03 Jul 2020 11:13:57
Maybe something to consider!

If Ole was a more established manager with a good CV and experience of building a title winning side would we be satisfied with our current position, rebuild and willing to afford the manager more time?

Don't get me wrong I appreciate its a loaded question to suit my own narrative but if we strip everything back to the basics are there genuine signs of progress and optimism for the future?

Whilst someone like Poch obviously has more experience than Ole we mustn't forget that he hasn't won any major honours. If Poch had replaced Jose and this was now his side playing the kind of football we are seeing would we be happy with the job and rebuild he was doing?

Sometimes looking at things from a different perspective can help analyse a situation with fresh eyes.

1.) 03 Jul 2020
03 Jul 2020 11:41:59
DLIB,

Yes I think we would, Ole has his limitations but he also has some very good qualities and seemingly a plan and an understanding of how the fans want the team to play. He’s doing a decent job in my opinion, if we qualify for the CL and improve the squad more and continue to play this style of football and get results against the top teams (as Ole has done throughout his time with us) I think a lot of the doubters will have no choice but to change their minds.

2.) 03 Jul 2020
03 Jul 2020 12:12:14
I think things are really on the up for us. There will be blips and setbacks. I said last week we were fortunate against Norwich and it showed our squad depth is poor. We’ve the chance to falter unexpectedly when not playing our best XI which clearly looks to be Matic-Pogba-Bruno midfield with Greenwood at RW.

Easy to see the link to Grealish as our other midfielders don’t have that level of creativity and we need squad depth for a 60 game season.

Obviously Sancho would be a world class RW buy. Wouldn’t impact Greenwood’s as massively as some think as Greenwood needs to learn all 3 forward positions and will be excellent cover. I think within 2 years he would become the first choice centre forward as he will quickly outshine Martial.

DM needs cover for Matic. And clearly we are short on quality still at CB. How McTominay will develop into either role is interesting.

Smalling has extended his loan, Rojos looks out the door, Tuanzebe looks another Jones as permanently injured and we may be happy to loan Bailly out. Hopefully that means opportunities for Mengi though wouldn’t be surprised to see us in the market for a CB.

We all know we are a few players short and miles behind Liverpool and City but at least we are pointed in the right direction now.

I’ll always be fearful of the Woodward effect on screwing up transfers and we will never have a bottomless pit of money under the Glazers. The latter part of the season has given us all plenty to be positive about regardless how the season ends.

With 6 games to go in the league we are within sight of what realistic targets for 1920 were:
Top 4 finish
League Cup semi
FA Cup semi
Europa League quarters (assuming we don’t lose a 5 goal advantage in second leg)

Good chance of winning silverware this year. Great chance next year.

3.) 03 Jul 2020
03 Jul 2020 13:14:00
We had two managers with proven track records and neither of them showed any signs of taking the club forwards (at least not in the direction the club should be heading) . I’m still not convinced that Ole has what it takes to get us back to the top, but recognize that it’s a monumental task that ‘better’ managers have already failed. The one thing Ole has going for him is that the signings we’ve made under him (with the exception of Dan James, perhaps) have all settled into the team quickly and performed very well in their first season (first 6 months in Bruno’s case) . That Ole seems to have a good eye for signings and seems keen to set up in a way that’s in keeping with the United way is probably why some fans (myself included) are willing to afford him a little slack in spite of our inconsistency and league position. If we’re still battling for fourth place this time next season however (especially if we spend heavily again this summer), I expect patience will start to wear thin.

4.) 03 Jul 2020
03 Jul 2020 13:37:39
Jose had us 2nd redseven. We then bought him midfielder he didn't even want and that was it, while our rivals broke the world record for a GK and CB. But that's for another thread.

We've 52 points this year. Most we can finish with is 70 which I would assume will get us into the top 4. Last season we finished with 66 points which included a manager who lost his job in December (which Ole had less points at the stage Jose was sacked this season) .

The football is better at times, best we've played actually since Fergie in a hand full of games. But we've had some woeful performances too.

