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Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seems to have perfectly outlined the problem that the club is facing with current manager Erik ten Hag.
Man United experienced a nightmare of a match on Sunday, getting thumped 3-0 by Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford.
It was a shambolic performance from the start of the match, with United constantly on the backfoot and refusing to stop playing out for the back, even though the visitors’ attackers would consistently intercept the ball in United’s final third as a result of this tactic.
Following this latest disappointing result in what has been a shambolic season to date, criticism of Ten Hag and his tactical decisions continue to mount, begging the question of how long he has left to right the ship before he loses his job.
Unfortunately, it has taken the wisdom of a former manager to identify exactly where Ineos went wrong when it came to their judgement of the manager in his role.
A video of Solskjaer has recently been doing the rounds, with the former United boss explaining how winning a trophy does not necessarily signify that the club is on the rise.
🚨🗣 – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer:
“A trophy does NOT mean you’re back. It’s the gradual progression and consistency of being at the top of the league.
“Sometimes, a cup competition can hide the fact that you’re still struggling.”
He was RIGHT. Sigh.. 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/Qvt6zzhI7R
— UF (@UtdFaithfuls) September 29, 2024
“Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: ‘A trophy does NOT mean you’re back. It’s the gradual progression and consistency of being at the top of the league. Sometimes, a cup competition can hide the fact that you’re still struggling.’ He was RIGHT. Sigh..” the caption accompanying the video on the viral X post read.
This reminder from Solskjaer will immediately take United fans back to the emphatic FA Cup victory last season, which followed the club’s League Cup win the previous season.
While Ten Hag’s job appeared to be on the ropes before the FA Cup final showdown with Manchester City, however, INEOS handed him a contract renewal over the weeks that followed.
While the exact motivation for their decision was not confirmed, it has become a popular assumption that the FA Cup triumph is what secured Ten Hag’s job.
Just two days ago, it was reported that INEOS are to give Ten Hag until Christmas to turn the ship around.
Still, United fans have grown impatient with their team’s performance, particularly as the club sits 12th in the Premier League, far behind all of their traditional big six rivals.
As United’s poor fortunes persist, Ten Hag is quickly running out of viable excuses as to why his team cannot perform to expectations. Now in his third season with the club, the Dutch manager cannot complain that he hasn’t had enough time in his role to adjust to life at Old Trafford. By this stage, it is a reasonable expectation for positive results to be rolling in – a standard that Ten Hag continues to fail to live up to.
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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