Would you sack or keep Ole? (Poll reopened)

Sack or Keep OLE?

  • Sack Ole & appoint new coach ASAP

  • Keep Ole & back him to finish rebuild


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He was also desperate to land Haaland. Unfortunate Raiola got involved during negotiations.
While the real reason was that Haaland thought United were too big a step, in the sense that he was not sure to get many starts. Martial was in excellent form, and he had an easier path into the first team at Dortmund.
 
Blitzkrieg is what I would describe it too.. I had a Dutch friend of mine who messaged me during the game and he was telling me he couldn't believe his eyes. It seems like Leeds weren't prepared for the onslaught either and were expecting us to counter. We played with risk and intensity which was beautiful to watch. Now I hope we can maintain the high tempo consistently.
Quite some compliment coming from you!

I guess Leeds allowed us to play like this today, and you can't play like we did today against a low block or a better high press team like Liverpool?

Also we are still relatively new at this style of football, and it takes quite a lot of time to master? I'm certainly seeing genuine progress in this way of playing since last few months.
 
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There is definitely undeniable progress made but we’ve also been highly inconsistent. For me Ole’s clearest impact is on our overall movement in the final third and on counters. Some of our exchanges around the box with Bruno’s multiple back heel passes to open Fred etc were simply breathtaking.

Our defensive structure needs substantial work for a sustained title challenge and we still seem to occasionally forget covering the far post on set pieces when our full backs tuck in to support our CBs. Also slight tendency for us to produce loose passes at the back due to our eagerness in moving play forward in the counter.

If we bring in a defender in the January window to add a bit of composed solidity at the back , I’ll be really pleased!
Why would you think that? We are the in-form team in the Premier League in 2020, top of the form table for the last 5, and the last 10 games. What kind of consistency are you looking for exactly?
 
I didn't watch the match, but the score was fantastic.

Leeds are a strange side, so I am not quite sure whether I see this as something significant... we play when there is no expectation or pressure.

My thoughts are not going to change until I see far, far, far more consistency, confidence, and performance against the big teams. I haven't seen that under OGS.

I ask myself, after over 100 odd games in charge, within the next two seasons, can I see OGS taking us to the title? Or the CL, or even close, realistically. I may hope so, but does he convince me that he will?

Unfortunately no... we have some v talented players, but we are a team based on inspirational moments. Man Utd should be a team setting out to beat others, that's a historical legacy. I don't like this counter-attacking football. I like Liverpool, Citeh, Bayern etc.. they go out and play ...
 
Why would you think that? We are the in-form team in the Premier League in 2020, top of the form table for the last 5, and the last 10 games. What kind of consistency are you looking for exactly?

Do you honestly feel that we are the most in form team this calendar year? And what has been the result?

We're awfully inconsistent, that's obvious.

Or do you think we are playing consistently?
 
I really have to give credit for Ole today for not starting Pogba against Leeds. Managers with bigger profiles than him have caved to pressure and played players on reputation rather than recognising what was required in a game. Pogba would have been slaughtered under Leeds' press today, while Fred and McTominay were absolutely outstanding. It was a brave call and paid off in spades. Well done Ole!
 
Those rushing to push Ole out should remember the Arsenal fans desperately wanting Wenger out. As Sir Alex said the grass is not always greener over the fence. I've been frustrated with some of Ole's decisions but have not yet changed my vote. Hope he's learning on the job.
 
Do you honestly feel that we are the most in form team this calendar year? And what has been the result?

We're awfully inconsistent, that's obvious.

Or do you think we are playing consistently?
We have been consistent over the year. However, it does feel we have lost the most important games. FA Cup, Europa Cup and those first few games at the start of the season were a nightmare. However, we do have an excuse to forgive the players and the coaching staff for the start as most teams involved in Europe suffered from no pre-season.
 
Why would you think that? We are the in-form team in the Premier League in 2020, top of the form table for the last 5, and the last 10 games. What kind of consistency are you looking for exactly?

I agree with your assessment in terms of our immediate league form.

