OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER acknowledged the responsibility for Manchester United’s poor form rests on his shoulders after they went down 1-0 away to Newcastle United.
Solskjaer’s side fell to a third Premier League loss of the season and are 12th in the table, only two points clear of the relegation zone, having scored just nine goals.
United have only taken 17 points from 16 games since his permanent appointment in March after he initially impressed as Jose Mourinho’s successor on a temporary basis, with Solskjaer accepting he needs to turn things around.
“We’re disappointed. We did lack quite a few key players but that’s no excuse,” Solskjaer – denied the services of Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial and Luke Shaw due to injury - told Sky Sports after Matty Longstaff’s debut goal inflicted their latest loss.
“The players worked hard and ran their socks off but at the moment we’re in a place we’re not used to. Some of the boys lack a little bit of composure and we don’t create enough chances to win a game of football. They stay together as a team but we don’t create.
“Luckily for us it’s now the international break. We get time to evaluate what’s gone on over these eight games. We will sit down, hopefully we’ll get a few players back.
“It’s my responsibility. I need to sort their heads out. Young boys lacking confidence – they need some help from experienced players and staff.
“They’re human and they want to do well. They need to see the results of their hard work and we’re not getting those results, so that’s going to affect them.
“The first half was the sloppiest we’ve been. In the second half we dominated but we didn’t create.
“We’ve not changed a lot. We’ve played the same way and stuck to our principles. The players are working hard.
“We’ve had six out from the Chelsea game [a 4-0 win on the opening weekend] and that’s going to affect results. But we’ll work hard and get the quality back.”
United’s next game, following the international break, is at home to leaders Liverpool who have won 17 straight Premier League games.
“It will take however long it will have to take,” Solskjaer said of turning around United’s situation.
“It’s a journey we’ve started on and the culture is getting there. I can’t give you any time but we’re getting there. We’ve given ourselves a big, big uphill challenge to get among the top four, but it’s tight and we need to get a run together.
“We’ve come together and discussed the direction we’re going. If you only work on sunny days you’ll never get to your destination. We’ll have these days but we know where we want to get to.”
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No chance he will make it to christmas, media are using his “it’s not the nineties” sentence as his epitaph
@Michael Flannery: Roy Keane till the end of the season, he’ll steady that ship. Won’t do much more than that but that’s exactly what’s needed for them right now
@my name: Roy Keane would be like pouring petrol on it.
@Denis McClean: Roy is an excellent pundit. Needs to prove himself somewhere else as a manager. As OGS did! Erm! WAIT A SEC. Cardiff!
@Denis McClean: probably but there’s a few players there that he’d snapped back into line, drop or they’ll hand in a transfer request
@my name: Roy Keane has never steadied any ship. What those players need is a manager with 2 things — a footballing brain, as well as a strong personality. Keane only possesses the latter, and is sadly lacking in the former. He’d be every bit as useless as Solskjær.
@ChipCurry: Alex Ferguson and Roy Keane eh ‘dont get on’ ……anybody wishing for Keano to take the reins cannot just ignore that reality – plus the ‘nostalgia’ approach to management is currently being shown up under Ole as something that might make people feel good but ultimately doesn’t work – fans are being blinded by the realities of the games with the nostalgia of the winning years – liverpool went through the same thing trying to regain the titles with King Kenny ets and United are seeing it for themselves now…..it counts for nothing when you are fielding a team in todays premiership or european competitions that you once were a great player for the club…..the club is in freefall mostly i would suggest because the Glazer and Ed Woodward management by spreadsheets and commercial deals that are super profit driving but the running of the football club -most notably the buying and selling of players has been nothing short of woeful and disgraceful…..the list is pretty endless and the common denominator has been Ed Woodward with the seal of approval of the owners – Ole will be gone and maybe they can snatch Potch from Spurs – but honestly if they repeat the same club management of Woodward and poor transfer policies they are going to face years in the doledrums…..most fans have seen this for years and years ( since Alex and also crucially David Gill too ) stepped down….the club has impressive global following , social media likes , sponsorship deals shirt sales an profitability – it is all built on the back of the winning years and the actual football being served up these days is a long way short of acceptable for a top flight club – Thursday Euro game against minnows produced NO SHOTS ON TARGET- and here we have Ole saying ‘ we’ve not changed a lot -we stuck to our principles and played the same way’ – after yesterdays shambolically poor effort.. sadly he is showing his lack of managerial experience – thinking that not changing and sticking to the principles showed a team slowly passing the ball backwards and sideways for 90 mins and not creating any chances on goal….the most basic principles of trying to win the game – you simply cannot win matches if you are not creating ANY goal chances – for Ole to be so bereft of ideas and an ability to impose ANY semblance of style to try make an impact is sadly lacking and he is clearly out of his depth managing a big club in todays environment….the feel good honeymoon was over 9 games before the end of last season and all the talk of regeneration and building new side with extra training over the summer has been shown up to be smoke and mirrors- this United team under his management are not able to play any cohesive style or impose any type game management for the 90 mins on the pitch – unfortunately for Ole it isn’t about the fans turning on him now – it is about the realities that the club gave him the full time role despite his lack of high level management credentials and he is showing that he simply cannot impose his management to the team week in week out. United need to make changes to BOTH Management and Club leadership ( ie Football Director / replace Ed woodward etc ) …..otherwise it will the be perfect example for the ‘definition of insanity’ – doing the same thing over and over again…… and expecting a different outcome.
