Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | W15 D2 L4

[Freak]

I’m surprisingly cool after this loss. We were the better team but lost because of a combination of a individual mistake, shit refereeing and our forwards not taking their chances.

We had so many chances to score a few goals and win the game but were unlucky. In the second half we were mostly dominating until the penalty then the players just lost their composure.

There was nothing wrong with Ole’s tactics. We were just unlucky on the day.

 

[Wolff]

Probably one of the best performances under Ole. Some really good football on display, and Arsenal hardly had a sniff. Unlucky, that was all. Hardly any reason to question anything.

 

[GBBQ]

Same "so-so" team that's dropped only 7 points at home all season (1 loss and 2 draws) in the league? It's amazing quite how entitled some of the fanbase can be - or maybe it's a sign of how the media (and Twitter) affects rationality. Arsenal this season have been tripe on the road, but amazing at home. They may well have lost to Rennes away (they also lost to BATE away, for the record), but they're a Top 6 side and have been superlative at home. To assume that we should have rolled them over would be presumptuous to say the least.

Did you read my first post where I said Mourinho might have packed the defence and nicked an away goal? Hardly rolling over them! Just think that Mou would have been ultra defensive as he tended to be in away matches at the top 6 and might have won.

Also, Arsenal weren't all that great yesterday, previous home form aside they were there for the taking and didn't look that threatening so I stand by my statement that yesterday they were a so-so team.

 

[GBBQ]

Losing to Rennes does not make them any less a side? It's a one-off.

They raised their game with respect to their defense. Were very solid at the back, and despite that we missed 5 chances.

Our defense was relatively unperturbed. Their goals came from De Gea not moving at all to a Xhaka shot from outside the box and Lacazette taking advantage of Fred. So how would a "packed defense" win us the game when none of our defenders were responsible for the goals?

So you do realise that the game would not have played out the exact same way as yesterday if Mourinho was in charge and adopted an ultra defensive approach (as he tended to do in away games against the top 6)?

 

[midnightmare]

Did you read my first post where I said Mourinho might have packed the defence and nicked an away goal? Hardly rolling over them! Just think that Mou would have been ultra defensive as he tended to be in away matches at the top 6 and might have won.

Also, Arsenal weren't all that great yesterday, previous home form aside they were there for the taking and didn't look that threatening so I stand by my statement that yesterday they were a so-so team.

Mou had converted our defence into the laughing stock of the league. We weren’t even able to park the bus against the likes of Brighton. We were toothless and clueless in attack and a shambles at the back. Under Mou, we’d have lost but not even looked unlucky.

You’re either just willfully ignoring facts or have blanked out the first half of the season if you think Mou would have got anything out of the game. I repeat, this same “so-so” Arsenal has dropped a mere 7 points at home having played every big team there is and 9 of the top 10. Quite why you insist this was an upset of the form book is explained only by you focusing on our recent form under Ole.

Nothing in the form books suggests that Mou would have got anything from this game. Mou’s splendid bus-parking and defensive ‘organization’ left us winless against the top sides (home and away) and with the worst Intra Big 6 record.

 

[Gator Nate]

McTominay should have started this game, he's been very good lately. Matic is too slow and hasn't played for weeks, he was never going to be up to speed, hence why I didn't include Matic in my lineup prediction, because I had a feeling he wouldn't be at his best.

This is probably the only criticism of Ole's game plan that I agree with, and even it is pretty small in the whole scheme of the game. For all the stick McT's gotten during his run, I really feel he can do a lot for the team without the ball. The kid knows how to frustrate opponents with his physicality.

As many have rightly said, bad day at the office. Lukaku couldn't buy a goal yesterday. As poor as things turned out, we won too many statistical categories to say we played poorly. We did seem to be passing poorly, but really no worse that the other side. This isn't a game to dwell on, and I'm not even sure there's much to learn from it. Losing to a top-6 six team on the road isn't the end of the world.

5 days to Wolves!

