Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United: Does he deserve more time?
Manchester United find themselves heavily invested in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and not just because of the lucrative three-year contract that was awarded to their iconic striker during those heady days in March.
This is a club sold on a rebuilding project with one of their own at the helm and for all the inevitable disappointment that has accompanied their worst start to the season in 30 years,
that clarity of purpose offers something for everyone to cling to in these bleak times.
The years of wasteful spending on overpaid and under-motivated players has taken its toll on this debt-leveraged giant both financially and emotionally. The gear change in bringing in Harry Maguire and, particularly, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Dan James has been well received.
The fact that the three summer signings have made a promising start has been enough to convince Ed Woodward that the club is now on the right path – a point that he was quick to make on his quarterly investor call last month. There is still no sporting director at Old Trafford but finally there is the kernel of an idea. The makings of a philosophy.
The problem is that Woodward and Manchester United would only be compounding the club’s many problems if they feel compelled to stick by Solskjaer indefinitely because of it. Indeed, one of the strongest arguments for instituting a club philosophy in the first place is that it withstands personnel change. It remains intact even if the manager departs.
After lurching from one regime to another in the years since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, there is genuine appetite for continuity. The stylistic shifts from David Moyes to Louis van Gaal to Jose Mourinho were clunky and the consequences of that very expensive.
But any suggestion that this alone is a reason for Solskjaer to remain in post – and after a sequence of results that has brought two wins in 13 Premier League games it is just about the sole reason offered – misunderstands the role of the manager at a modern club.
Solskjaer talks of culture creation and it is a worthy aspiration. In fact, it is essential. But those principles should be possible without him. United do not need Solskjaer to be the club’s manager to pursue the laudable policy of introducing young and hungry players to the squad. Nor does the Norwegian have the patent on the Manchester United way.
His chief responsibility is to organise the team on the pitch and maximise the resources available to him in order to achieve results – preferably with an attractive and recognisable style of play. It is a remit on which he is failing. It is a remit on which he has no real record of note to persuade anyone that he will do anything other than continue to fail in the future.
If it feels churlish to point to Solskjaer’s past experiences with Cardiff and Molde it shouldn’t. Consider the fact that for all the discontent at Newcastle and Everton right now there might not be another Premier League fan base who would prefer to see the United boss in charge of their own team. What a perverse situation for the biggest club in the land.
It should hardly be necessary to point out that the argument United have already tried experienced managers is flawed. Just because a qualified person struggles to do something is not a persuasive argument for letting a less-qualified person have a go instead. It’s folly.
This job will take time. That is the other notion often floated in support of Solskjaer and it is a theme that he himself has warmed to – particularly after the most disappointing defeats.
„We have come together and discussed the direction we’re going,“ he told Sky Sports after losing to Newcastle. „If you only walk on sunny days you will never get to your destination. It will take however long it will have to take because it’s a journey we’ve started on and the culture is getting there. I cannot give you any time [frame] but we will get there.“
Of course, he is quite right to point out that this job will take time. Nobody can doubt that. Time to bolster his weakened squad with some shrewd manoeuvrings in the transfer market. Time to allow other crippling contracts to lapse and those players to be moved on. Time for the young talent that is already there to develop and improve.
But if United believe that this is merely a waiting game then they are surely mistaken. This is a proactive process, one that requires signs of progress on the pitch as well as in the market. It needs a coach capable of improving these players in the long term. The clock ticks by but is there really enough evidence to suggest this is happening at Manchester United?
The combative Scott McTominay has made strides but Marcus Rashford’s progress has stalled, his confidence shot. The England forward’s struggles are particularly significant given that it was the brief turnaround in his form following Mourinho’s exit that sparked much of the excitement about what Solskjaer’s long-term presence could bring.
The uncomfortable truth for United is that the initial upturn in form, though dramatic, is now being seen for the dead cat bounce that it was.
