Derby defeat leaves Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on the brink as Manchester United are outplayed again
Manchester United cannot catch a break at the moment as the Red Devils’ disappointing run of form continues under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Norwegian manager was backed by the club’s hierarchy following the team’s 5-0 loss to Liverpool, but he hasn’t done himself any good since then. On Saturday, United were again dominated at home, this time by Manchester City in a game they barely had a sniff.
It’s not just about how poor the results have been, the performances have been equally dire. As things stand, it doesn’t look like Solskjaer would lead the team out of the mess they are in at the moment. Despite the wealth of talent at his disposal, United seem too far away from the other top teams.
🥴 Manchester United have conceded more goals (11) than they have scored (10) at Old Trafford in the Premier League this season https://t.co/MoKs58K0FP
Manchester United outplayed by Manchester City
So far, the Red Devils have been outplayed by almost every opponent they’ve faced. Even in the games they’ve won, they have rarely emerged comfortable victors.
Manchester United were again outplayed when they faced Manchester City on Saturday. Pep Guardiola’s side were in control from start to finish, and didn’t have to break a sweat to get the better of their opponents. That the Cityzens restricted United to just a single shot on target typifies the level of dominance they had at Old Trafford on the night.
Surely things can’t get worse than this. The Red Devils have all the quality, but the management of the squad has been far from satisfactory, leaving the team in a shambles. Teams have found it too easy to play against Manchester United, and that is highly concerning.
The result against City means United haven't kept a clean sheet in 14 consecutive games at home across competitions. It's their worst run since 1958-59 when they went 21 matches without keeping a shutout.
14 - Manchester United are now without a clean sheet in their last 14 home games in all competitions - they've only had one longer run in their entire history without a home clean sheet, a 21-game run between April 1958 and March 1959. Porous. https://t.co/dDsvnX6WJd
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on the brink
With five minutes left on the clock during Saturday’s game against Manchester City, the cameras zoomed in on Solskjaer as he cut a frustrated figure in the dugout.
His demeanour painted the picture of a man who has looked out of his depth. With just three wins in the last ten games, the Norwegian is now seriously on the brink.
"I have good communication all the time with the club that's very up-front and honest about the situation,” Solskjaer said after the game, as quoted by Sky Sports.
"I'm sure when we come back the players will be fresh in their minds from internationals, and of course the demands on the players, on me are going to be high. We've just got to get back to what we started to look like and what we were for a while. We've got the players to do that,” he continued.
No matter how one tries to sugarcoat things, United are currently in turmoil. It’s only a matter of time before it degenerates into a full-blown crisis, especially if Solskjaer continue to stay in charge.