 

[GBBQ]

Mou had converted our defence into the laughing stock of the league. We weren’t even able to park the bus against the likes of Brighton. We were toothless and clueless in attack and a shambles at the back. Under Mou, we’d have lost but not even looked unlucky.

You’re either just willfully ignoring facts or have blanked out the first half of the season if you think Mou would have got anything out of the game. I repeat, this same “so-so” Arsenal has dropped a mere 7 points at home having played every big team there is and 9 of the top 10. Quite why you insist this was an upset of the form book is explained only by you focusing on our recent form under Ole.

Nothing in the form books suggests that Mou would have got anything from this game. Mou’s splendid bus-parking and defensive ‘organization’ left us winless against the top sides (home and away) and with the worst Intra Big 6 record.

Every season at united Mou had pulled off big wins against "better" opposition. He had done it already against Juventus in the CL and had a draw against Chelsea when we really should have won. All that you say about Mourinho is accurate but to think that a stuttering Arsenal side would have represented an impossible challenge is just not true. Even at his worst he still pulled it out of the bag from time to time.

 

[Suedesi]

Every season at united Mou had pulled off big wins against "better" opposition. He had done it already against Juventus in the CL and had a draw against Chelsea when we really should have won. All that you say about Mourinho is accurate but to think that a stuttering Arsenal side would have represented an impossible challenge is just not true. Even at his worst he still pulled it out of the bag from time to time.

Like he did in May 2017 when he lost 2:0 at the Emirates?

His record at United vs Arsenal is won 2, drew 2, lost 1, which is pretty average considering.

 

[GBBQ]

Like he did in May 2017 when he lost 2:0 at the Emirates?

His record at United vs Arsenal is won 2, drew 2, lost 1, which is pretty average considering.

Pretty average indeed but exactly proves my point that he had it in him to beat Arsenal.

 

[midnightmare]

Every season at united Mou had pulled off big wins against "better" opposition. He had done it already against Juventus in the CL and had a draw against Chelsea when we really should have won. All that you say about Mourinho is accurate but to think that a stuttering Arsenal side would have represented an impossible challenge is just not true. Even at his worst he still pulled it out of the bag from time to time.

Historically Jose also managed to pull off titles. Except this wasn’t that time and this season, he’d got us looking like mid-table trash. Hell, people thought our squad was poor and were scapegoating everyone. Last season, he managed wins against all the other Big 6. This season we were making relegation-battlers look like peak Barca.

Ole has got the team into a place where a single loss is a “disaster”.

Final point: Even if I accept that Jose may have sneaked a point (I don’t), we’d have entered this game so far off that it would have been immaterial in the chase for Top 4.

 

[Kapardin]

Like he did in May 2017 when he lost 2:0 at the Emirates?

His record at United vs Arsenal is won 2, drew 2, lost 1, which is pretty average considering.

For all the talk about Arsenal being "so-so", they should have won their first game against City and Emery worked some pretty good tactics to beat Spurs 4-2 at home.

Arsenal have been up and down this season, but Emery is a specialist in two things- 1) Make his teams formidable at home, 2) Do well in cup competitions. He is a terrible coach for away games though.

 

[Sylar]

Pretty average indeed but exactly proves my point that he had it in him to beat Arsenal.

But doesnt this argument became silly, cos we can also say Ole has it in him to beat Arsenal since he already did within the last month. And on top of that, with Jose we would have relied on scoring the one chance we would have created whereas yesterday we created around 5 clear chances (hitting the woodwork twice) whilst restricting Arsenal to a soft penalty, a long distance shot and a chance at 2 nil down.

The problem with Jose is he lambasted our defence as not being good enough, and instead of compensating by focusing on our strengths, he would have had us sit back giving up possession and running.

Its one of the games where Ole wasnt out-done tactically but it just was a game where it could have gone either way.

 

[Suedesi]

Pretty average indeed but exactly proves my point that he had it in him to beat Arsenal.

Yeah, Mourinho's record at the Emirates with United was lost 1 (2:0), won 1 (3:1). Which is identical to Ole's record. Move on.