@Fergal O’ Reilly: Think again Fergal ! He steadied the ship at Sunderland and got promoted
@Fergal O’ Reilly: He could hardly be worse. He actually has more management experience than Solskjaer. He may not be the long term answer. He wouldn’t live in the past and he would use AFs parking spot. He’d hick ass and get into some of the soft duds. I think he relish it TBH, why not?
@Scott Stonebridge: That was a long time ago (12 years ago), and was in the Championship with a team that retained much of their PL squad. And if I recall, it all ended in tears as soon as they got into the PL. In fact, the Championship’s move md so far on, that he was hopelessly out of his depth with Forest last season, and as a Forest fan it was embarassing watching him effing and blinding without a tactical notion in his head at players.
@6CL: I genuinely think he’d be at least as bad. Even if the club structure was right at MUFC, he’s looked bereft of modern tactical nous in any role he’s held in the last 12 years or so. Top coaches are thinkers more than they are hecklers.
@Denis McClean: Roy can’t do any worse than this pretender!
Head up Ole your doing a great job . Remember Rome wasn’t built in a day . This rebuilding project will take time and Ole is the man to take them there . Pity it’s going to be the championship but hey you’ve got to start somewhere lol.
As a CEO, your job is to go out and get the most suitable manager. Not necessarily a checkbook park-the-bus manager with 40 trophies. But one who fits in with the traditions of the club. A manager who improves players, develops youth, plays nice football.
Ed Woodward and the Glazers are yet to appoint a manager since Fergie quit, who quits that criteria. The blame is with Woodward.
Some great managers out there who would fit with the Utd way. Pochettino, Marco Rose, Nagelsmann and to a lesser extent Eddie Howe and Brebdan Rodgers.
Adios
KARMA
” I cant give you any time, but we’re getting there “.
Deluded!, Its getting worse pal !!!
Things are really bad at old Trafford time for intervention how can the club let this go on
@junior b hurling: record profits is the reason it’s going on.
Keep him on, he doing a great job
Time for Sven?
@Philip Farrell: time for Big Sam to keep them up
Well at least the next game is easy.
@6CL: only the kopshites.
@ChipCurry:
The Kopshites will be releasing Chipcurry all over the Mankies.
Alex Ferguson got 7 years to win a league and 4 years to win a trophy that never looked like it was coming. Solskjaer has had 30+ games, how well was AF doing at that stage?
ah the whole world and game has changed in the premiership era ( not necessarily for the better ) but in all reality – there is just no way any major club is going to give any manager 7 years -aside of the fact that Fergusons track record before even moving to UNited was a serial trophy winner – he had broken the Scottish duopoly of Celtic Rangers winning by winning it for Aberdeen , then took them to Euro success….Ole has no successful Management track record of note at high level at all -plus thats just not how the game is these days in terms of time given …not just UNited ….look at the average life span of football managers all over the world – even the ones that win titles – that plus the reality that to watching this United side under Ole is just bereft of any style and look directionless …..it really isnt about taking another 7 years – fact is that the Club need to change the org structure / transfer policies not just change manager. Its a shame for Ole but the nostaligia is only feelgood for a while and helps the mood around the club but if the team can barely beat `rochdale and not manage a shot on target against minnows in the Euro games – this is a results business and fans accept its a ‘transition’ – but cannot be happy to sit back when the team are playing with such lethargic lack lustre style of football game after the gae – it is not going to be allowed to happen – he wont be given another 7 months at this rate -never mind 7 years