Our CL performance was woeful in parts. We should be in the knockout stages not in the Europa. We’ve struggled at home before this uptick in performance. We’ve found it difficult against teams where we’ve had an initial upper hand against - such as Arsenal, Chelsea and City. That “blip” against Spurs still sits clearly in my mind.

Don’t get me wrong.....Things look very promising now but I feel we should be measured in how we define this good spell as part of our broader season. It could be a psychological defence mechanism on my part to avoid disappointment
 
Quite some compliment coming from you!

I guess Leeds allowed us to play like this today, and you can't play like we did today against a low block or a better high pass team like Liverpool?

Also we are still relatively new at this style of football, and it takes quite a lot of time to master? I'm certainly seeing genuine progress in this way of playing since last few months.
It was a performance I've been asking for and it came as a pleasant surprise. We actually sacrificed defensive stability for goals and i'm over joyed with the performance and we made a pretty decent outfit look very ordinary. I think todays performance has really made me look at things alot more positively.
 
It was a performance I've been asking for and it came as a pleasant surprise. We actually sacrificed defensive stability for goals and i'm over joyed with the performance and we made a pretty decent outfit look very ordinary. I think todays performance has really made me look at things alot more positively.
Would we have beaten Leipzig with an identical performance?

I think Ole got brutally traumatised by the 1-6 loss to Spurs and that led to him having to sacrifice attacking play for defensive stability. But now he's gotten results back under control, he can focus more on style of play.

Hopefully Ole takes alot of confidence out of this game and is prepared to bring out this game plan in more games?
 
Ole does much better when under pressure. A manger who is at his best when under pressure is perfect for United. Even the biggest managers (e.g. Pep, and especially, Mourinho) tend to fall apart under constant pressure.
 
Today it was very good. One of our best games. Let's hope we get the same against Leicester too.
 
He seems to be planning ahead with his team selection. Those decisions make sense, I think he's doing good job considering the squad we've got and how he manages it.

I just wish he used van de Beek more instead of Pogba, but today was a good sign for the future.
 
Would we have beaten Leipzig with an identical performance?

I think Ole got brutally traumatised by the 1-6 loss to Spurs and that led to him having to sacrifice attacking play for defensive stability. But now he's gotten results back under control, he can focus more on style of play.

Hopefully Ole takes alot of confidence out of this game and is prepared to bring out this game plan in more games?

I think the fact McTominay attacked so much and also Leeds were terrible in front of goal helped us. We can't play like this against better teams who defend better.
 
Do you honestly feel that we are the most in form team this calendar year? And what has been the result?

We're awfully inconsistent, that's obvious.

Or do you think we are playing consistently?
Yes, I do feel that. We have been the best team since February, not the whole calendar 2020, my apologies for the wrong information in my previous post.

Since GW 26 last season up till today, here's the table:
TeamGamesPoints
Manchester United2657
Liverpool2757
Manchester City2653
Chelsea2647
Tottenham2747
Leicester2740

Last 10 games:

TeamPoints
Manchester United23
Liverpool22
Manchester City19
Chelsea, Southampton, West Ham, Leicester, Tottenham18
Wolves17

Last 5 games:

TeamPoints
Manchester United13
Liverpool, Manchester City11
Everton, West Ham10
Leicester9
Burnley8

We have trouble in the starting minutes of our games. That has been pretty obvious. And I'm sure the coaching staff are addressing that problem.
 
Read a very interesting book this weekend: “from good to great” by Jim Collins. "Greatness" is defined by Collins by a company that achieves financial performance several multiples better than the market average, over a sustained period.

When I read the book, it was impossible not to draw parallels to United and OGS.

One identified characteristic in companies that made the leap from good to great is Level 5 Leadership: Leaders who are humble, but driven to do what's best for the company.

Level 5 leaders display a powerful mixture of personal humility and indomitable will. They're incredibly ambitious, but their ambition is first and foremost for the cause, for the organization and its purpose, not themselves. While Level 5 leaders can come in many personality packages, they are often self-effacing, quiet, reserved, and even shy. Every good-to-great transition in our research began with a Level 5 leader who motivated the enterprise more with inspired standards than inspiring personality.