 

[Canagel]

Yeah, Mourinho's record at the Emirates with United was lost 1 (2:0), won 1 (3:1). Which is identical to Ole's record. Move on.

oles performance yesterday was better than mourinhos smash and grab last year .didn't ddg make a record saves? We couldve lost that game and no-one would've complained. very different game yesterday.

 

[tenpoless]

The Pochettino and "I told you so" brigade are out. Had Ole done only 70% of what He did, I'd still back him to be the next manager.

People seem to forget the mess We were in just around 3 months ago. It wasn't only about the league position but We had nowhere to go other than to lose our star men, the so called 'football players' didn't want to play football and dreaded it.

I was a supporter of Jose during his time here but after seeing what Ole's brought back to the club, Jose is simply not the man for the job. Good manager but no thanks. No point comparing Ole to Jose, not for the game vs Arsenal. It could have gone either way and We didn't go out there hiding. We did the same stuff at Spurs and won. In games like these, it's always difficult.

But result aside, I like how Ole never seem to be bothered if We lose, draw or win. We go on the next one expecting to win it. That is United mentality right there. Jose's mentality is about winning stuffs short term and leave when everything goes tits up.

Let's just go on about our business. None of Arsenal or Chelsea have the consistency to keep on winning. We are still in two other competitions as well.

PS : To whoever wrote "Unai's on the wheel", feck you. That chant is for Ole only.

 

[Foxtrot]

I don't care if we get top 4 now or not. I stand by my words. Ole has already won me over with the PSG comeback. We could come overcome PSG against all the odds, in the greatest comeback of our club's history, he should be given this job permanently.

However, I'm genuinely worried about his long-term managerial ability. I grow up in the 90s idolizing Ole, one of my favourite players growing up and I'd really be upset if his legacy at United gets tarnished because it didn't go down well. We have failed with 3 managers, and 2 of them being arguably the greatest, LVG coming off the back of a great World Cup run and Mourinho a serial winner wherever he goes. It comes to a stage when you wonder if only SAF could manage Man Utd. Sometimes in life, its best to keep things ambigious just like someone you fell in love while travelling and you had beautiful sex but stopped contacting after you go home. I have no doubt that if Ole leaves after the end of this season, his legacy would go up massively and he could be one of the most highly sought-after managers in football ala Zidane.

If we hire a new manager and things don't go well, we could always turn to Ole just like how Real Madrid is asking for Zidane to come back.

 

[Amir]

If we hire a new manager and things don't go well, we could always turn to Ole just like how Real Madrid is asking for Zidane to come back.

That would be totally unfair to Ole, to treat him as some guy who'll always be available to us if we need him when we won't give him the role permanently.

Besides, if he leaves this summer he'll get another role. And it probably won't be with Molde.

 

[Adebesi]

I dont think Ole's legacy will be tarnished if his management doesnt work out long term. He will always be remembered fondly for his playing career and the magic of this half season, whatever happens.

 

[GBBQ]

Historically Jose also managed to pull off titles. Except this wasn’t that time and this season, he’d got us looking like mid-table trash. Hell, people thought our squad was poor and were scapegoating everyone. Last season, he managed wins against all the other Big 6. This season we were making relegation-battlers look like peak Barca.

Ole has got the team into a place where a single loss is a “disaster”.

Final point: Even if I accept that Jose may have sneaked a point (I don’t), we’d have entered this game so far off that it would have been immaterial in the chase for Top 4.

Just so we are 100% on the same page: I am glad to see the back of Mourinho, United had become terrible to watch, I love what Ole has done with the team and think he deserves the job full time. I am not defending Mourinho's reign or abilities in the slightest and he's absolutely deserving of the sack and the scorn. After PSG I said in an alternate universe Mourinho is blaming an 8-1 aggregate loss on not getting Toby Alderweireld. I am just saying that in a game where Ole didn;t get the rub of the green it was the first time I though Mourinho might have got a result as he is wont to do even when he doesn;t bring in titles (Man City and Arsenal last, Juventus this season etc.). Its in no way a defence of him or wanting him back, just a passing comment. And like it or not the facts are there to back up that he sometimes managed decent away performances so its a fair point to make.

