Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | W15 D2 L4

[redasian]

He just keeps getting better. The football hasn't been entirely pretty, for a few reasons I can think of: fatigue, players not used to the intensity of Oleball, a flood of injuries. And still we keep winning.

Indulge my positivity, but here are 3 more Ole-related things to be happy about:

1) Ole has gotten everyone in the squad to step up. Pereira, so often slated here, grabbed a screamer and a decent assist; I'll confess I wanted Lukaku gone in the summer too, but he's won us the last 2 games. Fred came in and got the matchwinning assist.
2) It feels like we're getting back that aura we had under Sir Alex. Remember SAF writing that teams knew we'd just turn it on during the 2nd half of the season and become a juggernaut, and Ole's replicating that. I never had any doubt we'd outscore them; at 1-0 down, I was confident we'd score 2; when they equalized, I was confident we'd get a winner. All this with a half-fit Rashford and Sanchez going off. I'm sure that kind of psychology is rubbing off on the squad: you score one, we'll score 2...and we'll go for more. Even after going 3-2 up we managed to win a penalty.
3) Ole is getting better at in-game tactical switches: the Dalot sub was inspired, as was pushing Pereira to the no 10. It was already on the cards before Sanchez got himself injured, so all credit goes to Ole. Immediately you could see the impact Dalot had - we were a lot more productive on the right, also because Pereira drifted wide and whipped in a couple of Beckhamesque crosses. Imagine how we'll be playing if we get a proper RW in the summer, if we can play a RB on the wing and have him run riot. Ole has been faulted before for not making enough in-game tweaks, but here his sub actually won us the game.

 

[ash_86]

One thing we wont hear from him is that trophies wont matter. He's won so much that he know how important trophies are.

 

[Loublaze]

I'm not against Ole getting the permanent job but I'm still not convinced about our style of play recently as I don't like it very much despite having Mctominay, Smalling, Periera, and Young in the team. I like to watch the attacking game but I want to see more beautiful football, dominant, proactive and free-flowing football like we seen in Cardiff, Bournemouth game, etc.

Fulham, Southampton, Crystal Palace, Leicester City look more comfortable in possession and look better on balls than we were, only the difference is we have better attacking, we score a goal and they don't. Our passing rate is not much better, mid-table team passing level at best

I hope that will change next season if he gets a job and especially if we spend on new CB, RW, CM, and fullbacks, and go on a friendly tour to improve ourselves in possession, ball retention, pressing unit and movement before we can get ready for next season.

I get your point and I agree. Even in the game against Southampton you could see they were better drilled than us in the passing department.

 

[Atheist]

Perhaps we can go back to being coached by van Gaal since we can go to being better on the ball and we can also increase the "passing rate".

 

[ohhrooney]

Funny how some fans expect Ferguson style or some weird Pep/Klopp amalgamation from Ole.

What Ole has achieved till now is like Leicester winning the title. We were heading down and out. We were on our way to the worst finish since post 92.

With zero confidence and in self-destruction mode, we were a laughing stock. The mighty were on a slippery slope.

Without any excuses, without any signings, with so many injuries, with the lowest morale, he has simply turned everything upside down.

Seriously you expect to Barca football when 6 of our first choice players are out? We are on our way to catch Spurs. We can actually secure the 3rd spot.

It is his magic that we are even expecting now. Let that sink in.

 

[Natener]

Precisely. Not the one with the best CV. Not the flavour of the month one. Not the one with the experience or the trophies, but the right one. We are Manchester United and we create our own legends

Actually, taking aside the stint Ole had at Cardiff, his CV looks quite good. He did well with the reserves, won Molde their first league title, have done well in Europe as well for a club their size. In fact, his trajectory is similar to SAF's Aberdeen run but on a lesser level. Still, breaking Rosenborg's stranglehold on the league and making his mark in Europe with Molde is not too shabby.

 

[ManuMou]

Hire him or sack woodward. End of

 

[Jonas Hagman]

I'm not against Ole getting the permanent job but I'm still not convinced about our style of play recently as I don't like it very much despite having Mctominay, Smalling, Periera, and Young in the team. I like to watch the attacking game but I want to see more beautiful football, dominant, proactive and free-flowing football like we seen in Cardiff, Bournemouth game, etc.

