Would you sack or keep Ole? (Poll reopened)

[JB7]

“He wouldn’t get offered another job anywhere else”

think about that statement that a few have said. He’s got an almost 55% win rate at United. How the feck wouldn’t he get offered another job elsewhere you idiots?

It is almost as stupid as the "no other top 6 club would be in for him if their manager left the club" argument.

No other top 6 club would try and get Uniteds manager because they're the United manager ffs. It'd be like Bilbao trying to poach Zidane from Real.

 

[RashyForPM]

Sure, but i dont think we learned anything new based on todays game and so far i think hes shown
+ Good man manager
+ Has an eye for the right players
+ Seemingly a good motivator
- Questionable tactical skills
- In game management seem lacking

We looked rusty as fecking shit today, which is understandable and no ones fault really. Last season he proved he can assemble a very capable first XI and we actually did show quite a bit of bottle when we managed to scrape a CL spot. Everyone expected (including Ole) that the rebuild would continue and the added revenue from CL could be put into the team. That hasnt happened, and we have spent months fecking about with the Sancho deal while everyone else around us have strengthened.

Completely agree. Unfortunately, the only available manager I would sack Ole for, Pochettino, has proven to have all of these attributes in abundance. If he is willing to come, I would sack Ole, something which I don’t like saying due to his status here.

 

[Relfy]

I do see where you are coming from in terms of fitness however, I do not think Ole helped himself either this game.

1. Prior to the match hailed Bailly for being really fit and looking sharp, plays Lindelof who was dropped by Sweden because he looked tired and run down.

2. Started Pogba who has not had any pre season whilst Donny has been back training with Ajax since mid August and has played 2/3 games

3. Fosu Mensah... we have AWB, Williams, Dalot and he starts him at RB

We can all make excuses for Ole, but this is a recurring theme now. I am Ole in camp at the moment but we have looked crap in games v West Ham, Southampton, Palace, Copenhagen

I get what you're saying, but we have to remember that Ole sees these lads in training every day and we merely speculate on their fitness on the internet. For all we know Lindelof and Pogba had trained really well all week and looked sharper? TFM was an odd one, but AWB is just out of quarantine after taking an ill-advised trip to Dubai. Dalot seems to be halfway out the door (which I don't fully understand myself). Williams, well I don't know, but maybe hasn't looked as fit/sharp as TFM. I don't believe Ole threw these lads into the lineup because they played last year, he picks a team to win games of football.

In a perfect world Lindelof would have been replaced already and TFM should have been moved on too, but that's transfer talk...

 

[romufc]

I get what you're saying, but we have to remember that Ole sees these lads in training every day and we merely speculate on their fitness on the internet. For all we know Lindelof and Pogba had trained really well all week and looked sharper? TFM was an odd one, but AWB is just out of quarantine after taking an ill-advised trip to Dubai. Dalot seems to be halfway out the door (which I don't fully understand myself). Williams, well I don't know, but maybe hasn't looked as fit/sharp as TFM. I don't believe Ole threw these lads into the lineup because they played last year, he picks a team to win games of football.

In a perfect world Lindelof would have been replaced already and TFM should have been moved on too, but that's transfer talk...

I know we cannot speculate but it seems Ole lacks balls in his management. He cannot drop Pogba or Rashford however bad they are.

See you have slightly contradicted yourself there, Pogba was in quarantine a week after Pogba who was tested positive for COVID. How can Pogba recover and be fully fit whilst AWB is not fit?

 

[crossy1686]

I agree with what you are saying but we should not be losing against Palace. All the negativity around the club is clearly having an effect on the pitch.

Its such a disruptive start to the season. Magure issues, AWB, Pogba. Even Bruno joined training late after birth of his child.

3 weeks and another international break.

I agree, but all in all, that game could just be put down to us not being sharp enough because we’ve not had a preseason. We won’t know for a couple more weeks yet.

 

[romufc]

I agree, but all in all, that game could just be put down to us not being sharp enough because we’ve not had a preseason. We won’t know for a couple more weeks yet.