Yeah, Mourinho's record at the Emirates with United was lost 1 (2:0), won 1 (3:1). Which is identical to Ole's record. Move on.

As above, I am not beating the Mourinho drum just saying he sometimes snatched results in these types of matches.

But doesnt this argument became silly, cos we can also say Ole has it in him to beat Arsenal since he already did within the last month. And on top of that, with Jose we would have relied on scoring the one chance we would have created whereas yesterday we created around 5 clear chances (hitting the woodwork twice) whilst restricting Arsenal to a soft penalty, a long distance shot and a chance at 2 nil down.

The problem with Jose is he lambasted our defence as not being good enough, and instead of compensating by focusing on our strengths, he would have had us sit back giving up possession and running.

Its one of the games where Ole wasnt out-done tactically but it just was a game where it could have gone either way.

Same points as above, not making any claim for Mourinho delivering a masterclass in football, just that on occasion he managed to win big matches like this (as Ole has proven as well clearly) and thats what popped into my head in the aftermath. Mourinho might have found a way.

 

[Red Dreams]

Critics being critics.

We had more than enough chances to score 2-3 goals and there was some very good last ditch defending from arsenal

Don’t feel disappointed personally, was kinda expecting that a European hangover and injuries would catch up on us

Not Oles fault, tactics were good. If Lukaku has scored that early chance probably it would be a different conversation entirely

in a nutshell.

After the first 20 odd minutes we had the better of the game.
our strikers have a job to do.
They especially Lukaku did not do his job.

 

[bondsname]

Are people now doubting Ole because we lost to Arsenal? I hope not, because were bound to lose sometime. We lost games under Ferguson as well. Pep Guardiola's Barcelona team lost some games. No need to overreact.

Top 4 is definitely not gone, we can still win the champions s league, nothing is gone really. We still have lots and lots to play for and it's all thanks to Ole and his crew.

 

[Kemizee]

There we go, we’ve lost a game and people are out in force claiming there are “question marks” over OGS

I think everyone on this forum needs to read “Fooled by Randomness”

There is a large element of randomness in football results. People seem to think its this meticulously tactical and logical game of chess where a manager shuffles XI players around a board but it couldn’t be further from the truth

If Lukaku scores that sitter at 0-0 we win this comfortably. If De Gea stands up and falls on a tame effort we win this comfortably

If Lukaku had scored either of his other two big chances we probably go on to win

If Moss doesn’t give an awful penalty we probably draw at least

All of this after-the-fact analysis is absolute nonsense. Football matches compromise human beings taking hundreds of thousands of individual tiny actions with one step either way or one thought reaching the brain a fraction of a second quicker than another completely changing the outcome. Kind of like the butterfly effect.

The “fools” go back over games and retrospectively assign huge meaning to acts that came about as a result of randomness.

Very well said. Games can at times be decided by little margins.

 

[PepsiCola]

People aren't going negative are they?

Ole took over in December.

Our first real loss has come in March.

 

[No Idea For Nickname]

Are people now doubting Ole because we lost to Arsenal? I hope not, because were bound to lose sometime. We lost games under Ferguson as well. Pep Guardiola's Barcelona team lost some games. No need to overreact.

Top 4 is definitely not gone, we can still win the champions s league, nothing is gone really. We still have lots and lots to play for and it's all thanks to Ole and his crew.

No! We won them all, and every game we won 5,6,7-0. While playing wonderful football. Of course.

 

[RasTiaGba]

Poor result, but we hit the woodwork twice.

It's a reality check, as Pep Guardiola often says, it's the Premier League and any team can win.

People assume Arsenal are a poor team, City fans included, but realistically any team in this league can hurt you. Even Huddersfield have Aaron Mooy who is a decent goalscorer.

