I find it hard to square a post like this with the reality that in Ole's two full seasons, United had a combined 14 losses in the PL.
Being consistently "outplayed" by teams who consistently lose the game suggests that this definition of "outplaying" is not very useful.
He's not wrong, though. United has, or should have, higher aspirations than the majority of the teams which participate in the PL. Most of the teams we faced under Solskajer, or whoever came before him and will come after him, will happily settle for a draw, especially at OT. The problem in these two full seasons you mentioned is that his win percentage was slightly above 50% (39/76). And if you watched our games, you would be able to tell that we were a very streaky team: firing on all cylinders when key players hit top-form and looking utterly unable to change our fortunes whenever said players weren't available or were going through rough patches.
From that point onward, it kind of became a matter of how much goodwill you were willing to show him. Those who liked the idea of an ex-legend managing the club wanted to give him more leeway, they were pointing toward the practical difficulties at the time (each time) and they were prioritizing the league position over the poor points tally. The rest argued that this lack of consistency in our performances is enough proof that he hasn't laid the foundations of a new side on a solid base, that the continuous disparity between our ceiling and our bottom performances is an alarm for the future and that 66 & 74 points is nothing to write home about. In the end, the foundations weren't very solid after all.
I admit that i don't understand this new narrative that all was good until the wheels came off. If everything was working like clockwork, then why did the wheels come off so spectacularly? And if that's the case, are the people who suggest this willing to extend the same lenience to, let's say, Mourinho? After all, he finished second too, plus he actually won something. And from what i remember, all he wanted, after spending a fortune, was a new midfielder and a centre-half. Sounds familiar? From what i read, it's because Maureen is a pragmatic trophy hunter who didn't deliver at United (which is, hands down, true) while Solskajer was never about the trophies, instead his job was to get the club back on track (he did just that as interim). Which, subsequently, suggests that, after about the same amount of time and money spent, Solskajer should be considered a success because... trophies would have been a bonus under him. Which, afair, is what some people were screaming about. You know, the lowering of the bar so that the United man can jump over it.
As for the comparisons to Moyes and fat Frank. Moyes has a good track record in the PL. He's had his fair share of ups and downs, but ranking third in wins in the PL era (we all know who the top two managers are) is actually something you can put on your CV. Admittedly, the United gig did harm his reputation, but you could always bet on him landing a PL job. United not being able to get back on their feet in the meantime helped him hide his failings here under the rug too. Lampard is a member of England's golden generation and is also well-connected. You could say that he enjoys an immunity on the island similar to the one Solskjaer was afforded by a lot of people (and the board) within United's microcosm. Focus on the good things, never mind the bad ones. I can't see, from an outsider's perspective, how Tuchel's CL win reflects good on him... What the German changed was the over-confident - close to naive - attacking approach and the Sunday league level of defensive transition... both trademarks of Lampard's time at Chelsea. To me, it seems like some people are just desperate to credit him with something.
Solskjaer could get another PL job in the future. Before this season, he showed the willingness to go back to the drawing board whenever it was needed. The good-feel factor and the ability to instil a feeling of togetherness will not go unnoticed in a league where you can't catch a breather and things can quickly get out of control if the atmosphere in and around the dressing room is toxic. Plus, his unimaginative "sit back and hit on the counter" brand of football can still do the trick at most PL midtable clubs. So, yeah, he may get another shot at managing in the PL. It just won't be in the near future because no one can bounce right back after being mocked at every stadium in the country. And he won't be the great builder (or is it rebuilder?) that so many have in their minds. Just another manager who'll get appointed to steady a sinking ship at a midtable club, stay a year or two, and then be moved on when what he brings to the table becomes, with time, insufficient to keep the team afloat.