Fulham, Southampton, Crystal Palace, Leicester City look more comfortable in possession and look better on balls than we were, only the difference is we have better attacking, we score a goal and they don't. Our passing rate is not much better, mid-table team passing level at best

I hope that will change next season if he gets a job and especially if we spend on new CB, RW, CM, and fullbacks, and go on a friendly tour to improve ourselves in possession, ball retention, pressing unit and movement before we can get ready for next season.

Rome was not built in a day my friend...

 

[Bobcat]

I'm stealing this point from James Horncastle on the Totally Football Show, but the thing Ole has to be given credit for is being able to create a seige mentality, but not in the way Mourinho does it.

I mean Jose built his career on that seige mentality of we've got our backs against the walls, they're all out to get us, it's us against the world, let's come out fighting etc.

With Ole on the other hand, his seige mentality seems almost to be a sense of Man United exceptionalism. 2/3 of our first choice central midefield out injured? We'll be fine because we're Manchester United. 2/3 of our first choice attack out injured? We'll be fine because we're Manchester United. Have to trust young players in difficult games? We're Manchester United.

All of us can't help but notice that there's something about the club that reminds us of Sir Alex again, and more than the searing pace on the counter, the fluidity in attack and the general positivity around the club, I really think it's that sense of exceptionalism. I mean it's obviously not entirely valid and has led to mawkish cries about the "Manchester United way" for the last 5 years as we've had our fingers burned over an over again but I do think that's the biggest difference. It's what stands out whenever you heard - and still hear - Gary Neville or Paul Scholes or Rio Ferdinand (or even Ole before he became manager) talk about Sir Alex and their time at the club: that somehow the rules that apply to the rest of the world don't apply to us; that for all our trophies, and the quality of our players, our worldwide fanbase and Charlton-Law-Best, somehow the most impressive thing about us was just this ethereal quality of being Manchester United.

Again, this hubris about us being exceptional is what got us David Moyes, but the "not arrogant, just better" attitude is also probably what made us so successful for so long and Ole seems very much to be willing to embrace it.

Very insightful and i totally agree. Ole it would seem is the polar opposite of Mouhrino. Jose was all about the individual (usually himself), Ole is all about the collective. Jose was/is incredibly arrogant, Ole is probably one of the most humble coaches on the planet. Jose regularly threw players under the buss, Ole talks up everyone. Jose moaned about injures and lack of investment in the squad, Ole could probably sub in Phelan and still talk about the incredible depth of his squad. Jose wanted to make us "hard to beat" and constantly worried about the other team, Ole's mentality is playing our way and have other teams worry about us.

Is he going to be the next Ferguson? No, no one is, but we are 15 games and three months in and we still look in great shape despite having the squad mauled by injures and having played some really tough games

 

[wolvored]

I'm not against Ole getting the permanent job but I'm still not convinced about our style of play recently as I don't like it very much despite having Mctominay, Smalling, Periera, and Young in the team. I like to watch the attacking game but I want to see more beautiful football, dominant, proactive and free-flowing football like we seen in Cardiff, Bournemouth game, etc.

Fulham, Southampton, Crystal Palace, Leicester City look more comfortable in possession and look better on balls than we were, only the difference is we have better attacking, we score a goal and they don't. Our passing rate is not much better, mid-table team passing level at best

I hope that will change next season if he gets a job and especially if we spend on new CB, RW, CM, and fullbacks, and go on a friendly tour to improve ourselves in possession, ball retention, pressing unit and movement before we can get ready for next season.

You have to remember he has come in halfway through a season without any input from bringing any of the players in. They have also been drilled pre season to play a certain way and that is hard to change the mentality entirely. When he has had a transfer window and a pre season under his belt, (yes im confident he will get the job), you will see the real way he wants us to play. I think it will be a similar style to Klopp.

 

[M Utd]

The Lingard substitution is probably the first strange thing he’s done since taking over. Made no sense to send him on at that point in the game.

To be fair to Ole he put his hands up and said he made a mistake. We all make mistakes and clearly that was one.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I loved the way he gave Pereira a huge grin and a hug when he subbed him off. About 5 minutes after we’d conceded a sickening equaliser. That’s the positivity you can feel flowing through the club since he took over.

 

[M Utd]

I'm not against Ole getting the permanent job but I'm still not convinced about our style of play recently as I don't like it very much despite having Mctominay, Smalling, Periera, and Young in the team. I like to watch the attacking game but I want to see more beautiful football, dominant, proactive and free-flowing football like we seen in Cardiff, Bournemouth game, etc.