So.. Level 5 Leadership is the antithesis of egocentric celebrity - a person who love to be in the spotlight and take credit for the result.

The characteristics of a Level 5 leader is a spot on description of Ole, while the antithesis seems to match Jose and LVG perfectly.

Jim Collins also write in his book that Level 5 leaders are very often underestimated and discredited by experts and people outside of the company while highly rated by the people on the inside.

Something to think about, folks!


Ive also read the book and its brilliant, deservedly one of the best corporate leadership books ever written. And I've also thought about what you wrote re Ole and level 5 leaders. I think you are right in your conclusion, especially your final paragraph. Great observation and thanks for sharing!
 
Yes, I do feel that. We have been the best team since February, not the whole calendar 2020, my apologies for the wrong information in my previous post.

Since GW 26 last season up till today, here's the table:
TeamGamesPoints
Manchester United2657
Liverpool2757
Manchester City2653
Chelsea2647
Tottenham2747
Leicester2740

Last 10 games:

TeamPoints
Manchester United23
Liverpool22
Manchester City19
Chelsea, Southampton, West Ham, Leicester, Tottenham18
Wolves17

Last 5 games:

TeamPoints
Manchester United13
Liverpool, Manchester City11
Everton, West Ham10
Leicester9
Burnley8

We have trouble in the starting minutes of our games. That has been pretty obvious. And I'm sure the coaching staff are addressing that problem.

I still think title talk is a joke but feck me if that's not title winning form
 
I agree with your assessment in terms of our immediate league form.

Our CL performance was woeful in parts. We should be in the knockout stages not in the Europa. We’ve struggled at home before this uptick in performance. We’ve found it difficult against teams where we’ve had an initial upper hand against - such as Arsenal, Chelsea and City. That “blip” against Spurs still sits clearly in my mind.

Don’t get me wrong.....Things look very promising now but I feel we should be measured in how we define this good spell as part of our broader season. It could be a psychological defence mechanism on my part to avoid disappointment
At home we've lost to Palace, Spurs and Arsenal.

Palace were incredibly lucky to play us when we were visibly not ready for the season. The Spurs game was as much about Martial's red card as anything. We played Arsenal at their best this season (look at their performance before and after they won at Old Trafford) and won because of a silly penalty given away by Pogba.

The CL exit feels so disappointing only because we were in such a great position only to lose it from there. It sucked a lot but that's life. We move on.
 
Do you honestly feel that we are the most in form team this calendar year? And what has been the result?

We're awfully inconsistent, that's obvious.

Or do you think we are playing consistently?
We are definitely the form team over the last six matches.
Do you honestly feel that we are the most in form team this calendar year? And what has been the result?

We're awfully inconsistent, that's obvious.

Or do you think we are playing consistently?

Think you’re wrong, chap. Over the past six matches, we are the form team as you can see here

https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/premier-league/form-guide

Liverpool have a better goal difference but we have 2 more points than them.

Earlier in the season, I criticised our consistency and I still have a question mark over our ability to sustain this run.

But hey, let’s be a pot half full type of Forum. Why shouldn’t we go on a decent run?

Merry Christmas!
 
It was a performance I've been asking for and it came as a pleasant surprise. We actually sacrificed defensive stability for goals and i'm over joyed with the performance and we made a pretty decent outfit look very ordinary. I think todays performance has really made me look at things alot more positively.

I just pray this is not yet another false dawn as we've seen enough of them to last a lifetime since Fergie retired. Is this the turning point, can we sustain this good form for the remainder of the season? Maybe, maybe not, it's impossible to say one way or the other given how inconsistent we've been this season. All I know is I'm fed up taking one step forward and two steps back.

We're in a great position to have a real go at a title challenge, third in the table with only 5 points (plus a game in hand) standing between us and Liverpool. It's now or never for Ole.
 
