'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Manchester United are in a shambles. The 0-2 defeat to Burnley at Old Trafford got the supporters and everyone across the globe buzzing about how poorly the club is run. Fans were spotted leaving the stadium five minutes before full time. Several anti-Glazer chants and banners surrounding Old Trafford criticizing the Glazer acquisition, who have taken more than £3bn as dividends and director's fee since 2005, were seen. Club CEO Ed Woodward and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are duly responsible for the lack of potency in the transfer market too. Since the 0-2 humiliation to Watford on 22nd December, United have lost four out of six games played in the Premier League.
United need a mini-miracle to qualify for the Champions League next season or get their hands on silverware. Teams like Sheffield United, Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers are in line to give tough competition to the Red Devils for even a top-six spot. This calls for another managerial turnover. Solskjaer, since appointed as the permanent manager, has lost 57 points in the league. Statistics get worse when we count the soft skills' and his influence in the transfer market.
United should sack the Baby-Faced Assasin. Famous pundit Martin Keown concurs:
I don’t think he’s going to last beyond the end of the season. I know people are saying he needs more time but this is Manchester United, it’s a massive football club.
Here are three such reasons why.
#3 Poor squad management
Solskjaer has been criticised by fans for his lack of man-management skills. Although United made shrewd signings last summer, they failed to bring in replacements for Alexis Sanchez, Romelu Lukaku, Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera. He doesn't possess the charm where players will come to United to play for him. Lukaku admits he left United because Solskjaer wanted him to play in right-wing for a while.
Paul Pogba, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Scott McTominay, and Marcus Rashford have played while injured. Diego Dalot, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, and Eric Bailly are fit for the past couple of weeks but nowhere to be seen. Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata were not given minutes until the situation got worse with McTominay and Andreas Pereira. The likes of Angel Gomes and Tahith Chong, who were supposed to be front-runners to salvage United's academy legacy, are ready to leave the club. United's top keeper David de Gea has hit an all-time low with his confidence. There is no one to lead. While United possess one of the brightest academies in the world, this situation is not apt for them to grow.
#2 Tactical incompetence
United show no tactical identity under Solskjaer. Their main philosophy is to counter-attack open defenses with the searing pace of Anthony Martial, Daniel James, and Marcus Rashford. This is their only plan for most of the games. There is no alternative but this plan is crushed against teams who employ deep blocks. This is the reason why they were able to pull off victories against Manchester City in the first week of December. Pep Guardiola destroyed United in EFL Cup overpowering the midfield deploying Kevin de Bruyne as a false nine.
Without Paul Pogba, they have no one to progress the ball to the final third. At times, it seems like players are out of knowledge on what to do on the pitch. They lose the majority of the matches where they have more than 50% of possession. Technically, when you have the ball, you are supposed to pose superiority over your opposition.
Sir Alex Ferguson's sides had a similar plan but more efficient and effective. They used to create space while stretching opposition's play. Off-the-ball movements were the key to Scott's 26 years of reign. All of these are nowhere to be seen. Under Jose Mourinho, they at least parked the bus and showed unity towards a certain style.
#1 Poor interaction with media
Being the richest club and having the largest fan base in the world, United's fans require communication. Whenever the manager of a club of United's stature says something, it directly goes into the dailies of more than 150 nations. Press conferences are the only way the clubs can project what is going right and wrong for the club. A true manager knows what sells: doubt. The best managers in the world use press gatherings to charm and persuade fans into their vision using banter as the means. They create enigma in supporters' minds and instantly have their attention.
Solskjaer's comments have been one dimensional since he has arrived. There is lack of depth or substance to his ideas. Whenever asked about a possible transfer target, all he says is the club will make the correct choice when the ideal player is available. Another famous trademark dialogue of him is that the game of football is of fine margins, you lose some, you win some. Sometimes coming across as too benign or angelic can have its drawbacks.