Agreed. The one thing I was sure of with Ole was to start the season with great energy. Every time we have a break, the team looks solid and great energy, this time out we looked knackered.

Lets see we have 2 games this week before a big game v Spurs.

 

[slored1]

I can't believe how can anyone blame Ole for the Palace loss. He got no preseason and the players are clearly unfit, what did everyone expect? It's very hard to win games without being fit, especially against a Premier League team.

 

[Relfy]

I know we cannot speculate but it seems Ole lacks balls in his management. He cannot drop Pogba or Rashford however bad they are.

See you have slightly contradicted yourself there, Pogba was in quarantine a week after Pogba who was tested positive for COVID. How can Pogba recover and be fully fit whilst AWB is not fit?

I agree Rashford looks off the pace and has for a while now. Pogba isn't up to much either (as has often been the case). Pogba can be replaced with Donny, or Matic/Fred. Rashford gets dropped and it's James or Lingard, or maybe Martial out left and Ighalo up top. Ole maybe feels a half firing Rashford is better than the alternatives? Possibly a message to the board that he needs investment? Maybe he's trying to allow him to play himself into form, maybe they feel he needs a goal to get going again?

On Pogba v AWB fitness levels I don't really know what the story is there. One can only assume Pogba maintained better condition, or simply trained better than AWB? Maybe AWB was dropped due to his trip to a place where it was known he'd then have to quarantine upon his return?* Only Ole can answer that one for sure.

I don't agree he lacks balls. He has made a lot of decisions on a lot of players that had been around for years. He's been fairly ruthless with disposing of players he didn't like, or felt were not up to the task. Now, before that get's countered, there is still work to do on that front, and I think we will see some outgoings this summer yet but he must maintain enough bodies to form a squad to get through a season. With investment these players can and will be replaced with superior quality.

I would agree his in-game substitutions are often a little late, and sometimes the mood of the game has swung and we're forced to being overly-reactive to the game. Having said that he got it mostly bang on since the Burnley defeat which resulted in the unbeaten run.

*I'm not sure whether Pogba travelled as well.

 

[romufc]

I agree Rashford looks off the pace and has for a while now. Pogba isn't up to much either (as has often been the case). Pogba can be replaced with Donny, or Matic/Fred. Rashford gets dropped and it's James or Lingard, or maybe Martial out left and Ighalo up top. Ole maybe feels a half firing Rashford is better than the alternatives? Possibly a message to the board that he needs investment? Maybe he's trying to allow him to play himself into form, maybe they feel he needs a goal to get going again?

On Pogba v AWB fitness levels I don't really know what the story is there. One can only assume Pogba maintained better condition, or simply trained better than AWB? Maybe AWB was dropped due to his trip to a place where it was known he'd then have to quarantine upon his return?* Only Ole can answer that one for sure.

I don't agree he lacks balls. He has made a lot of decisions on a lot of players that had been around for years. He's been fairly ruthless with disposing of players he didn't like, or felt were not up to the task. Now, before that get's countered, there is still work to do on that front, and I think we will see some outgoings this summer yet but he must maintain enough bodies to form a squad to get through a season. With investment these players can and will be replaced with superior quality.

I would agree his in-game substitutions are often a little late, and sometimes the mood of the game has swung and we're forced to being overly-reactive to the game. Having said that he got it mostly bang on since the Burnley defeat which resulted in the unbeaten run.

*I'm not sure whether Pogba travelled as well.

I get everything you are saying, it is obvious that we need 2 more players to come through the door.

If we cannot beat Palace at home, we will struggle in the CL. Palace hardly score goals and they managed to get 3.

Lets see how the team performs in a weeks time when pre season is no longer an excuse.

 

[Micky Targaryen]

Resign after just 1 game played ?
Give your head a wobble, abang.

You must be new around here. Lots of us have been discontent with Ole for quite some time already. Not just after 1 game. Suggest that you give yourself a tour around here first, abang.

 

[United Hobbit]

Im still ambivalent towards him

What I will say is if he were to walk away now, he can hold his head high and say he has laid some building blocks of recovery. It would have been nice to have seen him win a trophy as well. In time I think his time here would be looled at fondly due to his attempts to try and get us on the right path.