Fulham, Southampton, Crystal Palace, Leicester City look more comfortable in possession and look better on balls than we were, only the difference is we have better attacking, we score a goal and they don't. Our passing rate is not much better, mid-table team passing level at best

I hope that will change next season if he gets a job and especially if we spend on new CB, RW, CM, and fullbacks, and go on a friendly tour to improve ourselves in possession, ball retention, pressing unit and movement before we can get ready for next season.

I think you need to appreciate that although our football isn't as attractive as it was this is down to available players. We've had to make a number of changes between and during games which has made for less fluid football. We know (from early games) how he'd like to play but he has not been able to pick the same players on a regular basis.

 

[Red00012]

Love Ole but that "Ole's at the wheel" song is starting to do my head in now.

Try starting a new chant maybe shark do do do do maybe?

 

[Red00012]

I loved the way he gave Pereira a huge grin and a hug when he subbed him off. About 5 minutes after we’d conceded a sickening equaliser. That’s the positivity you can feel flowing through the club since he took over.

Spotted this as well 2-2 at OT after conceding and he hugs Pereira , can you imagine Jose ? He would have ignored him , we would have lost 3-2 and he would have complained his youth players aren’t ready and throw another dig at the board.

 

[Igor Drefljak]

I'm so pumped for next season.
I was fully in the Poch corner, but not anymore, give this man the job!

He came into a broken side, heads down and completely turned it around.
We've still got gaps in the side that need sorting, get that done in the summer and we're good to go.

He may have had a 'nice' run to start his career here, but he's been almost perfect.
Sure against some of the bigger sides, we've looked a bit on the back foot, but still, get a few more players in and I cannot wait.

 

[Revan]

I get your point and I agree. Even in the game against Southampton you could see they were better drilled than us in the passing department.

We had 64% of the ball posession. How they were better drilled at passing and as good as us at it, when we kept the ball twice as much as them.

We also missed two starting midfielders.

 

[Adam-Utd]

We had 64% of the ball posession. How they were better drilled at passing and as good as us at it, when we kept the ball twice as much as them.

We also missed two starting midfielders.

Wasn’t anything to do with passing, they just worked harder than us in the first half. They pressed us like crazy and we struggled until we raised our game in the 2nd, and they tired.

I don’t think the diamond helped against the wingbacks either. We tried to close the middle of the pitch off but nobody ever seemed to pick up Bertrand or valery.

 

[Raw]

We had 62 points after 29 games last season when we finished 2nd. This season we have 58 after 29.

It's quite amazing considering how terrible we were before Solakjaer came.

 

[Canagel]

We had 62 points after 29 games last season when we finished 2nd. This season we have 58 after 29.

It's quite amazing considering how terrible we were before Solakjaer came.

so much for Joses "greatest achievement" . 4th this year + FA Cup will top the last two years combined.

 

[2 man midfield]

I'm stealing this point from James Horncastle on the Totally Football Show, but the thing Ole has to be given credit for is being able to create a seige mentality, but not in the way Mourinho does it.

I mean Jose built his career on that seige mentality of we've got our backs against the walls, they're all out to get us, it's us against the world, let's come out fighting etc.

With Ole on the other hand, his seige mentality seems almost to be a sense of Man United exceptionalism. 2/3 of our first choice central midefield out injured? We'll be fine because we're Manchester United. 2/3 of our first choice attack out injured? We'll be fine because we're Manchester United. Have to trust young players in difficult games? We're Manchester United.

All of us can't help but notice that there's something about the club that reminds us of Sir Alex again, and more than the searing pace on the counter, the fluidity in attack and the general positivity around the club, I really think it's that sense of exceptionalism. I mean it's obviously not entirely valid and has led to mawkish cries about the "Manchester United way" for the last 5 years as we've had our fingers burned over an over again but I do think that's the biggest difference. It's what stands out whenever you heard - and still hear - Gary Neville or Paul Scholes or Rio Ferdinand (or even Ole before he became manager) talk about Sir Alex and their time at the club: that somehow the rules that apply to the rest of the world don't apply to us; that for all our trophies, and the quality of our players, our worldwide fanbase and Charlton-Law-Best, somehow the most impressive thing about us was just this ethereal quality of being Manchester United.

