06 Jan 2019 18:33:43
{Ed's Note - DLIB has posted a new article entitled, Is the Appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a Masterstroke by Manchester United?
06 Jan 2019 22:21:13
Great post DLIB. 👍.
06 Jan 2019 23:46:51
Top post DLIB.
06 Jan 2019 23:54:05
Good post DLIB, the real test will be against Spurs at the weekend.
07 Jan 2019 00:35:31
Good post DLIB.
Perhaps the coach and director of football will fit Manchester united well. Certainly feels like the club, and it's culture is now front and centre. Before it was LVG and Mourinho. This may be the right way to move beyond the SAF years until a time a truely world class manager either develops or is available to get.
07 Jan 2019 00:44:49
Well said DLIB.
07 Jan 2019 02:05:53
Great post DLIB but I wouldn't give Woodward the credit for forseeing what has transpired. Infact, I think we have completely backed ourselves into a corner. There isn't a United fan out there who wouldn't want Ole to take over and be successful. But with him starting off so well, it has actually been counterproductive for our immediate future.
I'd imagine Woodwards plan was, sack Jose, bring in an interim manager, get the feel good factor back at OT and save money in January by not purchasing any players. Gives him a couple of months to go after the manager he wants.
But history will tell us that Woodward couldn't plan a piss up in a brewery. Everything that has come out of united since Joses sacking has been the wrong way of doing things.
Naming a manager in a job as the interim manager for 6 months was wrong.
Telling Ole he has an input in incoming January transfers is daft, considering he might not be here come June.
The main man Woodward wants is obviously Pochettino. It's clearly a manager that's only obtainable in the summer. Ole, Blanc, Zidane are available now. Pochettino isn't. Woodwards plan has already backfired on him. Ole has a 100% record. Got the best out of some of our star players and has brought life back to fans.
Les Reed was on a programme a few weeks ago with Tim sherwood talking about how Spurs got Pochettino to leave Southampton. They recruited Southamptons recruitment manager Paul Mitchell and Poch said he would only leave at the end of the season but Mitchell was there to start the transition.
My point being that Spurs knew who their manager was going to be and could start planning transfer's and what not. Right now you can't rule out Ole getting the gig full time. Pochettino isn't going to commit to United without knowing that Ole won't get the job.
Woodward has no control over who our next manager is and that shouldn't happen. It is at the complete mercy of how OGS performs.
When most teams are already planning transfer's for next summer, we're stuck snookered behind the black because Woodward has ballsed this up royally. But on the bright side, it's at win win. Ole stays because he's done a great job and we have a club legend in charge. Or he just falls short and we have potentially a world class manager in Pochettino to take us forward (and then Ole takes over Spurs and wins the league) .
06 Jan 2019 21:24:13
Good piece DLIB, I think out of the 4 managers we had post SAF, Ole has been the best, not because of style of play, but because he gets the club, the others didn't and no matter if he does a good job (wins) or not he will still be better than the other 3 to me.
07 Jan 2019 03:51:45
Its a good post DLIB and heart doed rule over head. I was on the "support/ back the manager" podition throughout, both with LvG and Jose and believe me i am backing the current incumbent as well but i do think that its only a feel good factor right now that everyone is cherishing. Ole really hasn't done anything right now. We wete good in the first 3 games, then against Newcastle we were "so-so" because a certain Frenchman had a poor game and we were pathetic against a championship side and were outplayed at our own home. The key to it has been Paul Pogba. He fell out with Jose and it was downhill for the manager ever since. My point here is that anyone woukd have brought this feel good factor after Jose, its not really Ole's doing. He might still be a shrewd signing but calling him the saviour after 2 weeks is not just premature, its downright stupid. Just my 2 cents.
07 Jan 2019 06:57:22
I am with United Addict. I find it hard to believe the level of sentimentality amongst our support. Perhaps Munich makes us all more emotionally bought in. It feels like SAF has control of the club at a time we need to look forward not back. For me we should have a plan in place, be working now towards it, know who we want and aim for it. If the board are deflected by emotion or are uncertain or become split, and are not 100% professional we could make the wrong decision. SAF will like Ole, but he liked Moyes, let’s remember that, the values of the 80’s are not necessarily going to work as we approach 2020.
We have had three appointments gone wrong, another will put the club back to the 70’s. People are smiling now but we still have a bunch of players choosing when they want to play and if you watched the programme last night on SAF you will know that is unacceptable to him. I just doubt Ole is the right man for such a huge task, it’s my opinion and each time the club has made a change recently, it wasn’t the one I wanted and it hasn’t gone well. I am concerned at whether we have a robust enough decision making process.