There are definitely far bigger problems at the club eg Woodward and co.

If i owned United i would:

-Back Ole's transfers, provided the money was there which I believe it is
-move Ed to the corporate only side
- bring in a DOF
- look at an experienced assistant manager for Ole

If I've then done all that and Ole has his signings and the results continue to be poor then sack him, but at least the structure would then be so much better for the next manager to come into, to set them up to succeed

 

[hobbers]

I know we cannot speculate but it seems Ole lacks balls in his management. He cannot drop Pogba or Rashford however bad they are.

Rashford's last 10 or so performances have been absolute horror shows for us. That he keeps starting makes it clear as day how badly we need another top forward player to provide competition and rotation with Rash, Martial and Greenwood.

If Sancho did arrive, as it is right now any half competent manager would be dropping Rashford for him straight away.

 

[kitress]

I get everything you are saying, it is obvious that we need 2 more players to come through the door.

If we cannot beat Palace at home, we will struggle in the CL. Palace hardly score goals and they managed to get 3.

Lets see how the team performs in a weeks time when pre season is no longer an excuse.

I doubt the excuses would ever stop when you're dealing with a cult leader. Man City certainly don't seem like they're having match fitness/no-preseason problems. They'll probably go back to blaming Woodward, or God forbids, the wind the next time he loses. A more clear-minded person would think maybe we should get a competent coach that doesn't depend on the players' whims of "good vibes" to win his match. Yes?

 

[Rightnr]

“He wouldn’t get offered another job anywhere else”

think about that statement that a few have said. He’s got an almost 55% win rate at United. How the feck wouldn’t he get offered another job elsewhere you idiots?

This is just laughable. The guy's been in management for 11 years and the best he's done in England is get relegated with Cardiff.

Why in the flying feck do you think he's actually held in high esteem by other clubs? What other club has made noises about appointing him? How the feck do you approach this whole topic from the side of 'who wouldn't offer him a job', as opposed to 'who in their right mind would'?

I swear this forum shows why we're so exploited by the American leeches. Some of you people wear your blind support as a badge of honor.

 

[Bastian]

“He wouldn’t get offered another job anywhere else”

think about that statement that a few have said. He’s got an almost 55% win rate at United. How the feck wouldn’t he get offered another job elsewhere you idiots?

Idiots? Come come GB. I think it's a fair assumption. Could you picture a top 6 club offering him a job if he left United (for whatever reason) at the end of this season? I couldn't even see Wolves/Everton/Leicester offering him a job, to be perfectly honest.

Incidentally, while I've got you on the line, are we not going to reset this poll for this season?

 

[Chairman Steve]

Its silly to judge a manager on one result but if he has similar ones leading up to Christmas then he really should be feeling the pressure. He’d have been here two years at that point and got to spend a lot of money. If these transfers like Sancho and others happen, then he really has to start delivering.

I‘m still saying he’s the guy who leaves a team for a better guy to come in and take said team to the desired level. Getting that 3rd place is the peak for OGS here personally, and youve got to admit had COVID-19 not hit, it might have been a whole lot different. We wouldnt have seen Rashford at all and Pogba would have had a late season cameo at best.

 

[Mainoldo]

Man City looking unfit and lack of pre season today?

 

[kitress]

Man City looking unfit and lack of pre season today?

No, but they're not playing a top top club like Crystal Palace -- AT HOME.

 

[AshRK]

This is just laughable. The guy's been in management for 11 years and the best he's done in England is get relegated with Cardiff.

Why in the flying feck do you think he's actually held in high esteem by other clubs? What other club has made noises about appointing him? How the feck do you approach this whole topic from the side of 'who wouldn't offer him a job', as opposed to 'who in their right mind would'?

I swear this forum shows why we're so exploited by the American leeches. Some of you people wear your blind support as a badge of honor.

Again I get ole is not the most popular guy for some but his biggest achievement in england is finishing 3rd with United. Why some act as if that never happened. Not that it is a great achievement or anything but still to say relegating cardiff is his best achievement is just a lie. If you are so confident that ole is a shit manager why resort to a lie.