 

[RG 11]

Some people have really short memories. Under Mourinho and LVG, we would barely create a chance and try to hold on for a draw and feck it up in the 80th minute and lose anyway.

Yesterday, we had the best chances and were unfortunate not to score and conceded a freak goal / soft penalty. It happens and not everything can be planned for in football.

 

[Maplered]

We won't be going for Zidane he is back to Madrid by all reports. One loss does not a season make, I was not depressed at a loss, I thought we were the better team, how many actual saves did Dave actually make? Defense played well. We created the best chances. Onward and upwards

 

[ErranMorad]

If we get knocked by Wolves at the weekend, lose in the next round of the CL & finish 6th with in 5 points of 4th: how many will still want Ole at the helm next season?

Just to be clear, I would still want him. He has shown me what I was looking, i.e. an improvement in our players and a pleasing style of play.

 

[Joseunited]

We've lost one game(we should have scored 4 by the way) and the fecking doubters are out.I hope Ole gets the job just for that.
The guys reviving the "United way",give him the job already.

 

[Sylar]

Same points as above, not making any claim for Mourinho delivering a masterclass in football, just that on occasion he managed to win big matches like this (as Ole has proven as well clearly) and thats what popped into my head in the aftermath. Mourinho might have found a way.

Which is fair, but then at the same time, Moyes was undefeated vs Arsenal as United manager. And LVG had a good record against the top 6 teams. Its kinda a moot point saying Jose might have got a point in this game (which is probably true) but it just wouldnt have been fun at all. And not to mention we would probably be holding onto 6th right now with us being happy Chelsea equalised vs Wolves.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Which is fair, but then at the same time, Moyes was undefeated vs Arsenal as United manager. And LVG had a good record against the top 6 teams. Its kinda a moot point saying Jose might have got a point in this game (which is probably true) but it just wouldnt have been fun at all. And not to mention we would probably be holding onto 6th right now with us being happy Chelsea equalised vs Wolves.

I'd rather lose trying than draw with no hope in hell of winning. We will achieve more points this way.

 

[United_We_Stand]

 

[syrian_scholes]

Wouldn't that be awesome, my Syrian brother?

 

[Chairman Steve]

So they’re confirming it in the international break? I just hope it doesn’t weaken our hand in the transfer market in some way, or more important mentally effect the squad. At the moment they’re playing for positions in hope they’re trying to impress him.

 

[Canagel]

very nice.

 

[BrianMcClair'sBarnet]

If we get knocked by Wolves at the weekend, lose in the next round of the CL & finish 6th with in 5 points of 4th: how many will still want Ole at the helm next season?

Just to be clear, I would still want him. He has shown me what I was looking, i.e. an improvement in our players and a pleasing style of play.

To be honest that was arguably the main reason he was brought in in the first place.
No one expected us to be where we are now.
Like I said at the time you dont hire Ole as interim manager if you're desperate for CL football.You bring in someone more experienced if you want that.
Ole has exceeded the expectations placed on him and his coaching staff.

 

[dwd]

I’d rather they confirm it to him privately and announce it when the season is done.

 

[Sir Scott McToMinay]

I’d rather they confirm it to him privately and announce it when the season is done.

Why does this even matter? it’s just superstitious, OGS is not a stranger to this club, he won’t become complacent all of a sudden, and I don’t see why there should be any extra pressure because of this announcement.
He did fantastically well, beyond anyone’s expectation, it makes sense.

 

[Halftrack]

Why does this even matter? it’s just superstitious, OGS is not a stranger to this club, he won’t become complacent all of a sudden, and I don’t see why there should be any extra pressure because of this announcement.
He did fantastically well, beyond anyone’s expectation, it makes sense.

Some pundit or other suggested that the players want Ole, and are playing out of their skin to ensure he gets the job. If confirmed too early, they might let their shoulders down and our results could suffer.

I honestly just think the players like Ole, and that they'll continue doing their best for him regardless of if he's confirmed or not.

 

[Tom Van Persie]

Rumours are he's going to be confirmed as permanent manager during the international break.