Manchester United could rue decision to ignore Conte after yet another disjointed performance
The cycle at Manchester United has been too predictable in recent years. Under Ole Gunnar Solaksjaer, the team turns up great in one week and returns to default in the next.
The Red Devils’ 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur was supposed to offer them a clean slate on which they would finally build some consistency.
However, all that came to nought after yet another under-par performance against Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening.
It’s simply not working under Solskjaer but the club’s hierarchy appears oblivious to this fact. It’s been one disjointed performance after another since the beginning of the season and it’s only getting worse.
That man 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧.
A late @Cristiano strike gives earns us a valuable #UCL away point.
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Reds fail to impress against Atalanta
At no point did Manchester United seize control of Tuesday’s game against Atalanta. The Serie A side looked more organized and coordinated in their play.
On the contrary, the Reds once again had to rely on the brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo, whose double earned them a 2-2 away in Bergamo.
Solskjaer has the support of United’s board but it’s ironic that they passed on the chance to bring in a proven winner like Antonio Conte when the opportunity presented itself.
The Italian has now been snapped up by Tottenham, which leaves the Reds with few options available should they decide to fire Solskjaer. The Norwegian is living on borrowed time and his side’s latest disaster-class further ramps up the the pressure on him.
🗣 "I'm proud that we never give up. We never give in."
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Manchester United could rue decision to stick with Ole
When you watch Manchester United play, there is always a sense that the team is capable of so much more. They have quality players all over the pitch but lack structure and organization.
At one point against Atalanta, it was difficult to tell which formation they were playing. That is definitely on the manager, who has once again failed to justify why he deserves to be kept in the job.
"Yeah, that’s football you know. Definitely no-one can question the character of these players," Solskjaer stated after the game, as quoted by Manutd.com.
"They just don’t give up, they don’t give in and they keep going. We had to make a few changes and they worked."
What worked? The tactics were non-existent, his substitutions didn’t have any effect and his in-game management was also suspect, especially after Raphael Varane left the pitch due to an injury.
On the same day that Tottenham announced the capture of Conte, Manchester United were given a reality check that Solskjaer was just not the man.
The club could come to rue the decision to choose the Norwegian over the former Chelsea and Inter Milan boss.