 

[AshRK]

Man City looking unfit and lack of pre season today?

We disagree on a lot of things but that lack of match fitness was one of the most lamest excuse. His tactics were just crap that game, nothing to do with lack of match practice bs.

 

[acnumber9]

“He wouldn’t get offered another job anywhere else”

think about that statement that a few have said. He’s got an almost 55% win rate at United. How the feck wouldn’t he get offered another job elsewhere you idiots?

Mourinho had a 59% win record at United. That’s not to say Solskjaer wouldn’t get another job but it’s unlikely to be at a top club if United has to let him go.

 

[Yagami]

Why do people keep saying that those of us who want him replaced do so after 1 game?

It's been nearly 3 years. 3 years and we still don't play like a cohesive team. We still rely on individual brilliance and penalties.

I was watching Brighton and Potter has them playing like a team. Both in and out of possession. He didn't need a ££100m superstar to achieve this.

 

[golden_blunder]

This is just laughable. The guy's been in management for 11 years and the best he's done in England is get relegated with Cardiff.

Why in the flying feck do you think he's actually held in high esteem by other clubs? What other club has made noises about appointing him? How the feck do you approach this whole topic from the side of 'who wouldn't offer him a job', as opposed to 'who in their right mind would'?

I swear this forum shows why we're so exploited by the American leeches. Some of you people wear your blind support as a badge of honor.

Whoosh point right over your head

 

[Withnail]

Why do people keep saying that those of us who want him replaced do so after 1 game?

It's been nearly 3 years. 3 years and we still don't play like a cohesive team. We still rely on individual brilliance and penalties.

I was watching Brighton and Potter has them playing like a team. Both in and out of possession. He didn't need a ££100m superstar to achieve this.

Did you do Maths in school?

 

[Rightnr]

Again I get ole is not the most popular guy for some but his biggest achievement in england is finishing 3rd with United. Why some act as if that never happened. Not that it is a great achievement or anything but still to say relegating cardiff is his best achievement is just a lie. If you are so confident that ole is a shit manager why resort to a lie.

Bloody hell. You go about accusing people of lying by being purposefully obtuse and then try to make a claim to the higher moral ground.

It is very clear to anyone with an ounce of common sense and no desire to shoehorn others in their agenda boxes that we're discussing Solskjaer independently of his tenure at United. The main points of discussion being whether he'd get anywhere near a similar level of appointment if he wasn't an ex-player of the club and a covenient shield of the Glazers. You might disagree but this is the discussion, not some bloody Columbo fact-unearthing mission.

As for finishing third, it was a decent achievement but given the dismal season from other top clubs and our (and other clubs') crap points total, it's hardly worth more than Jose's second place when we finished 20 points behind City.

Whoosh point right over your head

You should write more one-sentence posts, as it seems that's all you can do. But before that, I suggest consulting with Google on how you use this whoosh phrase because it clearly whooshed way over your head the first time.

 

[golden_blunder]

Idiots? Come come GB. I think it's a fair assumption. Could you picture a top 6 club offering him a job if he left United (for whatever reason) at the end of this season? I couldn't even see Wolves/Everton/Leicester offering him a job, to be perfectly honest.

Incidentally, while I've got you on the line, are we not going to reset this poll for this season?

Hang on, I didn’t say top 6. Though I could actually see him at Leicester.
earlier in the thread posters were saying he wouldn’t get another job in England. I don’t agree with that, he’s got a higher win rate than moyes and Lvg. Why wouldn’t he get another job after United?

 

[Yagami]

Did you do Maths in school?

Sorry, it's because he's been here for the 18/19, 19/20 and now 20/21 seasons which jumbled my memory. It didn't help that, due to covid, last season seemed to go on forever, too.

 

[golden_blunder]

Mourinho had a 59% win record at United. That’s not to say Solskjaer wouldn’t get another job but it’s unlikely to be at a top club if United has to let him go.

