IF OLE IS THE MAN, WHY HAVEN’T UNITED GIVEN HIM THE JOB?
TIMING is everything in football. Manchester United had the perfect opportunity to announce Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as their permanent manager.
It was the morning after their sensational victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League when their interim manager’s stock could not have been higher.
Instead, they held off. What are they waiting for? Are the club still to be convinced that he is their man?
When he recruited Solskjaer from Molde in December, Ed Woodward could not have imagined that four months on he would be a serious contender for the job.
Solskjaer ( right) has more than exceeded expectations, propelling United into contention for the top four and getting them through to the quarterfinals of the Champions League against all odds.
He has made a group of players who were performing well below par look like the multimillionpound assets they truly are.
He clearly has the support of his players, many of whom have gone on the record saying he should be appointed full-time.
Solskjaer will feel he has more than proved himself but the longer United wait, the greater the risk that the feelgood factor begins to fade.
His team have suffered two poor defeats by Arsenal and Wolves, with Saturday’s FA Cup exit ending their best chance of winning a trophy. United are still to face Chelsea and Manchester City at home in a tricky run-in and have to go back to Molineux, too. Should this dip become a slump, United finish outside the top four and fail to win the Champions League, they will not ride into next season on a wave of positivity. There would surely be question
marks over whether Solskjaer could challenge City and Liverpool for the title.
Matters have been complicated by the return of Zinedine Zidane to Real Madrid. Now that door has closed to Mauricio Pochettino, United are in pole position to try to tempt him away from Tottenham.
Pochettino was the No1 candidate to replace Jose Mourinho. He has an outstanding track record when it comes to improving players and has established Spurs as a top-four side, despite having his hands tied in the last two transfer windows.
Regardless of Tottenham’s recent poor run of form, he remains the strongest candidate and would become an even more attractive option should United’s season not finish on a high.
Whatever happens between now and May, Solskjaer’s reputation as a manager has been significantly enhanced. Whether he is sitting in the Old Trafford dugout next season, though, may depend on his ability to deliver Champions League football.