When being turned away by MU fans in the 0-5 defeat to Liverpool, the future of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a big question mark.
After the dramatic victory over Atalanta, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer dreamed of a victory over Liverpool and MU would return to the dream route. But that wishful thinking, in return, was a stunning defeat at Old Trafford. If there is anything positive in Sunday night’s match (October 24), it is that MU lost only 0-5. The score could have been darker, and the Reds could have received a heavier humiliation.
Anyway, the fact has not changed, as Solskjaer said, “this is the darkest day of my career”. Against Liverpool, the Norwegian coach’s team exposed everything they lacked, from belief and planning to organization and determination.
Unlike previous matches, Solskjaer spent most of the time on the pitch, then gave sporadic instructions. Ironically, behind him are words of support from Liverpool fans. They sang: “Ole is behind the wheel”, “Please keep Ole”, and “Can we see you every week, after Sunday night when MU can’t touch the ball?” …
Nothing can drown out the noise made by the Merseyside fans, even though this is Old Trafford. Simply because MU fans in turn left early. Those who tried to stay put were hard to put into words before the home team’s weak performance.
Never, even in the most difficult times under Jose Mourinho, Van Gaal or David Moyes, MU was so embarrassed before a rival team. From the first whistle, they didn’t know where to start. Then the goals quickly came. 1, 2, 3 then 4 and 5, the Red Devils are completely defeated. Resistance comes only through rough and irritable ball play. In some cases, Solskjaer’s army burst into flames when cornered. The match against Atalanta a few days ago is an example. But this time, they collapsed both tactically and mentally.
So, what future for Solskjaer? To be honest, there is no basis to believe that the Norwegian coach will bring MU back to the top. Even this team is showing signs of slowing down. In addition to poor performance, personnel is also rife with instability. It is worth mentioning that this is a plus point under Solskjaer. Now the new signings (Jadon Sancho) don’t work, many pillars fall in form (Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw) and the stars lose faith (Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba).
With a massive squad, MU must have a better position. But when that’s not possible, because the coach fails to organize the team and create a solid structure, a change is needed. Remember that the Premier League has very high standards at the helm. Pep Guardiola, Juergen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel are not only the best in the foggy country, but also on the European level.
Only the MU leadership is not ready for a big decision. Until recently, they did not intend to change the coach, through extending the contract with Solskjaer’s assistant team. Previously, it was also long after Moyes, Van Gaal and Mourinho caused all kinds of disappointments, the new dismissal was given.
MU not only gave Solskjaer too much time, but also too much money and power. So the game continues. The history of Solskjaer’s reign reminds all that this team never remained in crisis for too long. They can come back suddenly. However, maybe not. Nothing is certain. It was an attribute created by the gamble of chance called Solskja.