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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United faced a thrashing in a 4-2 defeat against Leicester City this weekend. The loss ended United's amazing run of 29 games unbeaten away from home in the Premier League.
The match saw one of the worst performances by Manchester United under the management of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Red Devils were dominated by the Foxes for the better duration of the game and at times struggled to handle the onslaught of attacks by Leicester.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is struggling as Manchester United manager
With the squad Manchester United have, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is expected to set out a team to impose authority on the pitch. It's safe to say that the current scenario doesn't even look close to that.
Manchester United have frequently looked clueless about their game-plan and struggled to penetrate the opposition defense. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has not been able to get the desired results and the majority of the fanbase seems to have lost faith in him.
On that note, let's take a look at the five main reasons why Manchester United should immediately part ways with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer:
#5 Losing matches against weaker teams
Manchester United finished second in the Premier League last season. One of the major reasons for that was United's form against the weaker teams. With the squad United possess, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men are expected to do well against teams inferior on paper.
The 20-time English champions have started the season with the same mistake again. They have already dropped points against the likes of Southampton, Aston Villa and Everton. With the next three games being against Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester City, it certainly doesn't look good for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Players not performing is one thing but getting the best out of their players is the job of the manager. The loss to Leicester City has come as a big blow to Manchester United's title aspirations.
#4 Team selection going wrong
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been the manager of Manchester United since 2018. With almost three years in the position, one is expected to know his players in and out, especially when we are talking of a club of United's stature.
The Norwegian manager has some fantastic players in his squad yet he has struggled picking the appropriate team for some of the matches. One of the best examples is that of benching Cristiano Ronaldo against Everton when the in-form forward could have been beneficial to United's cause.
Another major mistake by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was his selection of midfield players. With the partnership of Fred and Scott McTominay, United have a comparatively better defensive and stable dynamic to the game but there is a struggle going forward.
Using a single defensive midfielder alongside Paul Pogba works only against teams where the opposition midfield is less imposing or lesser in numbers. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has failed to bring in that balance of midfield players. It is true that Manchester United lack a quality defensive midfield player but that is no excuse to be dominated by the likes of Leicester City or Aston Villa.
#3 Poor use of resources in hand
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is blessed with an amazing squad at Manchester United. With the addition of Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Tom Heaton this summer, the quality of the squad is only more enhanced.
Despite having such a star-studded squad, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has not made the best use of it. A well-known example is that of Donny van de Beek. The young creative midfielder was signed with a view to helping more in the attack. Unfortunately, Van de Beek has struggled to feature frequently under the former Molde manager.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has also struggled when it comes to smartly using two of his experienced strikers in Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani. While the former is excellent at what he does, the team seems to be more in sync when the Uruguayan striker is leading the frontline. It is always best to use them depending on the opposition but that hasn't been the case so far.
#2 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer relies too much on individual brilliance
Despite having an inconsistent start to the season, one might argue that Manchester United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have had some tricky results go in their favor. Truth be told, some of the results have been a lucky escape for the Red Devils.
David De Gea made multiple saves to deny goals in the game against Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United. Against Villarreal too, the Spaniard played his part and the team somehow survived due to the Yellow Submarines' inefficiency in front of the goal.
Time and again players have shown their individual ability to either create goals or save them and help Manchester United's cause. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team has never looked like a synchronized unit with a specific game-plan going into fixtures.
#1 Manchester United are struggling tactically
There have been multiple occasions where Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's tactical ability has come under scrutiny. Manchester United as a team have done decently well but there is no defined approach to their game.
At times when we see the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea take a specific approach to their game, United lack that identity. The Red Devils certainly cannot be named as a team with an attacking approach as they have struggled to create on different occasions.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team does not have a different approach in scenarios when the team is trailing or a so-called Plan B in place. United's only known game-plan is to create space on the wings and then cross or play into the box, which is predictable and often easy to contain.
While the Norwegian manager has been able to get a good hold of the dressing room, his tactical game hasn't looked that great in his tenure.
After the loss at Leicester City, some of the big names in the squad will surely be raising some questions. As such, it will be difficult for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to maintain harmony at Manchester United.
Poll : Should Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sacked before facing Atalanta in the Champions League?
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