07 Jan 2019 10:05:48
I too am guilty of sentimentality and would love Ole to win every game from now on to the end of the season and become our new messiah but on reflection i feel we are in a honeymoon period at the minute. After a while he will settle on a team and the smiles and positivity will be tested. Substitutes will complain and so on. So I hope he has a new way of dealing with these new age footballers where jose, LVG hadnt. Having looked at the games so far the old frailties still exist but in fairness this new mindset papers over these cracks and I love it - however long it lasts. There are challenges but a bright outcome is easier to see now. So far Ole has fulfilled his briefing well and many could learn from his approach. Manchester United have so many needs that asking Ole too wave a wand is unfair on him and very unrealistic. I suspect we will lose games and it is then that we will see that this stopgap is what it is. An experienced squad builder/ transfer identifier/ tactician/ player liaison, is above Ole's skill set. i'd be overjoyed if proven wrong and fingers crossed for the guy. he's a breath of fresh air but i feel the "big decision makers" for want of a better term should remain focused on Pochetino. Ole is still very young and a successful stint may see him back again in years to come. Other clubs are surely watching him as we speak. Good man Ole and good luck.
07 Jan 2019 10:20:20
i agree with United Addict and Red Man. The reason for me that we are so poor in decision making is because we still have Bobby Charlton and SAF making decisions in the board. Its sentiment that is ruling the board rather than football/ business. These 2 are legends of United but I believe its time to let go of them from decision making. I know there are people who will not like this post and will back SAF and Charlton still but i also know that these are the same people who said Jose was a dinosaur. If Jose was that, SAF and Charlton would be?
I want to use a Cricket example over here where tough decisions were made in Indian team where absolute legends like Ganguly, Tendulkar, Laxman and Dravid were let go and a new structure put in place and the results are for everyone to see.
07 Jan 2019 12:14:33
We have time.
I have no objection if OGS gets the job if he continues in the same vein as he has started.
If we win a cup and finish top 4 with this squad then it bodes well for him to take the job long term.
But he should only get the job permanently if he delivers outstanding results this season imo.
The club sh poo uld prepare for both eventualities.
1 giving ogs the job
2 continue to search for a manager in case ogs does not reach yhe heights required.
Poch is 1 candidate potentially. There are many others.
Personally i'm not too concerned with next season just yet as a supporter. We have many battles ahead of us this year to secure top 4. To tie down a couple of key players and even more importantly sell the underperforming squad players that have failed us time and again.
07 Jan 2019 12:28:02
Ole is definitely as of right now just getting the players playing to a baseline standard in a more fluid attacking system which suits the majority of our squad down to the ground. We're yet to see whether he has what it takes to elevate the players to their maximum potential. Some naive decisions against Newcastle perhaps hint at the answer no he doesn't, but perhaps he was forced in to them by the busy festive schedule.
However most importantly, for the situation we currently find ourselves in he may just be the best out there who was available. Every word that comes out of his mouth is in line with what we want to here. The reconnection between the fans and the club has been immense and he's providing the perfect exterior image for the club while issues behind the scenes get sorted.
Suddenly the director of football role at the club looks like an enticing one and we're slowly becoming the Manchester United that no manager or player would turn down.
07 Jan 2019 13:23:12
For flip sake, can we not just enjoy some decent football again, and a team and manager with smiles on their faces, after the dark days of the last few seasons?
Enjoy it for what it is, a welcome short term relief, rather than accusing people of being sentimental fools.
{Ed025's Note - i totally agree noucamp..
07 Jan 2019 16:43:30
I agree Noucamp99,
I don’t think it’s sentimental at all. He is a Utd man. He is doing as good if not a better job than the last three managers we’ve had. And I think he deserves all our support. Nothing would make me happier than to see one of our own, one that understands fully what Man Utd is, succeed in the job. He might be inexperienced but he has Phelan beside him, by all accounts a good coach.
What is to say he doesn’t grow into the job like Zidane and Pep? I know there is a very good possibility that he won’t but he is making a very good job of it so far. At least let’s give one of our own the benefit of the doubt. Knives him the chance to succeed, Instead of writing him off in spite of a perfect record. There are no guarantees. There is no guarantee that Poch will be successful either, or anyone else for that matter.
Find a good DOF and build from there. If ole is good enough he will prove it. Until then he has my backing 100%.
07 Jan 2019 17:13:19
Agree noucamp.
07 Jan 2019 21:27:32
Yes Noucamp, I would like to enjoy the football without the sentimental calls to appoint Ole on a permanent basis on a nearly daily basis. If only we could all just relax and Que sera sera.
07 Jan 2019 23:17:45
All I've seen is people getting excited about watching Utd again. If that makes people sentimental, then lump me in there, too. I've only seen people on here state the rather obvious point, that should Olé be a resounding success before the end of the season, then he deserves to be at least considered. Stop being so over-dramatic.
