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Circus ManUnitus - Erik's At The Wheel

So... Ole.

Little boy lost? Completely unqualified? Destined for failure? Or the man to finally turn things around for them?

On this seasons showing I think he has failed.

He has failed to stamp any sort of identity on the team at all.

I dont expect him to have embedded a whole new system or something by now, but I do think he should have been able to impress a basic shape that works for them (play a 4-3-3 and find a first 11, set up a counter attacking side... something...) and I do think he should have been able to impress a change in attitude.

Quite clearly he has failed on both counts.

Losing to a relegated Cardiff at home on the last day is just, wow. Thats bad.

Ive argued for a long time their squad is all over the place, no real balance etc - but much like Arsenal they still have the base talent to win most games (at least those against the teams below) and they just havent.

This summer is massive for them, and I do at this point wonder if Ole is the man they need at all.

I do also think Neville is right, they need change from the top down.

They need to recruit well this summer, balance the squad and have a decent spine to the team. No small task, and I dont have any faith right now theyll get it right.

Utd could be very close (like Arsenal) to falling out of the top 4 for an extended period.
 
The way I see it, the players started performing when Mourinho got sacked, in anticipation of another quality manager (one they don't hate) being his replacement in the summer. Olleh was a beneficiary of that, as a temp in charge. But as soon as they gave him the job permanently, the players mindset changed to "THIS is the new boss?" and they have gone to sh1t again.

They need to go and get a proper manager asap. They have the money to back whoever they want, why would you employ the ex-manager of Molde and Cardiff to oversee the re-building job?

I think on this front Neville really is right. They are run like amateurs on the footballing side, bouncing from one idea to the next, and I think the players sense this weakness.

Thats nothing to do with Ole (I can spell Solskjaer but its horrible to type!) and more to do with the club as a whole. Much like us pre-Poch (and pre-Jol).

I dont mind Ole being the manager, but he needs to actually manage and be backed in doing so.

Until there is a unified strategy they will just take the tinkle.

The players respond to authority and so far Ole hasnt displayed any IMO. Or has he not been able to? Hard to tell.

That early run, 10 games winning was it? Was a total false dawn. They had the easiest run imaginable, didnt play well at all but managed results. Even against us, the first decent team they played, it was as spawny a win as Id seen all season. We battered them and somehow they fluked the points.

I dont think at any point the players were ever really performing.

The question is why? And I tend to come down on the manager more than players, its his job to find a way that works and Ole hasnt at this point.

So Im babbling a bit - yes I agree with you (IMO) Ole isnt a good enough manager, but no, I disagree in that I think the issues arent that simple and there is a larger problem at play.

I dont think Ole is going to work out, but they have given him the job and he deserves a decent crack at it.

This summer will be key for him, and it doesnt look pretty IMO.

They have a good few divas to get rid of, and deadwood to shift, and really need a pretty significant rebuild.

Getting rid of players on big deals from a position of weakness is hard.

And replacing them when you are a shadow of your former self even harder.

I wouldnt fancy trying to work that out and build a team capable of meeting expectation...
 
Juan Mata says he has been left feeling "very bitter" after Manchester United ended a disappointing campaign with a 2-0 home defeat to relegated Cardiff on Sunday.

United's loss extended their winless run to six matches in all competitions, and means manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has won just two of 12 games since being appointed as permanent manager.


They ended the campaign sixth in the Premier League, meaning they will not be in the Champions League next season, and failed to get beyond the quarter-finals in any of the cup competitions.

Mata, who is understood to be in talks with Barcelona over a move once his United contract expires this summer, wrote on his weekly blog: "A defeat on the Premier League's final weekend was the worst way to finish off what hasn't been a good campaign for anyone who is part of the Manchester United family.

"There have been some good moments and matches along the way, which have to be remembered, but the feeling, in the end, is very bitter.

"None of us are satisfied with the general performance levels that we have offered, for one reason or another. When we win, we do so together, and when we lose we also share the responsibility.

"Now is the moment to analyse, reflect and improve, because this club should be in a different situation to the one we find ourselves in, there can be no doubt about that.

"Although it isn't healthy to just focus on the negatives, it also isn't possible to deny the obvious. We have to be realistic and the season has been very disappointing.

"It's very painful and that feeling will last through the whole summer. You all deserve a lot more than what you're getting. That is the reality."
 
Love all the negativity around that club at the moment, they are the team i want to see fail more then any other.
 
The way I see it, the players started performing when Mourinho got sacked, in anticipation of another quality manager (one they don't hate) being his replacement in the summer. Olleh was a beneficiary of that, as a temp in charge. But as soon as they gave him the job permanently, the players mindset changed to "THIS is the new boss?" and they have gone to sh1t again.

They need to go and get a proper manager asap. They have the money to back whoever they want, why would you employ the ex-manager of Molde and Cardiff to oversee the re-building job?

I don't think that players can turn on or off performances. They were underperforming under Mourinho and over performed for a short period after he left. Their true level is somewhere in between but there is massive work to be done there.

I don't think that it is fair to judge OGS on six months. It is going to take three years to make the changes needed. They need to focus on signing players who will be there to see that through, rather than quick fixes or status signings in attempt to pretend that they are competing with City and Liverpool.
 
That's going to need big changes in their whole philosophy. Signing big names is part of their business model and the business model takes precedence over football. Ed Woodward has successfully increased share value and profits and only when they are threatened will the Glazers make a change. I can't see them allowing an inexperienced Ole to sign the players he wants if they don't fit the profile. They refused Mourinho. Ole's best hope is they bring in some sort of director of football to handle transfers, one who isn't an ex-teammate.
 
Pogba needs to have a look at himself. He when he wants to is one of the best players in the world. If he worked as hard as say Hazard does for Chelsea the fans would not moan.

I think Hazard is getting even less out of his ability than Pogba myself.
Juan Mata says he has been left feeling "very bitter" after Manchester United ended a disappointing campaign with a 2-0 home defeat to relegated Cardiff on Sunday.

United's loss extended their winless run to six matches in all competitions, and means manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has won just two of 12 games since being appointed as permanent manager.


They ended the campaign sixth in the Premier League, meaning they will not be in the Champions League next season, and failed to get beyond the quarter-finals in any of the cup competitions.

Mata, who is understood to be in talks with Barcelona over a move once his United contract expires this summer, wrote on his weekly blog: "A defeat on the Premier League's final weekend was the worst way to finish off what hasn't been a good campaign for anyone who is part of the Manchester United family.

"There have been some good moments and matches along the way, which have to be remembered, but the feeling, in the end, is very bitter.

"None of us are satisfied with the general performance levels that we have offered, for one reason or another. When we win, we do so together, and when we lose we also share the responsibility.

"Now is the moment to analyse, reflect and improve, because this club should be in a different situation to the one we find ourselves in, there can be no doubt about that.

"Although it isn't healthy to just focus on the negatives, it also isn't possible to deny the obvious. We have to be realistic and the season has been very disappointing.

"It's very painful and that feeling will last through the whole summer. You all deserve a lot more than what you're getting. That is the reality."

My biggest take away from that, Barca are equally as misguided in the market, mata would be another underwhelming AM for them.
 
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