Minimum Bar for Continuity in Ole's Third Full Season

As long as the club finishes top 4, Ole will remain in post. Champions League/FA Cup runs and title challenges are all luxuries.
 
golden_blunder said:
It does when it starts filtering to the terraces or social media. Do you think the opinions stop in this forum?
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I mean what you are talking about just sounds like consequences of being a manager. The idea that people shouldn't discuss such things on an internet forum because they might 'filter down' to the terraces which might in turn put too much pressure on Ole... nah, seems a tad ridiculous to me. The Man Utd manager's job comes with huge pressure from all angles and I don't think threads like these are even a drop in the ocean in that regard. For what it's worth I don't think Ole would be too concerned about what people here think. I respect your opinion if you disagree of course... it's what discussion boards are for innit! :)
 
If there isn’t a trophy (at least the Carabao Cup) then it’s a failure of a season. If he had won the Europa league it goes without saying he would have got more time. But a trophy is needed this season.
 
A legitimate title challenge and a trophy is the bare minimum this year. There should be no complaints now as to whether Ole's been fully backed.
 
85+ points, 2 trophies with at least one of a European nature, PL manager of the season, visible in-game passing triangles and several awards at the National Coachies. Anything less is failure.
 
I don’t care about any cups, I want us to win the league but top 4 at a minimum.

I do think we will challenge this season if we sell martial and Pogba and buy grealish and a neves type, in fact I think we will win it.
 
Too much stuff is difficult to forecast to use final standings. Can't predict who we'll draw, refereeing performances, injuries... Plus in the league we're up against two oil clubs and Shipman's superdosers.

Last season is a fair benchmark to try and exceed, but how we get there is the main thing for me. Play good stuff consistently, none of the silly non-use of the squad with no/late subs in big games, etc...

Behind him all the way unless he tanks the whole thing.
 
If he fails to qualify for Champions League he will he sacked. That not being obvious is astounding.
 
tjb said:
People are waaaay to negative on this place We just had a fantastic summer, that can get even better, with by far the best team we have had since 2013 and all you see are people preempting Ole not being capable of performing well.

People don't like admitting it, but Ole has actually done really well with what he has been given throughout his tenure. Most of the negativity towards him has come on the basis of whether he can deliver when he has the tools, which has been unfair, as he has delivered even without them. none the 19/20 season we managed to finish 3rd despite having Lingard Pereira, Fred Mctominay consistently in our first 11 for the majority of the season. Be positive. It reminds me of SAF having to deal with fans discussing how he could end up falling behind tactically if he stayed, he never fell behind, and when he left, it was those managers that wanted to change our team completely that brought our decline. The grass is not always greener.
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Here here. The negativity is ferocious on here.
 
Continued progress on our average performances, over 80 points in the league, and a genuinely good run in the UCL. That means playing well in groups without stupid losses to terrible Turkish sides, and putting on a good performance in the knockout stages. Even if we lose to a great side, I could handle it if our performance was adequate enough.

Sacking Ole would mean we played at a lower level this season, failed in the league, or embarrassed ourselves in Europe again. Probably a combination I would guess.

I do think our success will hinge on the form of our attackers this year. Last year it was dire bar Rashford at the beginning and Greenwood/Cavani saving us in the run in. If we can get some sustained form from multiple forwards I'd love our chances to impress this year.
 
Zen86 said:
85+ points, 2 trophies with at least one of a European nature, PL manager of the season, visible in-game passing triangles and several awards at the National Coachies.
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I also expect him to do a pitch perfect rendition of Don't Stop Believing at Coachella. And I'm particularly strict about the high notes!
 
Minimum is top 4 and a trophy, or at least a respectable showing in the Champions League if we don't win anything.

I'd like to say a serious title challenge but I think there are so many variables involved there, and there are 3 teams around us equally capable of doing so.

In some ways I think we're better equipped to do well in Europe. We've progressed quite far in most cup competitions under Solskjaer so far but keep falling at the last hurdle. With the signings we've made I would expect a better stab at that. The quality of semi-finalists/finalists in the Champions League hasn't been that high in the last couple of years either. And as Chelsea demonstrated last season, you don't need to be the best team in the competition to win it.
 
I don't mind if we go out to a top team in any of the cups. It's all about the league for me. We should, barring awful injuries, get 80+ points and really excite with the players we have at our disposal now. That's what I expect from Ole and I don't think he'll let me down. He hasn't yet.
 
Gazza said:
I mean what you are talking about just sounds like consequences of being a manager. The idea that people shouldn't discuss such things on an internet forum because they might 'filter down' to the terraces which might in turn put too much pressure on Ole... nah, seems a tad ridiculous to me. The Man Utd manager's job comes with huge pressure from all angles and I don't think threads like these are even a drop in the ocean in that regard. For what it's worth I don't think Ole would be too concerned about what people here think. I respect your opinion if you disagree of course... it's what discussion boards are for innit! :)
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I respect yours too off course.

I just think that threads like these highlight the completely over the top expectations that any manager would struggle to reach. For some it’s win the league or get fired!?
 
Giggsy13 said:
A legitimate title challenge and a trophy is the bare minimum this year. There should be no complaints now as to whether Ole's been fully backed.
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And there won't be. When he's not backed we'll say it. When he is backed we'll say it. Simples

You do agree that these types of signings are a bit better than last years, yes?
 
hobbers said:
Rubbish. We were heading for a 6th or 7th place finish in the first half of 19/20 and it's only when Ole got the tools, i.e. Bruno, coupled with Covid allowing a total reset, that we got back into the top four. On the last day I might add.