Some of youtalk like Ole is starting a revolution. But if we finish with the same points tally as last year after spending £220 million pounds and finish below Leiescter or Wolves then the man shouldn't get another season because we thumped Norwich twice.

Iv been one of the managers harshest critics but if we get Champions League next year my mouth will have been shut.

The idea that we keep him on because we're moving in the right direction after 18 months of the same results and points tally is like trying to heat the bath with a hairdryer.

I'd love nothing more for us to finish 3rd and go again in the summer transfer market. Close the gap and be ready to challenge if City or Liverpool burn out in a season or two time.

But the red carpet should not be rolled out for the manager of Man Utd if he can't achieve targets set out. If we fail in the league and the Europa then he doesn't deserve to carry on next season.

5.) 03 Jul 2020
03 Jul 2020 15:06:26
Iv been one of the managers harshest critics but if we get Champions League next year my mouth will have been shut
Mumbles
Couple of wins and Leicester stay on a losing streak.

6.) 03 Jul 2020
03 Jul 2020 15:35:11
Yes Jred, he needs to out perform the managers above him in my opinion if he should stay in the job.

Champions league will help us progress. Spending 200 odd million quid and ending up in the Europa league next year after improving our points tally by 1 or 2 shouldn't be rewarded.

7.) 03 Jul 2020
03 Jul 2020 16:55:42
Mumbles how do you judge if he is out performing a manager.
Given they have different squads, different circumstances etc .

I wouldn't get 2 caught up in the price of a player, ole has had to move as many out as he has brought in . Lukaku sanchez fellaini for example, while decent are more jose type players than ole.

8.) 03 Jul 2020
03 Jul 2020 18:59:17
The club is on a much better place since OGS came in (off field decisions at board level aside) and if we get CL football I can't see any other decision but he stays on for another season and ghe club back him (whatever amount that will be who knows) .
For the future years I do trust him to make signings that make sense to a future direction and if replaced a future manager would want so in this case sticking with him through the current crisis does not worry me. I hope his in game management improves, whether his own judgement, Carrick having more influence or another assistant coming in similar to how Sir Alex did.
Let's keep positive for remainder of this season.

9.) 03 Jul 2020
03 Jul 2020 19:58:28
What should United’s targets be?
Realistically we were unlikely to bridge a 32pt gap to overhaul City and Liverpool to be champions. A mere 6 pt improvement though would have got Top 4.

Top 4 looks very possible now.

We’ve lost one semi to the eventual winners of the League Cup. We are in the FA Cup semi and practically the Europa Quarter Finals.

United’s minimum aim, as I think all big clubs should be, is to win silverware every season. Winning something AND top 4 finish is a great season.

Ole should be judged at the end of the season.

I think he deserves some credit though for turning things around in the latter half of his first full season. I know Bruno will rightly get lots of plaudits there but need to give the guy who bought him a shout too.

I think Ole’s buys so far have improved the first team and that gives me great confidence in the future.

Appreciate that’s come at a net spend of £128m but there’s been plenty of years where we have invested heavily and gone backwards too!

10.) 04 Jul 2020
04 Jul 2020 10:32:03
The elephant in the room, the thing, the underlying theme is that ultimately Ole doesn’t have, nor has displayed the nous, the ability of a top manager and lacks credibility. His in game management has been woeful in most games. We are fighting for top four and I saw above, winning something and finishing top four is a “great” season, no it is a good season. Great is winning the league.

If we get top four and even win something the elephant in the room will still be there. Ole still lacks when it comes to in game management and tactical awareness. Will top players respect him if it continues? Will they be content to battle for top four if they don’t believe Ole can win the league?

My concern remains that next season will continue as is, battling for top four because the manager doesn’t have the know how to take us higher, no matter who we buy. I suspect if we get top four Ole will be retained, because the amateurs, as Ed calls them, want to be proved right and will call it an improvement. It would be an improvement but there is also a bigger picture. Until there is a big improvement in Ole’s management, we will continue as is. I have seen it before Ron Atkinson, Dave Sexton and they had more experience than Ole.