Again, this hubris about us being exceptional is what got us David Moyes, but the "not arrogant, just better" attitude is also probably what made us so successful for so long and Ole seems very much to be willing to embrace it.

Definitely. I made a similar point as well.

I love how in a weird sort of way he’s putting the onus back onto the players without even appearing to do so. Jose was too direct. He would come straight out and say ‘we’ve got loads of injuries/we need better players/they didn’t want it enough’. The players could hide behind the fact there were injuries, or some players were getting thrown under the bus.

With Ole, there’s nowhere to hide. It’s all ‘yeah we’ve got injuries but we’re Manchester United, all our players are more than good enough to win the game’. The players will not only be filled with confidence but also thinking “oh...we’d better go out and prove we’re good players then.” That’s how you man manage football players.

It feels like the players now have to poke their heads above the parapet instead of just shying away from personal responsibility like they could when Jose told them they were all shite anyway. And he's done it whilst improving their confidence.

 

[cyril C]

I'm not against Ole getting the permanent job but I'm still not convinced about our style of play recently as I don't like it very much despite having Mctominay, Smalling, Periera, and Young in the team. I like to watch the attacking game but I want to see more beautiful football, dominant, proactive and free-flowing football like we seen in Cardiff, Bournemouth game, etc.

Fulham, Southampton, Crystal Palace, Leicester City look more comfortable in possession and look better on balls than we were, only the difference is we have better attacking, we score a goal and they don't. Our passing rate is not much better, mid-table team passing level at best

I hope that will change next season if he gets a job and especially if we spend on new CB, RW, CM, and fullbacks, and go on a friendly tour to improve ourselves in possession, ball retention, pressing unit and movement before we can get ready for next season.

If you assume we will be having McTom, Perreira and Fred as our starting 11 next season then your analysis is fine, but we are not. The Liverpool, Southampton and Crystal Palace were the most difficult games when we were down to half squad, so don't complain about poor passing or not as good as opposition. If you say Matic-Herrera-Pogba are not as good as Fulham/Southampton/LC and they were terrible in passing, a mid table team passing level at best, then you are blind.

I still believe we need 1 more MF addition to compliment and backup these 3, but don't rate them as mid-table level at best.

 

[RooneyLegend]

By the way, how great was it to see him congratulating Pereira after subbing him off? We were actually under a bit of pressure at the time and he was smiling away, congratulating him on his performance.

Amazing isn't it. You could just feel that Pereira's confidence will get a huge boost from that. The man is a managerial genius.

I'm not against Ole getting the permanent job but I'm still not convinced about our style of play recently as I don't like it very much despite having Mctominay, Smalling, Periera, and Young in the team. I like to watch the attacking game but I want to see more beautiful football, dominant, proactive and free-flowing football like we seen in Cardiff, Bournemouth game, etc.

Fulham, Southampton, Crystal Palace, Leicester City look more comfortable in possession and look better on balls than we were, only the difference is we have better attacking, we score a goal and they don't. Our passing rate is not much better, mid-table team passing level at best

I hope that will change next season if he gets a job and especially if we spend on new CB, RW, CM, and fullbacks, and go on a friendly tour to improve ourselves in possession, ball retention, pressing unit and movement before we can get ready for next season.

Go support City if you want a team that aims to dominate the ball all the time.

Perhaps we can go back to being coached by van Gaal since we can go to being better on the ball and we can also increase the "passing rate".

Exactly, we've never played that way. I'm shocked so many people want us to play that brand of football.

Hire him or sack woodward. End of

It really is that simple.

 

[Tiber]

Hell of a stat

 

[deadrevelz]

If we'd beaten Burnley and Liverpool we'd be in 3rd place, just 9 points off the top. We would have an outside chance of winning the fecking league.
Imagine if Ole had taken over in October.

 

[GaryLifo]

When you’ve been a fan as long as I have 37 years now of my 44 alive... I can tell you that you really need to just enjoy what’s happening at the moment. It’s freakishly awesome. I really hope it never ends because I thought this was gone forever and nobody would be able to take what Ferguson laid down and move it forwards.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Wasn’t anything to do with passing, they just worked harder than us in the first half. They pressed us like crazy and we struggled until we raised our game in the 2nd, and they tired.

I don’t think the diamond helped against the wingbacks either. We tried to close the middle of the pitch off but nobody ever seemed to pick up Bertrand or valery.

