Manchester United: Is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on the brink of the sack?

Manchester United stand at the top of the Premier League table, but are they really deserving of their position? Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had never managed outside Sweden until he took over as manager in December. Could his success be a false dawn for Manchester United’s season?

The “ole gunnar solskjaer press conference today” is a question that many United fans are wondering. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has had a shaky start to life at Old Trafford, and some people believe that he could be on the brink of the sack.

Since October 2020, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has watched a 6-1 loss to Tottenham and now a 5-0 loss to Liverpool.

Manchester United’s humiliating 5-0 loss to Liverpool at Old Trafford has prompted a barrage of criticism directed at manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Many supporters feel the Norwegian should be fired immediately following the club’s worst home defeat, which was only surpassed by a 7-1 loss to Liverpool in 1895, when the club was still known as Newton Heath.

Former United players have said that Solskjaer must be fired, and although Gary Neville has stated that he would not call for the resignation of his former teammate and friend, the former United captain did not mince his words in his assessment of an abysmal performance.

Sport takes a look at the current situation at Old Trafford.

Is it possible that Solskjaer will be fired?

Yes, unless someone from United tells you differently. After Sunday afternoon losses, both David Moyes and Jose Mourinho were fired. It was a 2-0 setback against Everton in Moyes’ instance that ensured the team could not finish in the top four. A 3-1 defeat against Liverpool proved to be Mourinho’s last game in command.

Their dismissal did not occur until Tuesday in both cases.

For months, United officials have said that Solskjaer is leading the team in the correct way. In the summer, the Norwegian was awarded a new three-year deal. Mike Phelan, his assistant, was handed one earlier this month, while negotiations with coaches Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna are still ongoing.

Given the way United usually operates, the fact that Solskjaer hasn’t changed his mind since the Liverpool game is revealing in terms of his stance. It is apparent that any decision to fire Solskjaer would be made after much deliberation and not as a snap decision.

However, the magnitude of the Liverpool defeat necessitates serious questions being asked of Solskjaer and his staff, especially given that United have now taken just one point from their last four games – and have three difficult games remaining against Tottenham away, Manchester City, and Chelsea, as well as Watford.

Solskjaer called the defeat as his “darkest day” as United boss, but promised to keep going despite the added pressure. With 14 points from nine games, the team is now seventh in the Premier League, eight points behind leaders Chelsea.

Ed Woodward, executive vice-chairman, speaks with the Glazer family on a daily basis. Richard Arnold, the managing director who will take over from Woodward at the end of the year, is in touch with the club’s owners on a frequent basis.

It’s impossible that the manager’s long-term prospects were not discussed at those frequent meetings. That does not rule out the possibility of his being fired as a consequence of Sunday’s humbling loss.

What are the opinions of the players?

Sport has learned that a growing number of players are losing trust in Solskjaer. They don’t trust his methods and believe he’s out of his depth when compared to the likes of Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, and Thomas Tuchel, who all manage larger teams.

This might be seen as participants attempting to relieve themselves of blame for a larger catastrophe. Several former players, however, have chastised Solskjaer for his team’s performance against Liverpool, citing their individual and half-hearted attitude to pressuring Klopp’s side, as well as their lack or inclination to chase runners.

After United’s 2-1 win against Atalanta on Wednesday, former United player Paul Scholes expressed concern about what might happen if his old team played in the same manner against Liverpool.

They did, with the exact same starting lineup, and the result was humiliating.

According to the narrative, players on a club managed by Guardiola, Klopp, or Tuchel would not get away with the lack of intensity or discipline shown by United against Liverpool or Leicester City last week.

The coaches’ relative presence in the technical area is one noticeable variation. While the Spaniard and the two Germans are usually always present on the field during games, with other coaches seldom delivering assistance, United’s coaching staff rotates.

Despite this, it was obvious that Solskjaer, who does not attend training sessions, was more conspicuous than normal versus Liverpool.

Whatever tactics and patterns of play Solskjaer wants his club to use, his players have been reluctant or unable to implement them, with the Liverpool thrashing marking the end of a season of underwhelming United performances.

What are your choices?

Leaving Solskjaer in his current position would clearly be the simplest choice. Many United supporters believe this is unforgivable, yet the club has stood with Moyes, Louis van Gaal, and Jose Mourinho long after many believed they should be fired. Furthermore, they should not be underestimated in their determination to keep to the ‘club DNA’ concept that attracted Solskjaer to the club in the first place.

The magnitude of Liverpool’s loss, on the other hand, has shaken the faith of even more conservative followers, who believe the club should take urgent action.

However, this would provide them with a new difficulty to deal with. When Moyes and Mourinho departed in the middle of the season, United went to a famous old boy to steady the ship, first Ryan Giggs, who was already on the coaching staff, and then Solskjaer, who was summoned in from Molde, Norway.

The concept of appointing a United great as a stand-in for Solskjaer – even if one could be found prepared to take over from a beloved former teammate – does not appear to fit.

Former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte and ex-Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane are two high-profile possible contenders out of job.

Conte’s combative nature may not appeal to United’s hierarchy, but his Serie A championship triumph with Inter Milan last season demonstrates he still has the potential to win significant awards.

At Real, Zidane won every award in the game, but there is doubt about how much hands-on coaching he performed, and with Klopp and Guardiola praised for their player development, United may feel compelled to equal their competitors with a fresh hire.

The Frenchman also has no Premier League experience and does not speak English, despite Marcelo Bielsa of Leeds demonstrating that this is not a barrier to success.

Furthermore, when the vacancy at Bayern Munich emerged in 2019, Ajax’s Eric ten Hag declined to leave in the middle of the season, and it’s unclear how seriously United would take Leicester City’s Brendan Rodgers, considering his Liverpool ties.

It’s possible that the absence of a suitable successor may lead to Solskjaer being allowed more time to make up for his “darkest day” against Liverpool.

Manchester United are currently in a bad patch of form. They have lost 4 games in a row and the pressure is starting to get to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The team has been struggling for goals and it seems that the Norwegian manager is on the brink of being sacked. Reference: man utd news.

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