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Brendan Crossan: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer destined to be another footnote of Ed Woodward disasters

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should be able to make a better fist of what he's doing at the club
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should be able to make a better fist of what he's doing at the club Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should be able to make a better fist of what he's doing at the club

DURING his playing days Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was known as the baby-faced assassin. He was absolutely lethal in front of goal.

What the smiling Norwegian had you couldn’t coach. Anticipation, instinct, coolness in front of goal.

When Solskjaer had a goal chance the goalkeeper was nearly always second favourite to save it. His goalscoring legacy at Manchester United will never dim.

There are players you mark down as future managers.

For some inexplicable reason, Solskjaer didn’t fit the bill. Maybe a youth academy coach, but not manager of Manchester United.

And yet, here he is – one of the greatest goalscorers ever to wear the United jersey – trying to lead the famous club through troubled times.

Since securing the job on a permanent basis he’s lost more games than he’s won: 11 wins and 12 defeats.

Watching his post-match interviews make for painful viewing. He seems to age another five years with each passing defeat and the stress lines become more pronounced.

While he gets slated for the content of his post-match interviews, Solskjaer is in a lose-lose situation because he’s being asked questions that he can’t possibly give a candid answer to.

‘Ole, what do you really think of the shabby nature of the current United squad?’

‘Ole, what’s your views on the club’s recruitment policy?’

‘Do you think Ed Woodward is part of the problem?’

‘Is Paul Pogba worth the hassle?’

‘Do you think Anthony Martial is a good professional?’

Instead, what viewers get is a bit of soulless dancing between interviewer and manager which is a waste of everybody’s time.

You sometimes wonder how Ole ended up here.

A couple of spells with Molde and a short-lived stint with Cardiff City was all that was on his modest CV when he came back to Old Trafford to successfully embark on a bit of fire-fighting.

In his first month he was voted Premier League manager of the month in January 2019, winning 10 points out of a possible 12, and in the process making the deposed Jose Mourinho look a right amateur.

For a while Solskjaer looked as though he could turn water in wine, by transforming a thoroughly average group of players into title contenders.

But it was never going to happen. And so one of the great European clubs trundled along knowing full well that recruitment was no-where near good enough both in terms of players and managers.

David Moyes never possessed the stature to succeed a managerial giant like Alex Ferguson.

Thinking that Marouane Fellaini’s signature would enhance a club like United was badly misplaced.

And in this prevailing era where the high press is king, United delved into the past and signed up Louis van Gaal – a manager whose style was both ponderous and putrid that loved possession for possession’s sake. It was a dire era.

And when you agree to give the job to Jose Mourinho, you give up part of your soul. You dump your once keenly held football traditions and you kiss goodbye to your identity.

When you sign Mourinho the caveat is that the story always has to be about him.

Winning the Europa League under Mourinho was one of the most joyless deliveries of silverware ever recorded at Old Trafford.

On the night, they barged their way to victory over Ajax in the 2017 final.

Burnley are currently one of the worst teams in the English Premiership.

Their style – like a lot of teams in the division, it must be said – has no redeeming features.

They’ve a group of sorely limited footballers who work desperately hard for each, which is actually enough in these austere times to reach mid-table oblivion. But don’t expect to enjoy anything about Burnley.

Their football is all about percentages and outcomes and what the scoreboard says at 10-to-five every Saturday afternoon. That’s the sum total of over half the teams in the Premier League.

On Wednesday night at Old Trafford, Manchester United were flummoxed by Burnley’s high press to the point where they couldn’t cope. Imagine not coping with Burnley at home.

That’s how far United has fallen.

United’s night was perfectly encapsulated when Anthony Martial tweaked his ankle after trying to challenge a Burnley defender in the early exchanges.

It was a nothing challenge and yet the Frenchman rolled around and needed medical assistance. As he limped off he glared at the referee as if some terrible injustice had been inflicted upon him.

It is now beyond dispute that Ed Woodward is one of the root cause of United’s woes. His player and manager recruitment has been woeful. Almost £1bn has been spent on averageness, or below, since 2013.

Pogba £94m. Morgan Schneiderlin £32m. Memphis Depay £31m. Anthony Martial £54m. Fred £53m. Harry Maguire £80m. Luke Shaw £34m. Matic £40m.

Who profiles these players and thinks that they have the requisite talent and character to be a Manchester United player?

The list of paying over the odds for players is endless.

Solskjaer is powerless to fix United’s deep-seated problems; it’s above his pay grade.

United fans are quite correct to point the finger of blame at board and ownership level and as a consequence Solskjaer is somewhat sheltered from the rougher edges of that criticism, probably because he was such a great servant during his playing days.

But he is quite clearly out of his depth. Every manager’s job is to improve the team, both individually and collectively.

Solskjaer has patently failed to make these players any better. Ole has no discernible vision.

In fact, it would be difficult to articulate the team’s style of play.

Despite the shortcomings of the squad and Woodward’s cackhandedness, it shouldn’t disguise the fact that Solskjaer should still be doing better in the role on a match to match basis in what is a grossly over-rated league.

When you see Anthony Martial sauntering around the pitch complaining about the slightest hint of physical contact, and you continue to pick him, it suggests that you are just another mistake of the club’s executive vice-chairman.