Is Solskjaer up to the job?

OLE Gunnar Solskjaer looked a manager running only on the fumes of dwindling goodwill as he made his way to Manchester United’s supporters after a shambolic 4-2 defeat at Leicester City in the English Premiership football on Saturday. As the Norwegian moved towards a discontented corner of the stadium to clap the travelling fans, he was faced with some sympathetic applause, anger and a fair few empty blue seats.

If the impression given by Leicester’s two late goals is one of a close match, ignore it.

Leicester deserved their win and deserved to win by more. Manchester United deserved to lose and deserved to lose by more.

Solskjaer can be chippy under criticism but, rather like Manchester United here at Leicester, he has little in the way of any defence after they were over-run and overpowered.

United’s manager looked lost at times in his technical area as Leicester, back to their best, swarmed all over a team assembled at vast expense but one lacking organisation and leadership, panicking and creaking under pressure all afternoon.

As manager, Solskjaer will take the majority of blame - but some big personalities are in the dock after this game as well. The bottom line, though, is that there is one question more people will ask with increasing validity if United’s poor form continues.

Is Solskjaer the right man to take Manchester United forward? It is cruel but it cannot be dodged. And the evidence so far is not favourable. First, though, there must be an exacting spotlight shone on United’s players. This is not all down to Solskjaer.

Harry Maguire, to put it very politely, was ring rusty on his return from a calf strain. He ran the ball out of play with his first touch. He was robbed by Kelechi Iheanacho in the build-up to Youri Tielemans’ strike to make it 1-1 and was part of a defence lacking any sort of composure. He looked well short of match fitness.