Ole knows it is win or bust as United boss now
CROSSROADS: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has not had much to smile about
TOUGH TIMES: Van de Beek replaces Mason Greenwood against spurs while ( right) De Gea has been out of form
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has been in Manchester long enough to know it never rains when it can pour.
But as he approaches a run of seven games in 21 days – a stretch which looks set to make or break him as manager – there can be little doubt the outlook at Old Trafford has seldom seemed as gloomy.
Even allowing for the oppressive scrutiny under which Old Trafford bosses live, Solskjaer is in a spot of bother and must deal with problems on and off the pitch which will stress test his man- management and judgement to the limit.
Not least among them is the respective confidence of captain Harry Maguire and goalkeeper David De Gea, the former who looks in need of a holiday – if the last one had not been the root of the problem.
On the pitch, just one win in three unconvincing performances sees United 16th in the table, their worst start in the Premier League era.
There are issues once again with the tiresome Paul Pogba’s form and commitment, both of which look shaky.
And against all this there is the figure of Mauricio Pochettino, who is out of work but most definitely not out of sight.
Maguire’s form since his arrest and charging in Mykonos in the summer has suggested a distracted mind. He was poor in the 6- 1 loss to Spurs before the international break and did little to redeem himself for England, culminating in his red card against Denmark.
Gareth Southgate has urged Solskjaer to back his captain through his current dip.
And while the Norwegian coach will almost certainly come to the same conclusion, he has few better options.
Spanish shot- stopper De Gea was criticised for his positioning for what was admittedly an excellent goal for Ukraine’s winner on Tuesday, yet it is his position as No. 1 ahead of Dean Henderson at Old Trafford which Solskjaer will have to defend.
His national boss, Luis Enrique, claimed that blaming De Gea was becoming “an
obsession” and “a turn on” for many. However, it is easy for him to back a player who looks short of confidence.
Solskjaer will surely be forced to reach a firmer conclusion sooner than Enrique over the course of seven games in three weeks, with four Premier League outings and three in the Champions League.
The first of those comes against Newcastle tomorrow evening and United will be without both Anthony Martial, who is serving the first of a three- match suspension, and Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani.
The latter will be available for the trip to his former club Paris St- Germain on Tuesday but his absence, owing to self- isolation after arriving on deadline day, only serves to add to the confused picture of recruitment.
The one player United did sign in good time, Donny van de Beek, has yet to start a Premier League game, despite a £ 41m price tag, although a full league debut may come at St James’ Park.
Casting an eye down the list of United’s biggest transfers still at the club is illuminating. Of Pogba, Maguire, Martial, Fred, Bruno Fernandes, Aaron Wan- Bissaka, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, Van de Beek and Eric Bailly, arguably six are out of form and three out of the starting XI.
Of those playing regularly, only Fernandes can hold his head up.
Solskjaer needs tangible progress to stop the strands unravelling at Old Trafford but it is hard to see a shoo- in between now and the next international break in the second week of November.
And with the get- out- of- jail- free card provided by his playing career no longer cutting as much ice after a couple of uses, he needs to banish the dark clouds building with wins – starting with the Toon tomorrow.