I am firmly Ole out, but today we were great. Problem is this was our 3rd game this season which we were great, the other were either bad or with patches. Come May, after 2.5 season we will have a much clearer idea of where Ole is at. Still think we will be battling with Chelsea, spurs and Lei, maybe even everton, for a top 4 positiion. For those that are Ole In? will a top 4 position satisfy you? Now we have to step it up and not stagnate or regress, no top 4 is surely not acceptable.
 
Can we close this thread. It's stupid bumping it after every match, we might as we install a revolving door for Ole at Carrington.

If he has a poor run of 5-6 games then fine we can revisit this.
This was already said and the bad run happened again. Hopefully it wont happen again.
 
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I'm absolutely happy for today's performance and give all the credit to the manager as well as the players for turning up the way they did. That doesn't mean though that I should lose the focus over the larger context of Ole's era and change my opinion going by the latest 90 mins of football.

About the record in last 6/7 games? Many times in those 7 games we were terrible and were bailed out simply by individual brilliance on the latter stages of the game. Those results can't pull the wool over my eyes, at least. Not that such a record is worth even cherishing. Emery had Arsenal with 22 unbeaten games and he publicly demanded more. That didn't save him from the sack.

"If we win our game in hand" is one of the most dangerous phrase in football. It alludes and traps people with a sense of comfort. I hope our players don't put rest much on it. But I don't really think we are on a title challenge.

I still want Ole to finish this season and I'm very open for him to convince me by winning a big trophy at the end of the season. All I'm saying is that the warning signs are still there and Ole and his coaching staff have a lot of faults and results like this shouldn't cover it. Fans are just fickle and paint stories to suit their agendas when the result swings their way.

Sure don’t change your opinion because of 90 minutes of good football, it won’t be right. But I’m not sure why you don’t want to acknowledge the fact that we are unbeaten in our last 7 league games (19 out of possible 21 points). Why do you give credit to individual brilliance when we win games? I’m sure when we lose, it’s Ole’s fault isn’t it?

i wouldn’t compare us ti Emre’s arsenal. I see a project in what Ole is doing. Also, Ole demands more from his players. Why are you saying he doesn’t? I don’t buy much into the “public” demands. Jose used to do that a lot and those days were just terrible for the club and players.

what ole has done in his first full season was an achievement. Finishing 3rd was actually a good result (i hate to say this, but it’s true). What he’s doing in the league this season is also good so far. The champions league was a blow, but won’t rule him as a failure yet. I would’ve liked to see better signings in the summer to complement what was done last year, nonetheless, the squad is not bad and we are doing well.

he has also shown over the last games that he is not scared of making bold, tactical changes (dropping Pogba today was one).

i’m not painting any stories here and I have no agenda. I am just reflecting on what i see. Ole is doing well.
 
I still don't think Ole is the right man...... BUT...... he's got us in a very good position & if he can keep this form up heading into the Liverpool game, it could be a really interesting season.

I think people right now should give him the benefit of the doubt & get behind him. Sure there's problems but the results are their to be seen.

If he can get a CB & DM in January it could just be enough to put in a real challenge.
 
It would be madness to sack him right now.
Our best moments post SAF have come with Ole at the helm and we've just been served another today.
 
Would we have beaten Leipzig with an identical performance?

I think Ole got brutally traumatised by the 1-6 loss to Spurs and that led to him having to sacrifice attacking play for defensive stability. But now he's gotten results back under control, he can focus more on style of play.

Hopefully Ole takes alot of confidence out of this game and is prepared to bring out this game plan in more games?
I think we would've knocked RBL out if we played on the front foot. We played on the back foot and allowed average attackers to hurt us which is most frustrating.

I think you could be right about the 1-6 v Spurs and it could be the reason he set us up in a more compact manner in the games after. But the first half earlier is the way to destroy a low block because you play a higher line and sacrifice defensive stability for goals with fullbacks marauding forward causing overloads. Our backline will get exposed in such a setup but it'll be worth it in the long-term. Against the big clubs play a bit more reserved and then in the summer try and add to the squad and improve the defensive balance of the team by adding a DM and CB who have the required attributes.
 
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