I never mentioned “top” club

 

[Bastian]

Hang on, I didn’t say top 6. Though I could actually see him at Leicester.
earlier in the thread posters were saying he wouldn’t get another job in England. I don’t agree with that, he’s got a higher win rate than moyes and Lvg. Why wouldn’t he get another job after United?

OK, sorry, my bad. I've said before that I can't see him getting another job at a top club. I could see him get a job in a good league at a club not expected to do anything relevant.

I definitely think Moyes was a diabolical choice for us and a lot worse than Ole, but there's context too. Moyes has shown he can manage a mid-table Premier League club before and he's British so part of the "jobs for the boys club" (I doubt supporters of West Ham are happy). LVG had a stellar CV prior to joining United, though he was a terrible manager for us.

Ole understands United, so he's already had that over the previous managers - and he's got a very positive association with the club. He's just not shown that he's a top manager, in the slightest.

 

[golden_blunder]

OK, sorry, my bad. I've said before that I can't see him getting another job at a top club. I could see him get a job in a good league at a club not expected to do anything relevant.

I definitely think Moyes was a diabolical choice for us and a lot worse than Ole, but there's context too. Moyes has shown he can manage a mid-table Premier League club before and he's British so part of the "jobs for the boys club" (I doubt supporters of West Ham are happy). LVG had a stellar CV prior to joining United, though he was a terrible manager for us.

Ole understands United, so he's already had that over the previous managers - and he's got a very positive association with the club. He's just not shown that he's a top manager, in the slightest.

Ok but again my point is that he will get other job offers in England when he leaves United

 

[acnumber9]

I never mentioned “top” club

Never said you did but a 55% win record isn’t exactly worth an awful lot at United clearly.

 

[Ranchero]

Not the solution to United problems. Only one place to look.. Upstairs/ownership

 

[golden_blunder]

Never said you did but a 55% win record isn’t exactly worth an awful lot at United clearly.

It’s worth a job at a different club, even if it’s West Ham or whatever

 

[anant]

The main points of discussion being whether he'd get anywhere near a similar level of appointment if he wasn't an ex-player of the club and a covenient shield of the Glazers. You might disagree but this is the discussion, not some bloody Columbo fact-unearthing mission.

This is one of those silly arguments. At the end of the day, he had been our reserves manager and done pretty well, he had also won league titles and guided Molde to KO stages of Europa league. Is that enough to be manager of Utd? No. But his CV was more decorated at the time of appointment than Pep at barca, ZZ at RM, Lampard at Chelsea, Pirlo at Juve, and I can go on.

Understanding the culture of a club is a huge task for any manager, and that is exactly why the previous three managers failed. Now, I'm not asking our manager to be a fecking cheerleader but he has shown that he has tactical acumen, as our results against big sides show.

People expect every top manager to develop a new system to play football, but that's impossible. All a manager needs to find is is a system - new or old- that makes the players perform at their best. And while no one can be certain whether this is their absolute best, one can say whether these players have improved or not under the manager. And in Ole's case one can say that nearly every player has improved.

 

[James Peril]

Ok but again my point is that he will get other job offers in England when he leaves United

Snowball’s chance in hell he will. The only reason he is appointed by United is because he is part of the club’s history. The only reason, had nothing to do with ability. We were in a dark hole and didn’t know what to do, still to this day he is judged by a different set of criteria. His persona is United, hence he is not getting the same level of criticism as any other manager, an early attack on Solskjær would be an attack on United’s soul kind of thing. Until the inevitable happens of course and the results are too bad to be papered over.

Another club would assess him solely on his managerial ability and tactical acumen, and the same guy can be found in League 1. When Solskjær enters Old Trafford there is a certain kind of natural respect given to him, his picture is on the wall... when he walks into another dressing room, they don’t give a shit about what he did up in Manchester back in the 90’s. Cardiff is a good example, his reputation didn’t give him the free pass it gives him today.

Getting 3rd with this insanely expensive team last season was as impressive as winning the Scottish league with Celtic.

 

[acnumber9]

It’s worth a job at a different club, even if it’s West Ham or whatever

Possibly, but it’s not likely to be because he has a 55% win record at United.