Pereira and Lingard barely got a minute between them after Bruno arrived.
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And we got better when he got better players to play. Strange that
 
A more cohesive playing style (Sancho should help out a lot with that), dominant defensive unit that doesn’t crumble under pressure & stronger performances in big games.

Ideally it would be a proper title challenge & a good run in CL, but those are the things that I’m going to value the most.
 
harms said:
A more cohesive playing style (Sancho should help out a lot with that), dominant defensive unit that doesn’t crumble under pressure & stronger performances in big games.

Ideally it would be a proper title challenge & a good run in CL, but those are the things that I’m going to value the most.
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Agreed. I want to see a style on the pitch and dominating the smaller teams the way we used to. I’d like to see a better home record too.
 
Considering the good window
  • 80+ points
  • 40+ GD
  • Proper league challenge
  • Better use of the squad, so that the likes of Bruno does not have to play 2x90 every week
  • Advance from CL group stages, preferably reach the quarters or better, but that depends on the draw really
Been Ole in all the way, but the pressure is on now. Either he steps up or steps down this season
 
Bobcat said:
Considering the good window
  • 80+ points
  • 40+ GD
  • Proper league challenge
  • Better use of the squad, so that the likes of Bruno does not have to play 2x90 every week
  • Advance from CL group stages, preferably reach the quarters or better, but that depends on the draw really
Been Ole in all the way, but the pressure is on now. Either he steps up or steps down this season
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Agree, I’ve been behind Ole all the way as well and I said this season was key even before the big spend.

I just hope we keep Pogba and get a DM, to see the full throttle capability of this squad, him leaving now would take the shine off a great window to an extent.

I hope the signings hit the ground running and we kick on to another level this season, come on Ole. :devil:
 
golden_blunder said:
I respect yours too off course.

I just think that threads like these highlight the completely over the top expectations that any manager would struggle to reach. For some it’s win the league or get fired!?
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Yeah that’s the fanbase we have. It’s a thin line because ultimately this club needs to be winning leagues but we’ve slid from that privileged position and no matter how high the demands and expectations they need to be tempered with the reality of what we are up against.

I do though expect us to mount a challenge and close the gap to City, if we don’t or worse go backwards then I would understand questions being asked.
 
charlenefan said:
Title challenge

Trophies and run in cups rely on the luck of the draw and or being the best in the competition/on the day so that's why for me a title challenge is the only real expectation I can put on him and the team this season
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Same for me. Expecting us to be within a reasonable amount of the winner or the winner ourselves in the league. Cups are a lottery but in the CL, we need to make it past the first knockout round.
 
For me I just want to see the team progressing on the pitch, trophies would be nice but if we are moving in the right direction (in regards to the performances on the field) and our signings are strong that will do me just fine for this season.
 
I don’t know why some of you are setting the bar so low for the CL, look how far Spurs, Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool have gone in recent years. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be trying to getting to Semis. Most of you agree we have a REALLY good squad now but at the same time your setting the bar so low, something isn’t making sense…
 
These things bemuse me. We have a football season ahead with the potential for infinite possibilities and outcomes. Why can't people just let themselves enjoy it rather than pull it apart before it's begun? Ole is looking increasingly comfortable in the chair and highly likely to be here for a while
 
A title challenge would be needed with the investment we have made this year. Also the last 16 in the champions league but preferably make the quarters, but that depends on who we draw.

A cup final and winning it would be very desirable but it depends on the luck of our draws. I won’t hold it against the team if we draw Liverpool at Anfield in the 3rd round and lose.
 
To stop conceding silly goals at set pieces. Hopefully, with the new coach and Varane we can be a lot more comfortable defending high balls into the box.

If we can stop goals going in, we should have a platform to go on and win a few more games. A title challenge would be nice and take it to the wire (provided we are not running away with it ;)). For me, it's all about the league this season as the fans are allowed back in.
 
FootyGirl88 said:
I don’t know why some of you are setting the bar so low for the CL, look how far Spurs, Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool have gone in recent years. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be trying to getting to Semis. Most of you agree we have a REALLY good squad now but at the same time your setting the bar so low, something isn’t making sense…
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Because cups are volatile by nature. Practically every year one or two great teams fall out before the semis and even quarters.

Most people think that failure to achieve minimum demands should lead to the manager getting sacked. If we set CL semis as the benchmark for that, then a lot more great coaches would get sacked annually. Klopp this year, for instance.
 
All things being equal, I expect us to look like a top European side this season. Which means seriously challenging for the title and/or progressing deep into the CL. That's where we should be at this point.

So the worst case scenario I can imagine where I would be okay with Solskjaer staying another year is a top four finish, some signs of coaching-related progress (like our set-piece issues being fixed) and severe enough extenuating circumstances for the lack of a title challenge to be understandable (a horrendous and extended injury crisis involving key players, for example).
 
For me, the results don't particularly matter. He needs to show that he's learning how to manage and influence games that aren't going according to plan. He needs to show that he'll drop players who are out of match form, even if they train well. Basically, needs to show that he can improve as a manager. If I can see that, I'll be confident that results will come.
 
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