***Official English Football Season 2021/22***

[sledger]

Yeah true.

 

[Uppercut]

As well as this, I think a lot of the top managers are also either taken (Nagelsmann, Allegri) or unrealistic (Klopp, Guardiola). And publicly courting someone like say Diego Simeone would seriously undermine Solskjaer.

Now would be a bad time to replace him. The right time to let him go was last autumn when Poch was available, if not before.

That doesn't mean we need to give him a new contract though. They've burned millions on manager contracts over the years. At least this one isn't for seven years.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

It's surely not surprising that they would extend his contract when it's down to the last year. It's not as if a two year contract extension makes him more or less likely to be sacked when they're 7th at Christmas and out of the Champions League.

 

[sledger]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57996593

@Uppercut

 

[Uppercut]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57996593

@Uppercut

Remember when this was last in the news in 2019 I went on a big rant about how this was an example of society stripping the fun out of everything in the name of extending lifespans by a matter of weeks.

Seems quaint.

 

[Furball]

It's surely not surprising that they would extend his contract when it's down to the last year. It's not as if a two year contract extension makes him more or less likely to be sacked when they're 7th at Christmas and out of the Champions League.

He's not a player though. All extending him does is give the impression he's around for the long term, but that extension is meaningless if United are flirting with relegation at Christmas.

 

[GIMH]

Presumably managers have the same rights in terms of negotiating with overseas clubs in the last 6 months of their contract etc

 

[Lillian Thomson]

They’ve offered him a new contract as a public show of faith in him, otherwise his last year would have been constant speculation. It doesn’t alter much, though he’s already had more leeway than some others.

 

[Himannv]

is there any news on who takes over Woodward's role now? or is OGS gonna take a more active role in transfers?

A combination of Murtough and Fletcher seem to be taking over the footballing aspect of the role (which Woody had no business doing in any case). Not sure who takes over the business aspect - let's see what comes out over the next few months.

 

[Himannv]

Is Varane any good these days?

He's a better defender than Lindelof and still has pace but he's been in horrible form for a while now. I always get the impression that he's better in a team with a good defensive setup already than as a player who will lift the team's defensive performance single-handedly.

 

[Himannv]

I don't follow the EPL anywhere near as closely as I used to any more, but what are the thoughts on here re United re-signing Ole?

I don't think he's as clueless as some people make him out to be and he's an above-average man manager but United could certainly do better than him.

The thing is, all the previous United managers were fired once they failed to make top 4. Solskjaer has top 4 finishes and shown that his team has steadily improved every season. Even if the club want to get a better manager, they've sort of set a precedent of what their expectations are and, so far, he's met those expectations.

 

[Uppercut]

I don't think he's as clueless as some people make him out to be and he's an above-average man manager but United could certainly do better than him.

The thing is, all the previous United managers were fired once they failed to make top 4. Solskjaer has top 4 finishes and shown that his team has steadily improved every season. Even if the club want to get a better manager, they've sort of set a precedent of what their expectations are and, so far, he's met those expectations.

I sometimes talk about how fans struggle to recognise when someone is exactly average, and my usual example is Lindelof, but Solskjaer would be just as accurate. You don't need to rush to get rid of them, but when the opportunity comes up to get someone better in, you do it.

Kinda funny that Solskjaer played it with Lindelof exactly the way the board should have played it with him.

 

[Himannv]

I sometimes talk about how fans struggle to recognise when someone is exactly average, and my usual example is Lindelof, but Solskjaer would be just as accurate. You don't need to rush to get rid of them, but when the opportunity comes up to get someone better in, you do it.

Kinda funny that Solskjaer played it with Lindelof exactly the way the board should have played it with him.

Yes it’s what they should have done. Unfortunately they’ve put themselves in a position where it would be an unprecedented move if they made it.

 

[Pothas]

They should comfortably keep getting Champions League (think the top 4 is really clear cut for now) but you just can't see them winning the league with him.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

i'm a noted OGS hater but one thing i'll give him, i reckon he'll definitely step aside and not drag things out in a legalistic battle if the club has a better manager lined up

 

[GIMH]

i'm a noted OGS hater but one thing i'll give him, i reckon he'll definitely step aside and not drag things out in a legalistic battle if the club has a better manager lined up

Wasn’t there something really dodgy on his part that made you a hater?

 

[Uppercut]

Wasn’t there something really dodgy on his part that made you a hater?

At Molde he kept picking a player who was on trial for allegedly raping multiple women.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

At Molde he kept picking a player who was on trial for allegedly raping multiple women.

...and helped him escape to Saudi Arabia on a dodgy transfer deal just before the police had opened official inquiries.

(it is known he has excellent relations with one particular agent, but because said agent only has sub-League Four players in his portfolio it doesn't appear to have affected ManUtd yet)

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I think Celtic being out of the Champions League already should be mentioned in this thread with it being a Champions League story and not just a Scottish football story. So - Celtic are out of the Champions League already.

 

[Burgey]

Not the start Ange was looking for.