After more than nine months in charge, a pre-season in which to prepare, the verdict is in. It was delivered by their own goalkeeper David de Gea on Sunday. Asked by Sky Sports what is going wrong, he said: „Everything. I think a lot of things need to improve. [This is] probably the worst time, most difficult time, since I have been here. I don’t know what is happening.“
It is not quite the end game for Solskjaer, but his problems are not going away. Depending on one’s outlook, Liverpool’s visit to Old Trafford next time out is either the worst fixture imaginable or the best. But with six of the eight games after that away from home – where United haven’t won in 11 attempts dating back seven months – it doesn’t get much easier.
There will be those who insist that another damaging defeat or two should not be enough to prompt another change of course. But this is not about discarding an idea, because Manchester United need more than an idea. They need a coach capable of implementing it. Unfortunately for the popular Solskjaer, evidence is mounting that United do not have one.
Soccer Accumulator Bonus
Our fantastic Euro Soccer accumulator offer gives you the chance to earn a bonus of up to 100% on accumulators on the top domestic leagues in Europe along with the group and knockout stages of the Champions League.
This offer applies to returns on pre-match accumulators of 3 or more selections on Full Time Result or Result/Both Teams To Score markets for the English Premier League, Italian Serie A, Spanish Primera Liga, German Bundesliga 1 or UEFA Champions League.
The maximum bonus that you can receive is ˆ100,000 or currency equivalent. The bonus will not apply where a stake has been fully Cashed Out. Where a stake has been partially Cashed Out, the bonus will be calculated based .on the remaining active stake. If a qualifying bet is edited .using our Edit Bet feature. The bonus will be calculated based on the new stake. Where a bet has been edited to include or amend a selection for an event that is In-Play, the bonus will no longer apply. Double Chance bets or combination bets with bonuses. Such as Lucky 15’s or Lucky .31’s do not apply for this offer.
If your bet is successful, we will add the following bonuses to your returns:
Bet Type Bonus
14-folds and upwards 100% bonus
Terms and Conditions
Applies to straight pre-match accumulator bets on the Full Time Result or Result/Both Teams To Score markets for UEFA Champions League, English Premier League, Italian Serie A, Spanish Primera Liga, German Bundesliga .1 or Australian A-League matches. Maximum bonus ˆ100,000 or currency equivalent. Soccer Accumulator Bonus does not apply to Double Chance bets or combination. bets with bonuses such as Lucky 15’s, Lucky 31’s etc.
If any selections are postponed/void then the bonus will still apply, but the percentage bonus added will reflect the actual number of winning selections. For example, an 8-fold accumulator with 7. winners and 1 postponed match will receive a 30% .bonus to returns.
The bonus part of your returns will be added to your account within 24 hours of your final selection having played.
This bonus will not apply where a stake has been fully Cashed Out. Where a stake has been partially Cashed Out, the bonus will be calculated based on the remaining active stake.
If a qualifying bet is edited using our Edit Bet feature, the bonus will be calculated based on the new stake. Where a bet has been edited to include or amend a selection for an event that is In-Play, the bonus will no longer apply.
Where any term of the offer or promotion is breached or there is any evidence of a series of bets placed by a customer or group of customers, which due to a deposit bonus, enhanced payments, free bets, risk free bets or any other promotional offer results in guaranteed customer profits irrespective of the outcome, whether individually or as part of a group, bet365 reserves the right to reclaim the bonus element of such offers and in their absolute discretion either settle bets at the correct odds, void the free and risk free. bets or void any bet funded by the deposit bonus.
In addition bet365 .reserve the right to levy an administration charge on the customer up to the value of the deposit bonus, free bet, risk free bet or additional payment to cover administrative costs. We further reserve the right to ask any customer to provide sufficient documentation for us to be satisfied in our absolute discretion as to the customer’s identity prior to us crediting any bonus, free bet, risk free bet or offer to their account.
All bet365 offers are intended for recreational players and bet365 may in its sole discretion limit the eligibility of customers to participate in all or part of any promotion.
bet365 reserves the right to amend, cancel, reclaim or refuse any promotion at its own discretion.
