Does Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Have What It Takes To Save Man United's Season?
23rd September 2019
After nine successive away victories under the Norwegian in all competitions, they have now gone nine without a win and are already 10 points behind leaders Liverpool
- Manchester United's demoralising defeat against West Ham was a stark reminder of how far they have fallen as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wrestles with how to turn around his side's fortunes
- Mistakes at the back, a desperate lack of midfield creativity and a worrying shortage of firepower up front have left the club well off the pace just six games into the new Premier League season
- The statistics do not make pretty reading for United fans. Since Solskjaer's honeymoon period came to an end in March they have won just five out of 19 matches in all competitions
LONDON, United
Kingdom- Manchester United's demoralising defeat against West Ham was a
stark reminder of how far they have fallen as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wrestles
with how to turn around his side's fortunes.
Mistakes at the back, a desperate lack of midfield
creativity and a worrying shortage of firepower up front have left the club
well off the pace just six games into the new Premier League season.
The statistics do not make pretty reading for United fans.
Since Solskjaer's honeymoon period came to an end in March they have won just
five out of 19 matches in all competitions.
After nine successive away victories under the Norwegian in
all competitions, they have now gone nine without a win and are already 10
points behind leaders Liverpool.
And it has all come at a time when their two main rivals,
Manchester City and Liverpool, are setting new standards at the top of the
Premier League.
Jose Mourinho, sacked in December, told Sky Sports after
Sunday's defeat at the London Stadium that he did not see any improvement in
United this season, despite the signings of defenders Harry Maguire and Aaron
Wan-Bissaka and winger Daniel James.
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"I like the three," he said. "I think they
are bringing some good quality to the team. But the team as a team, I don't
like at all. I'm not surprised by the result and I don't think Ole can take any
positives from the game."
Former United captain Roy Keane, who won multiple trophies
under former boss Alex Ferguson, said it was "scary how far they've
fallen".
- Rashford injured -
To make matters even worse for the Solskjaer, England
forward Marcus Rashford limped off in the second half, leaving him with no
recognised striker on the pitch.
The injury raises even more questions about the decision not
to replace forwards Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez, both of whom are now
plying their trade for Inter Milan.
With Anthony Martial out of the picture because of injury,
Jesse Lingard came on but looked anonymous as he battles to find form.
But the lack of goals -- United have not scored more than
once in a game since their opening-day 4-0 victory against Chelsea -- is not
just due to misfiring forwards.
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The midfield looks old, flat and ponderous, a world away
from the goalscoring power and creativity that Pep Guardiola's City boast in abundance.
In the absence of the injured Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic
lined up alongside Scott McTominay, Juan Mata and Andreas Pereira against West
Ham in a side lacking pace and ideas.
United also have work to do at the back, despite the summer
recruitment of Wan-Bissaka and Maguire at considerable cost.
Maguire is an upgrade at centre-back and has already shown
glimpses of the leadership that the club were so sorely lacking last season and
Wan-Bissaka has also impressed.
But 34-year-old defender Ashley Young was captain at the
London Stadium and it was his scything challenge on Mark Noble that lead to the
late free-kick from which West Ham scored their second goal.
Solskjaer did his best to put a brave face on the defeat,
saying it hinged on key moments that had gone West Ham's way.
"It's a good group to work with," he said of his
players. "They're determined. Sometimes along the road you're going to hit
some bumps, some highs and lows."
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"This group want to do what we're trying to do in
training," he added. "It's key moments in games that can tip these
games in our favour... but the attitude and desire is there. That's not the
problem. It's the quality in our decision-making and sometimes in the
execution."
But the manager who played for United ahead of a midfield of
Keane, David Beckham and Paul Scholes will know in his heart that his side do
not have the quality to challenge for the Premier League title.
The more immediate problem is that on current form they look
unlikely even to make the top four, which would mean another season out of the
Champions League.
The season is still young but the clock is already ticking
for Solskjaer.