Which is exactly the way to beat a team that presses as hard as Southampton under their new coach. Let’s not forget that they recently beat Arsenal with these tactics.

 

[Grande]

Try starting a new chant maybe shark do do do do maybe?

You are my Solskjær
My Ole Solskjær
You make me happy
When skies are grey
Feck off, Mourinho
And Pochettino
Please don’t take
Our Solskjær away

 

[deafepl]

If you assume we will be having McTom, Perreira and Fred as our starting 11 next season then your analysis is fine, but we are not. The Liverpool, Southampton and Crystal Palace were the most difficult games when we were down to half squad, so don't complain about poor passing or not as good as opposition. If you say Matic-Herrera-Pogba are not as good as Fulham/Southampton/LC and they were terrible in passing, a mid table team passing level at best, then you are blind.

I still believe we need 1 more MF addition to compliment and backup these 3, but don't rate them as mid-table level at best.

I'm not going to say they were terrible in passing, I was implying opponents like Lecister City, Fulham, etc look more drilled on balls than we were, it's not helping us having Smalling and Young. You could argue that PSG looks better than us on balls despite having one true CM Verratti in 2 midfield with other CB who moved into CM to mark Pogba, they are more comfortable on balls, as the whole team, they work better as together, this is exactly what we need to improve ourselves otherwise we won't get to that level. Our pressing unit, movement, and ball retention need a bit of work as I know it's not going to improve overnight but I still have a hope that we'll get better with style of play.

 

[Canagel]

You are my Solskjær
My Ole Solskjær
You make me happy
When skies are grey
Feck off, Mourinho
And Pochettino
Please don’t take
Our Solskjær away

 

[Minimalist]

You are my Solskjær
My Ole Solskjær
You make me happy
When skies are grey
Feck off, Mourinho
And Pochettino
Please don’t take
Our Solskjær away

Love this.

 

[Red-Man-Walking]

You are my Solskjær
My Ole Solskjær
You make me happy
When skies are grey
Feck off, Mourinho
And Pochettino
Please don’t take
Our Solskjær away

fecking perfect

 

[Tiber]

You are my Solskjær
My Ole Solskjær
You make me happy
When skies are grey
Feck off, Mourinho
And Pochettino
Please don’t take
Our Solskjær away

 

[DatIrishFella]

Anyone else hate that the fans have added "you scouse bastards" into the Ole's at the wheel song?

So silly in such a fun little song.

 

[Hernandez - BFA]

My one quaint with him has been his substitutions at times - be it the personal choices but mainly the timings of them. Sometimes he waits a bit long I feel until he makes a change.

He got it perfect yesterday. When Sanchez was injured, I was disappointed he didn't bring on Chong - it would have been the best like for like replacement except Chong may have actually played like an actual footballer. Thought bringing on Dalot was kind of bottling it - why have a young winger on the bench if you're not going to bring him on when it would have fit perfectly?

Dalot changed the game and caused an instant impact.

Maybe I was just super keen to watch Chong make his debut and forgot that maybe it would have been a less than ideal platform for him to come on to when we were 1-0 down.

Still - Ole is doing a marvellous job. Very difficult not to give it to him at end of the season.

 

[RedSky]

Anyone else hate that the fans have added "you scouse bastards" into the Ole's at the wheel song?

So silly in such a fun little song.

I don't actually get why they added it. Doesn't make sense.

 

[Red00012]

I don't actually get why they added it. Doesn't make sense.

It was heard as well at OT yesterday. Disappointing.

 

[Jomini Da Tactician]

Ole is the hero we need and deserve. The baby-faced assassin. The kind that lulls people into a false sense of security before taking them out in the dark. The man who gives our opponents the chills with his hearty grin and friendly demeanour. They shall fear him, and we shall prosper.

 

[No Idea For Nickname]

You are my Solskjær
My Ole Solskjær
You make me happy
When skies are grey
Feck off, Mourinho
And Pochettino
Please don’t take
Our Solskjær away

me like

Anyone else hate that the fans have added "you scouse bastards" into the Ole's at the wheel song?

So silly in such a fun little song.

I hate it. Don't want it, ruins nice song. Saw on twitter last night they sing 1,2,3,4 instead YSB, so there is a hope..

 

[2 man midfield]

You are my Solskjær
My Ole Solskjær
You make me happy
When skies are grey
Feck off, Mourinho
And Pochettino
Please don’t take
Our Solskjær away

That’s great