Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been featuring regularly in the headlines this period, having come under a barrage of renewed criticism at Manchester United for the squad’s humiliating performances in recent weeks, culminating in their horrific dismantling at the hands of rivals Liverpool and Manchester City.
Old Trafford chiefs are now reported to have made the decision to dispense with the services of their Norwegian legend, with decisive action allegedly likely to happen as soon as a suitable replacement is found as most of the club’s targets for the head coach’s post are under employment elsewhere at the moment, which has served to further complicate matters thus far. However, it seems the board have allegedly seen enough as far as the Norwegian is concerned and are said to have made up their minds. Supposedly, that is.
A torrid run of results like bats from hell preceded the international break with Leicester and Liverpool handing out convincing defeats, culminating in their shameful debacle after being easily out-classed by arch-rivals Manchester City in the latter’s effortless 2-0 derby win at Old Trafford.
After Jurgen Klopp’s Reds decisive 5-0 triumph at Old Trafford and the derby loss to City, United’s top brass apparently contacted Antonio Conte for informal talks over taking the job, but there was no formal offer made, which subsequently saw the Italian supremo losing patience with the club’s hesitance and signed up with Tottenham almost immediately thereafter.
However, according to the Manchester Evening News, it seems the club have already now come to a decision that a change of manager is the best way forward and are finally quickly scrambling together succession plans, with Brendan Rodgers believed to be the prime candidate if they are able to prise the erstwhile manager away from the King Power Stadium.
However, even though the decision to bid the Norwegian ‘Adieu’ is set, the time scale has yet to be determined, as no conclusive action can be taken the ideal replacement before the ideal replacement has been appropriately lined up.
It is further reported that it could take until the end of the season if the search for the ideal respondent fails to bear fruit, as it is understood that a deal for Rodgers is likely to be complex as it is now mid-season.
Other candidates like Erik ten Hag and Luis Enrique – currently employed by Ajax and Spain, respectively – are also believed to have caught the attention of board members.
Understandably sacking Solskjaer, an act as inevitable as it is now deemed to be necessary, would doubtless be most embarrassing for the United hierarchy given that they had signed a new three-year contract with him in July as recompense for having brought United to second position in the league after Manchester City last season.
Out-going executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is said to be firmly opposed to the idea of giving the 48-year-old Norwegian, one of his favorites, the sack, with his own tenure due to end in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile Solskjaer has pugnaciously stuck to his guns with back against the wall and remained typically defiant throughout their hellish run, seemingly oblivious of the fact that they are lingering nine points off early Premier League leaders Chelsea.
As a last-ditch act to salvage the Norwegian’s job, club legend Sir Alex Ferguson is believed to have lobbied the board to give his former ‘Baby-Face Assassin’ striker more time, but had apparently been over-ruled.
It is now obvious Solskjaer is living on borrowed time that could run out at any moment, with no indication on how long his overdue reign will be halted but the notion of borrowed time seems to be more applicable now than ever.
If indeed the decision to release their manager has been taken, the deciding factors are dependent on external variables like the willingness of the managers to leave their clubs to assume the reins of responsibility at Old Trafford.
Credit: Football Tribe Malaysia
