you need to be top class coach or one that's on his way to soon proving himself to be one. Ole is neither. His United focus on youth but tactically, in terms of how well they are managed /coached on the football pitch, they are an average run of the mill team. We need better. Sooner or later the people in favour Ole will sadly realise this.

Brilliant post. Completely agree with everything you've said.

 

[Robbie Boy]

Someone actually said "we're still in 3 cups" to defend him. I mean we literally haven't played a single game in one of those cups ffs

The excuses are getting worse than paper thin at this rate.

 

[crossy1686]

that's your take from a video where Rio and Van Persie literally said Sir Alex used to say "Find a pass to your CF (Van Persie) or you will not play" and "If the conversation never happened in the office, Van Persie would have never scored that volley against Villa"?

They're encouraging change in tactics and hoping for more from Ole.

The conversation before this was RVP saying that the midfield lacks quality, that's why they didn't see the runs.

 

[tenpoless]

Someone actually said "we're still in 3 cups" to defend him. I mean we literally haven't played a single game in one of those cups ffs

The excuses are getting worse than paper thin at this rate.

I'm sick of it, Robbie.

 

[tenpoless]

We've only lost once in 2020 too. That's why Ole needs to stay. Heading into the right direction.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Ole’s United are seemingly good at one thing, playing against the big clubs, yet Arsenal absolutely dominated us for 45 minutes yesterday and had the game wrapped up by half time. United were very lucky not to be 4 nil down.

“Not that impressive”.

As @Judas said and I mentioned somewhere, I don't think we were sent out last night as though we were playing a big club. The players have been listening to, if Arsenal lose they will be three points above the relegation zone. The manager should have drummed into them about the rivalry and had them fired up. To me on the field Scott is the only one who seems to grasp that and he was missing. Lingard telling all and sundry how United can beat Arsenal. How did that go Jesse?

 

[Hammondo]

they completely outplayed us in the first half.Could have been 3 or 4 up, while we had a Rashford shot from the first minute to show for.We were utter shite on top of it.

that we didnt do anything in the second half while they were gassed is a joke

Yes we were terrible, but they were far from amazing.

 

[Hammondo]

Ole’s United are seemingly good at one thing, playing against the big clubs, yet Arsenal absolutely dominated us for 45 minutes yesterday and had the game wrapped up by half time. United were very lucky not to be 4 nil down.

“Not that impressive”.

We were terrible, they were not amazing. We had a slow team with terrible movement and they didn't.

 

[Nou_Camp99]

We're probably going to go out of both domestic cups over next 3 weeks. The FA cup i don't particularly mind going out of for this one season. Squad isn't good enough to cope with 4 comps. Losing to City in semi finals will hurt though. And we will lose. No chance Pep falls for the same trap again and with no Mctominnay for us it won't work anyway even if Pep is naive again.

Pressure will only increase from here on in.

 

[e.cantona]

He’s got the players to be performing better and specially to be showing a style.

Thats my main concern with him, he isn’t implementing a system at all, we haven’t developed a clear style in the whole year he’s been in charge and you don't need great players to do that, feck even Norwhich has a clear style implemented thats a clear case of lack of quality in the players but you can see which system they follow and how the manager wants them to play.

feck not many teams in the premier league have the quality we have in attack, we looked disjointed and undercoached just watch our games when in attack it seems all improvised, someone gets the ball and the movement around is almost nonexistent thats why the players hold the ball for too long and we keep seeing dull toothless football, thats not a lack of quality in the players thats clearly lack of coaching.

Of course we look great when given space on the counterattacks because that barely needs coaching there you need speed and quality in your players to finish those chances, where you really see the coaching job is when facing low block opposition thats when you need a plan and a proper attacking system.

All I see with Ole are excuses, minimizing our squad, starting by minimizing the players by calling them “the boys” feck that shit him calling them youngsters is just to lower the pressure on the team while we are terribly failing he has managed to convince a great part of the fans that being this shitty and getting suck poor results is acceptable because it will “take time” to rebuild, I would accept that if I see some improvement but feck we played better when he first arrived we have stagnated with him there’s no improvement at all.

What can he do differently, he could start by at least not pretending this shit circus is ok, at least having autocritic besides saying “we didn’t want it enough, we weren’t good enough” with a freaking smile on his face game after game.

What is this system you expect that you are not seeing? Is it a formation, style of play, tempo, intensity?