 

[sammsky1]

Getting 3rd with this insanely expensive team last season was as impressive as winning the Scottish league with Celtic.

would love to see links or evidence of fans or pundits predicting we'd come 3rd last season. can't wait

 

[kitress]

It’s worth a job at a different club, even if it’s West Ham or whatever

You're delusional. He could get a job at Leicester? You think they would settle for him when the likes of Everton can get Ancoletti. He's a terribly unimpressive manager. The only reason he got a job at Manchester United is because of freaking nepotism. He's being propped up by United's financial resources. When he was flailing about last season, the club bought him a new expensive toy in Bruno. The last time he had to depend on his talent to manage a PL club, he ended up relegating that very club. You'd think West Ham would risk their relegation to appoint someone like him. Delusion.

 

[Rightnr]

This is one of those silly arguments. At the end of the day, he had been our reserves manager and done pretty well, he had also won league titles and guided Molde to KO stages of Europa league. Is that enough to be manager of Utd? No. But his CV was more decorated at the time of appointment than Pep at barca, ZZ at RM, Lampard at Chelsea, Pirlo at Juve, and I can go on.

Understanding the culture of a club is a huge task for any manager, and that is exactly why the previous three managers failed. Now, I'm not asking our manager to be a fecking cheerleader but he has shown that he has tactical acumen, as our results against big sides show.

People expect every top manager to develop a new system to play football, but that's impossible. All a manager needs to find is is a system - new or old- that makes the players perform at their best. And while no one can be certain whether this is their absolute best, one can say whether these players have improved or not under the manager. And in Ole's case one can say that nearly every player has improved.

Now wtf did I say I expect OGS to develop a new system? I wish people stopped putting words in my and others mouths because it makes their argument easier.

I expect him to have a clear way of playing that will be visible within two years of being appointed our head coach. He doesn't. I expect him to know that playing pacy Dan James against CP that sits back is dumb and lead to nothing. I expect him to not play Scott McTominay because he's been raised at the club but cannot string two passes in central midfield. I expect him NOT to take 80 minutes to make decisive subs when we're down on multiple occasions.

As for understanding the culture of the club, that is all well and good but if he's getting schooled on the pitch and cannot make the best use of our (apparently) limited resources to bring in talent to make up for his lack of tactical nous, he's not worth much as a football manager at a top club.

As I've said previously in this thread, he's a problem but the board is the biggest one. The fact we appointed him and keep appointing people not suited to the job is the fault of the hierarchy at this 'football' club.

Snowball’s chance in hell he will. The only reason he is appointed by United is because he is part of the club’s history. The only reason, had nothing to do with ability. We were in a dark hole and didn’t know what to do, still to this day he is judged by a different set of criteria. His persona is United, hence he is not getting the same level of criticism as any other manager, an early attack on Solskjær would be an attack on United’s soul kind of thing. Until the inevitable happens of course and the results are too bad to be papered over.

Another club would assess him solely on his managerial ability and tactical acumen, and the same guy can be found in League 1. When Solskjær enters Old Trafford there is a certain kind of natural respect given to him, his picture is on the wall... when he walks into another dressing room, they don’t give a shit about what he did up in Manchester back in the 90’s. Cardiff is a good example, his reputation didn’t give him the free pass it gives him today.

Getting 3rd with this insanely expensive team last season was as impressive as winning the Scottish league with Celtic.

Exactomundo. Nail on the head.

If people listened to other fans of the top four (when they're not making fun of us), they'd realise the guy is not rated anywhere. Read a forum or watch a youtube video (yes, boomer, they're valid sources of opinion) and you'll see the comments we make about him as a manager are what others see. We'd make the same comments about him if he was a manager of Liverpool.

It seems that OGS's name is panacea for all his errors and weaknesses to some of you lot.

 

[Withnail]

Sorry, it's because he's been here for the 18/19, 19/20 and now 20/21 seasons which jumbled my memory. It didn't help that, due to covid, last season seemed to go on forever, too.

Ah I know. I was only having fun