I am betting Ole Gunnar Solskjaer dreaded seeing out of work coach Mauricio Pochettino back on British tv, as Poch was Sky’s pundit for the last episode of Monday Night Football.

Manchester United have endured a poor start to the Premier League season and had just lost at home to rivals Arsenal the previous day.

They would go on and lose in the Champions League this midweek after a dismal defensive showing against Istanbul Basaksehir (BBC Match Report).

That latest loss has seen United fans and media pundits alike questioning Ole’s position at the club.

Solskjaer received plenty of praise for turning last season around and guiding his side to a top four finish but alas his players were poor at the beginning of last term too. Instead of growing in confidence and carrying on their form that won plaudits after lockdown, United have once again gone back two steps.

I don’t believe Ole can take all the blame of the miserable start to this campaign. The board didn’t do enough to build on that feel good factor and should’ve worked harder in the transfer market to markedly improve the squad. Numerous players have also seen a dip in their form and will have to accept that they’ve simply not been good enough so far.

Yet unfortunately for Solskjaer it’s often much easier to change manager than it is to change the board or dump a fair chunk of a playing squad. Owners and boardrooms often see a managerial change as being the answer to all their problems.

Plus after 101 games in charge at Old Trafford, many will say that the Norwegian boss hasn’t shown enough to keep him in the hot-seat. He’s got a winning percentage of just over 54% and United have lost more than they’ve drawn since Ole took charge.

His playing philosophy at The Red Devils is still not clear and that confusion shouldn’t remain after almost two years at the club’s helm.

The defence has often been a problem and certainly hasn’t been vastly improved during Solskjaer’s spell. I don’t think there’s enough leaders within the squad and Ole should know from his time there as a player, that you need foot-soldiers on the pitch that know exactly what to do.

A loss to Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton this weekend could leave Man Utd 17th in the Premier League. That could leave Solskjaer’s position untenable.

According to a report in today’s Manchester Evening News, Man United have approached Mauricio Pochettino about becoming their next gaffer.

The appointment of the Argentine coach would be viewed as a real coup.

Poch has managed at both Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur previously in the English top flight and he was successful in making both sides much better outfits.

During his tenure at Spurs, Pochettino guided them to a Champions League final in 2019. In his five full campaigns with The Lilywhites, Mauricio managed to gain four top four finishes including Tottenham’s highest ever league finish of second in 2017.

He’s a manager that gains instant respect from his players and one that seems to get the best out of them too. The former Argentine manager also likes to see his teams playing with an attractive high press, which will garner support from the United fans. Poch has an easy identifiable style and players seem to adapt to it fairly easily.

A question mark that would probably cloud his possible appointment would be his lack of trophies as a manager, although many might argue that he hasn’t bossed at a club of Manchester United’s yet!

The forty year old has already stated that he’s very much set on making a comeback:

“I was always ready to be involved in the game again. I love football. It’s my passion, not my job.

“It’s not a stress when you are working. It’s not a stress to go to the training ground. It’s not a stress to prepare for a game. It’s not a stress to compete… look, my hair is still getting longer and longer!

“I am looking forward to being involved in the game again, I love the game.

Pochettino via Goal.com

Those words will probably worry an pressured Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as they might be music to the ears of a board that might be looking to make a change.

This weekend could be huge for Manchester United’s future!

Posted on November 5th, 2020 by scott
Filed under: Article