Early to mid 2000's we went through a re-build after a period of great success with great players/team. Then we entered a new period of great success, with great players/team. Towards the end of SAFs reign we saw signs of what's to come and anoter big rebuild. What happend. SAF retired so no rebuild from him. Moyes f*n it up big time in literally months. Then comes LVG and Mourinho with their philosophies and we're left with some 'on paper' good players and imo too many immature rich children who needed/needs getting rid of.

OGS seem to be the first manager since SAF doing an actual rebuild and create a team for the long term. And he has to do that, not after SAF, but after the catastrophe that's been the years after SAF. He's done alright, things considered. We're 5th as of right now.

And on the things he's saying in public. Pretty sure he's trying to build confidence, or at least not take away what confidence these players have. I honestly belive he wants rid of a few more players. Group psychology can be a funny thing. I am sure all at the club realise we've not performed as we maybe should be based on the 20-ish years before SAF retired.

 

[Gehrman]

What is this system you expect that you are not seeing? Is it a formation, style of play, tempo, intensity?

Early to mid 2000's we went through a re-build after a period of great success with great players/team. Then we entered a new period of great success, with great players/team. Towards the end of SAFs reign we saw signs of what's to come and anoter big rebuild. What happend. SAF retired so no rebuild from him. Moyes f*n it up big time in literally months. Then comes LVG and Mourinho with their philosophies and we're left with some 'on paper' good players and imo too many immature rich children who needed/needs getting rid of.

OGS seem to be the first manager since SAF doing an actual rebuild and create a team for the long term. And he has to do that, not after SAF, but after the catastrophe that's been the years after SAF. He's done alright, things considered. We're 5th as of right now.

And on the things he's saying in public. Pretty sure he's trying to build confidence, or at least not take away what confidence these players have. I honestly belive he wants rid of a few more players. Group psychology can be a funny thing. I am sure all at the club realise we've not performed as we maybe should be based on the 20-ish years before SAF retired.

We are 5th, but our lowest point tally at this stage of the season in like 40 years something. We are benefitting from Arsenal and Spurs being shit as well.

 

[Nickelodeon]

So what‘s the plan? Sack the manager every year? No thanks. For the first time since SAF, I see work being done to properly build the team. Good summer signings, players who don’t want to be there are sold and youngsters are given a proper chance. We won’t see results immediately. It will take time until we sign the right players and until our young players mature (Tuanzebe, Williams, McTominay, Greenwood.... great potential there).

Managers better than Ole have failed at the job since they all had short term vision. let’s really stick by our manager this time.

We have a really shitty team and we're not doing a good job of rebuilding. This theory needs to stop. AWB and James have been decent signings but nothing more. Maguire has underwhelmed to be honest. The struggles we've had with injuries should've made us proactive and targets for January should've been defined and negotiations should've begun or completed by now. We have a non-existent midfield and Lingard is a consistent starter for us and the manager now doesn't even seem bothered by getting beaten/dropping points on a regular basis. We're getting worse with time. People need to see that.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

We had a slow team with terrible movement and they didn't.

That was my entire point, for all of the “give managers time” etc we’ve heard, it was incredible how well drilled a shit Arsenal side looked after just 10 days with Arteta.

 

[youmeletsfly]

That was my entire point, for all of the “give managers time” etc we’ve heard, it was incredible how well drilled a shit Arsenal side looked after just 10 days with a proper manager.

Fixed.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

What is this system you expect that you are not seeing? Is it a formation, style of play, tempo, intensity?

Early to mid 2000's we went through a re-build after a period of great success with great players/team. Then we entered a new period of great success, with great players/team. Towards the end of SAFs reign we saw signs of what's to come and anoter big rebuild. What happend. SAF retired so no rebuild from him. Moyes f*n it up big time in literally months. Then comes LVG and Mourinho with their philosophies and we're left with some 'on paper' good players and imo too many immature rich children who needed/needs getting rid of.

OGS seem to be the first manager since SAF doing an actual rebuild and create a team for the long term. And he has to do that, not after SAF, but after the catastrophe that's been the years after SAF. He's done alright, things considered. We're 5th as of right now.

And on the things he's saying in public. Pretty sure he's trying to build confidence, or at least not take away what confidence these players have. I honestly belive he wants rid of a few more players. Group psychology can be a funny thing. I am sure all at the club realise we've not performed as we maybe should be based on the 20-ish years before SAF retired.

Some real garbage here.

LVG was doing a full on rebuild from the ground up and let’s be honest here, in hindsight he was doing a much much better job than anyone else has done.