Solskjær... on borrowed time + board/ownership issues

I was amazed when they gave Ole the job permanently after a handful of decent results to be honest. Despite the results they weren't actually playing particularly well. No shock when the results dried up.
 
This is the problem with Ole. Last night we played well. Fred looked like a quality footballer and we put in a good performance and beat a good team. Trouble is, we will lose and draw to really poor sides and finish very much mid-table with Ole at the helm. The players are up for these games and the energy levels were high and we got at Spurs. Playing a team that sits back and tries to hit on the break requires a different kind of tactical approach and Ole doesn't seem to be able to coach that. Our players get frustrated when they can't break down a team and then we switch off and let the other team dictate the game and punish us for our laziness.

Having McTominay back will be a big boost as our midfield is so threadbare without him its scary but I still think we are going to struggle this season to make Europa league. Perhaps if Pogba is fit again soon and we can keep him and McTominay fit we might be able to make a push up the table but I don't think Ole will be responsible for that.
 
fez said:
This is the problem with Ole. Last night we played well. Fred looked like a quality footballer and we put in a good performance and beat a good team. Trouble is, we will lose and draw to really poor sides and finish very much mid-table with Ole at the helm. The players are up for these games and the energy levels were high and we got at Spurs. Playing a team that sits back and tries to hit on the break requires a different kind of tactical approach and Ole doesn't seem to be able to coach that. Our players get frustrated when they can't break down a team and then we switch off and let the other team dictate the game and punish us for our laziness.

Having McTominay back will be a big boost as our midfield is so threadbare without him its scary but I still think we are going to struggle this season to make Europa league. Perhaps if Pogba is fit again soon and we can keep him and McTominay fit we might be able to make a push up the table but I don't think Ole will be responsible for that.
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It isn't that we struggle with the poor teams we have no depth when we play them with injuries. Brighton and Norwich were demolished because we had our team in a reasonable standard. Missing both McTominay and Pogba is crucial for us as was shown against both Villa and the Blades. Fred is someone who can play brilliantly a long side them but struggles when he is not. Our forward line is interchangable as is our back line. Getting a decentish CM in January would be a number 1 priority for me.

It is no doubt we struggle against teams that park the bus but that is something Ole and his team will learn with time but if you want someone to last long at United they need that passion and respect for the club to achieve or we just end up like the rest sacking managers every two years and buying mercs which isn't the United way.
 
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Ole's record against the big teams is actually pretty impressive, don't think we've had a record that good since LvG
 
Shamikebab said:
Ole's record against the big teams is actually pretty impressive, don't think we've had a record that good since LvG
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Thats all competitions so not massively relevant but yes, we do up our game against the bigger teams. Thats not how you win leagues though. Ferguson was so brilliant because he rarely lost to a lower league side. I don't remember thinking that we were likely to win against the likes of Arsenal, City and Chelsea for the latter years of his reign but you would put money on us beating the smaller sides week in week out.
 
It's probably as much a motivational problem amongst the players, I suspect they were probably self motivated yesterday because they wanted to beat Mourinho. I know it's a managers job to motivate players but if the players don't care and the club is in the habit of replacing managers every couple of seasons it's probably hard to motivate them. The players know that if they're dropped the team will suffer and when the manager is eventually sacked they can just step it up again to gain their place back in the team, under Ferguson they either performed at the highest level week in week out or were moved on and the players knew it.
 
mmj_uk said:
It's probably as much a motivational problem amongst the players, I suspect they were probably self motivated yesterday because they wanted to beat Mourinho. I know it's a managers job to motivate players but if the players don't care and the club is in the habit of replacing managers every couple of seasons it's probably hard to motivate them. The players know that if they're dropped the team will suffer and when the manager is eventually sacked they can just step it up again to gain their place back in the team, under Ferguson they either performed at the highest level week in week out or were moved on and the players knew it.
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Surely that is what is trying to be instilled now? Lukaku and Sanchez have been moved on. Matic is basically gone. I will be surprised if they are not looking for a replacement for Pogba either.
 
Solskjaer admits that Utd are ‘behind in their development’... no ****!
Will he make any difference and push for improvement? Doubt it.

Why are we sticking with him when a proper manager like Poch is on the market?! It’s so frustrating.

His positivity does my head in as it’s not warranted!
 
The results against City and Spurs actually gave me a bit of hope, but we’re back to square one again, as I knew we would be.

Tactics aside, he clearly can’t motivate the players very well. They seem motivated by external factors, like the Man City rivalry, or playing against Jose, the ex manager.

Tactically and motivationally, he is well short. And I just find him annoying with his pointless positivity.

He was a good player for us and seems a nice enough guy - but neither of those things should mean he has a job without scrutiny. It’s madness.

100% we should be going for Poch.
 
Not sure he's actually progressed you guys, only positive I can see is he's shifted some of the rubbish on which is good but the performances haven't really improved, the list above makes it look like Man U are 'game raisers' now rather than it being the norm and I'm sure for a club of Man U's stature isn't good enough at all.
 
spruceant said:
They looked ok today at least
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No one gets time these days that's why. The average age of the team is so low that you have potential to have a back bone spine which will last 10 to 15 years. A lot of them are also youth team players so will have loyalty to the club and will not need the massive wages of mercs.

Rashford has another ten seasons in him at least. McTominay even more. Then you have the likes of upcoming players like Greenwood and Williams. For once I see a bright future for us. Solskjaer is only getting better and better as well and he learnt from the best. People forget Liverpool have taken 5 years to get to the level they are at but expect United to match it in 1 year. These things have cycles. We were very lucky to have a 20 year cycle but all good things come to an end at some point. Even if Solskjaer ends up not being the person to do that he has laid the foundation to build something big.
 
United look good going forward with so much pace in the team.
That alone is an improvement over the mediocrity of much of the last 5 years.
It does take time to find a balance and build team spirit.
They have a reasonable chance for the top 4 I'd say.
 
Honestly at the moment with United I am in an OK place. We are very inconsistent but we are at least playing football I am happy to watch with players that I like for the most part. Thats better than the last 6 years already. Still not convinced that Ole will take us anywhere special but at the moment we are at least entertaining at times.

The problem is that the competition is so good in the league and around the world that being really good isn't enough, you need to be great.
 
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