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Football News: With Manchester United, is it always the Manager's fault?

With Manchester United, is it always the Manager's fault?
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This isn't a post Barcelona v Manchester United match knee jerk whinge, but are we seeing the players true form, or is it the managers fault for not getting the best out of them? If it's the latter, then how do we rectify it - surely can't be the manager's fault all the time, can it?

Towards the end of Jose Mourinho's reign, it was all the managers fault, and we had a great squad that was being held back by Jose. Many thought that theory was proved correct by the subsequent upturn in results as soon as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came in. Personally, like many others, I just think it was the bounce effect of a new manager - anyone but Jose - that was always going to happen. Especially given the strategic timing of Jose's sacking and the 'easy' run of games that followed.

 



I think Ole has done a decent job, but the club has again been far too hasty in making his appointment permanent. Yet again, this group of players have shown that they pick and choose when they want to play. The enigma that is Paul Pogba plays only for Paul Pogba. I know it has been said already, but we have to start looking beyond the manager for a solution. And I really don't see a Director of Finance - when they are eventually appointed - solving the on field issues.

The approach and mentality of too many of our players is questionable. In sport, they say that ability accounts for only part of the overall performance and that is certainly the case here! Too many players that are good on paper, but not quite up to it week in, week out. We need to get over this habit of buying names, and get in players that can perform consistently. Also, when we buy a player, play him in his best position and to his strengths. How many players have we bought in recent years only to try to change the way they play, or in different positions.

I am not suggesting Ole was at fault last night, or indeed for the last half dozen games. But, despite the bounce after Jose and the great run of results when he came in, Ole has not exactly revolutionised the way we play. The football has not been too much different lately, except that he is happy to see more players get forwards in attacking situations. But generally, possession is still too slow and predictable.

 


There is no doubt that he is far better with the press, is much more likeable character and is much better with the players. He clearly has a more 'arm around the shoulders' approach than Jose, which the players respond to. The worrying thing is that, despite this approach, the players still aren't, or don't appear to be pulling up trees for him. Don't get me wrong, we have had some great results, culminating in that great night in Paris. But don't get too carried away with that either, because in all honesty we were completely out played and outclassed in those two games.

Like I said at the start, this is not a knee jerk to last night, to be honest I was expecting it. You can't put a Ford Focus in a Formula 1 race and expect it to win. Truth is, we are way behind the best at the moment, as is shown in our league position. We are a tier below the best, and in my opinion at least, that is not going to change with the players we have.

We need to be realistic, and not get carried away when we beat a few mid to low English Premier League teams. Ole has done a decent job, had a great start, but it is only now that we will begin to see what he is really about. He needs to show that ruthless streak that he had as a player and ship out the ones that are just not good enough - and there are several.

Moreover, he also needs to ship out the ones that are not truly committed to United. We need players that really want to be here and will fight for the cause. Not ones who are here for the money, that perform when they feel like it and go missing when the going gets tough.

Written by betty swollocks April 17 2019 13:36:11

 

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