STINKERMAN
The spotlight is back on Ole and he knows defeat to Ranieri’s Watford is unthinkable as he must revive United’s brilliant away form yet again
UNDER-FIRE Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs history to repeat itself in the coming weeks if he is to resurrect Manchester United’s season and save his job.
With just four points from 18, a run which included back-to-back crushing home defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City, United have slipped to sixth in the table, nine points off the top.
Despite that, Solskjaer has managed to cling on to his job, although that is more down to a lack of available potential replacements than any firm faith in his ability to turn things around.
This time last year, United won seven of nine league games to rise from 14th to second, where they finished the season, and Solskjaer now needs something similar.
After giving his squad a week off, the Norwegian and his players (below, including Marcus Rashford) returned to training on Tuesday to prepare for what is shaping up to be the defining period of their turbulent season.
Between now and the end of the year, United have 11 games – nine in the Premier League and two in the Champions League – in which Solskjaer cannot afford any more setbacks.
First up on Saturday are struggling Watford, who have won just once in four games under Claudio Ranieri (above, with Josh King).
United’s boss could not have wished for more welcoming opponents. Failure to win would crank up the pressure and make it even harder for the United board to justify their continued backing of him.
After that on Tuesday, United travel to Villarreal, who beat them in last year’s Europa League final, where defeat would see their hopes of reaching the Champions League last 16 go down to the final group game.
A third successive away game sees them travel to table-topping Chelsea, where a fifth league defeat of the season on Sunday week could signal the end for Solskjaer after nearly three years in charge.
Given their wretched league form of late at Old Trafford – one point from 12 – Solskjaer must be thankful the next three games are away.
United legend Denis Irwin said: “The away games might be good for us because our home form has not been great. They are three big matches. At Watford, start on the front foot and get back to winning ways.
“Villarreal won’t be easy, but hopefully we can get a point over there.
“And, of course, Chelsea away. It’s a big week for us and we must make sure we come back, stick together and really try to get going again.
“We’ve stuttered, no doubt about that, and it’s been a tough month-and-a-half.
“We had a good result at Spurs but the five or six league games prior to that have been difficult.
“We’re under pressure, as you’d expect at United, as we’ve fallen out of the top four and there’s distance now between us and the top two or three.”
As well as a lack of credible candidates to replace him, what has also kept Solskjaer in a job is the fact the teams above United have all suffered surprising blips.
Chelsea, who had lost at home to City in September, drew with Burnley before the international break while Pep Guardiola’s side lost to Crystal Palace.
And with Liverpool losing at West Ham it has helped keep United within touching distance of the top four.
But if Solskjaer is to remain in charge into 2022, he needs to embark on a winning run starting this weekend.
After such a dismal start to the season, there is no more margin for error.