Watford are next up but Ole Gunnar Solkjaer’s Manchester United pressure shows no sign of abating and three points are a must if the Norwegian is to reduce the heat to a simmer.

Solskjaer’s Manchester United Pressure Grows With Watford a Must Win Game

Poor Form

In the last set of fixtures before the international break, Manchester United won just 1 game. They suffered heavy losses to Leicester City ,Liverpool and Manchester City while they drew with Atalanta in Italy. This has meant that pressure has mounted on Solskjaer and his coaching staff. In these fixtures, not only did the results go against United but the performances were dreadful. Playing out from the back was not working for them but the persistence and confidence put into this style from the coaching staff has been extremely frustrating for the United fans. Teams have worked out how to expose this by pressing really high and eventually winning the ball in a dangerous position where they can create chances against David De Gea. De Gea has saved this team from embarrassment on various occasions. Solskjaer needs to find a method and style of play to get this United team performing to an acceptable standard.

Midfield Conundrum

Solskjaer has put great trust in Fred and Scott Mctominay in the middle of the park. After Spurs beat United 6-1 at Old Trafford in 2020, Solskjaer reverted to a more defensive option in the midfield with this pairing. He believes that they provide protection to United’s back line. With the arrival of Bruno Fernandes in January 2020, most of the creative outlet comes from Bruno Fernandes. To emphasize this point, he has created the most chances in the Premier League since he began competing in England. In recent performances, it is clear to see the partnership of Fred and Mctominay does not work. Defensively, they are making mistakes and it is easier for oppositions to bypass our midfield and get at the defence. Offensively, they are not progressive enough with the ball. . They tend to opt for the safer options when they are on the ball rather than attempting the line-breaking balls, like Bruno does. Donny Van De Beek joined United in August 2020 and has hardly been given a chance. If he was given a chance, the United fans could understand Ole’s decision to not include him in his plans. However, the fact he has not got a chance is frustrating for fans.

Solskjaer’s Manchester United Pressure

After the damaging losses to Liverpool and City, the pressure has constantly been mounting on Solskjaer. United fans have lost hope and belief in this coaching setup. They believe they have come as far as they can and is time for change. The thing that has worked in favour of Ole is that he is a legend of the club and the fans have a personal connection with him. He is also a Manchester United man through and through who understands the values of the club. These characteristics means the board rate him highly and he also has the support of Sir Alex Ferguson.. It is also understood that the players love Ole and that he is a nice guy. The problem for United fans is that they would prefer trophies over this sentiment every day of the week. Brendan Rodgers has been heavily linked to the roles and Zinedine Zidane has also been mentioned. Whilst the club would like to make a decision in the summer it is understood, if things take a turn for the absolute worse and there is danger that United may not achieve Champions League qualification, then Ole could be sacked. This is the remit and demand of the owners, Champions League qualification. This is the ultimate reason the previous three managers before Ole were relieved of their duties. Champions League qualification will not be enough to appease the fans. With the array of talent and the money ole has spent on this squad, fans were expecting a real tile challenge. They will also have high hopes of competing in the latter stages in the Champions League. Everyone agrees that Untied have the squad and talent to achieve this, however there are many that argue that the manager is not good enough to take them on this journey. A lack of tactical ability and in-game management has caused concerns for United supporters. A lack of available options to replace Ole has also said to have worked in his favour. Ole has been given another chance to turn things around. Is he the right man? Time will tell.

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