LEEDS BY EXAMPLE
IF UNITED CAN RECAPTURE FORM OF THIS SEASON’S FIRST TWO HOME GAMES, THRASHING LEEDS AND NEWCASTLE, OLE COULD STILL BE THE MAN FOR THE JOB
FOR now, Manchester United are continuing to preach patience. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has overseen a disastrous run of results but the Norwegian has held on to his job and is now tasked with putting things right.
A season that started with unbridled optimism has turned into a damage limitation exercise by midNovember.
It’s worth rewinding the clock to United’s first two home games this season. The atmosphere at Old Trafford was electric as Raphael Varane was unveiled before a 5-1 thrashing of Leeds and then Cristiano Ronaldo’s magical return stole the show in the 4-1 win against Newcastle.
Such bright days seem a long time ago now. United have lost six of their last 12 matches and their last two games at Old Trafford have been far more instructive. Liverpool won 5-0 and Manchester City 2-0, a scoreline that didn’t do justice to the ease with which the Blues took derby day honours.
In both games, United’s bitterest rivals taunted Solskjaer from the away end, but while faith has diminished in the 48-year-old, he is still holding on to power.
A large factor in that is the lack of an obvious long-term candidate to come in right now. Brendan Rodgers, Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag have all been mentioned in dispatches, and perhaps most optimistically Spain boss Luis Enrique. But the first three are under contract with Leicester City, Paris St Germain and Ajax and the latter is enjoying life as national team boss.
So having begun his Old Trafford tenure as a caretaker manager, Solskjaer might well end it in a similar fashion. He will retain the faith that this is just a blip and that a strong seven months will see him safe this summer, but the manner of recent defeats can’t be forgotten easily. It feels like the judgement is already in on Solskjaer’s ability to take United to the next level.
But having built a squad that should be capable of challenging for titles, United can’t afford another misstep when it comes to managerial appointments. Being rushed into an appointment mid-season could just result in such an error. That’s why they will be desperate that Solskjaer can steady the ship. Not just in the trip to Watford this weekend, or to Spain in midweek against Villarreal, but long-term. A title challenge looks out of the equation now, but the minimum requirement is a top-four finish. A fivepoint gap to fourth is by no means insurmountable at this stage and if Solskjaer can close it his position will remain relatively secure. If that chasm widens
They will be desperate that Solskjaer can steady the ship, not just at Watford or Villareal, but long-term
then United might have no option but to change the identity of the man in the dugout.
The dilemma for United is if a change must be made and they are unable to prise one of their top targets away from their current club.
At that point they will need to consider the merits of a caretaker in charge until the end of the season or appointing someone they hadn’t initially considered. Tottenham had to do that with Nuno Espirito Santo in the summer and United had firsthand experience of how badly that worked out.
While the social media fanbase might have turned against Solskjaer, the matchgoers haven’t and aren’t likely to. They might also appreciate the fact that for long-term success, the best scenario now is a recovery that allows the former striker to stay in charge until the end of the season, at which point United can consider their options. At that point, any new manager will not only be easier to attract but will also have the benefit of a transfer window and a full pre-season.
That’s probably the ideal scenario for United right now, but to achieve it Solskjaer will have to confound his critics.
Performances have been so poor recently that the idea of this side finding a revival to move comfortably into fourth – at a time when West Ham look like serious challengers, Arsenal are finding form under Mikel Arteta and Tottenham are expecting a bounce from the appointment of Antonio Conte – looks ambitious.