Home » Manchester United players point the finger at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Manchester United players point the finger at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

by Scott Eckersley

With the dust still settling on Manchester United’s humiliation by Liverpool, details continue to emerge about behind-the-scenes turmoil.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been at the centre of a full-blown crisis this week, with rumours continuing to swirl about his bleak prospects at the club.

According to The Times, Solskjaer will remain in place for the weekend’s crucial clash with Tottenham Hotspur.
The game comes amid frenzied speculation that Reds’ coaching staff are under intense pressure to successfully navigate the next three games.

They’re said to be under the impression that any further disappointments could result in the United board swinging the axe on their time at the club.

The Times reports that clear-the-air talks after the recent Leicester debacle resulted in finger-pointing and raised temperatures among players and coaching staff.

Solskjaer himself is said to have faced severe criticism, with an unnamed player thought to have questioned the decision to give Harry Maguire the captain’s armband.

The Norwegian is also thought to have been all but accused of favouritism by one of his players.

It’s said, “That player claimed that Solskjaer and his staff were too resistant to reward those fringe players who were training well with a place in his starting XI.”

Unsurprisingly, given the nature of the defeat, another heated dressing-room exchange is believed to have taken place following the Liverpool defeat.

Of greater concern to Solskjaer would probably be an assertion that the players think he lacks the smarts to compete with the likes of Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel.

At this stage, the Norwegian’s biggest boardroom supporters are believed to be Ed Woodward, the executive vice-chairman, and Richard Arnold, the managing director.

The duo are said to be reluctant to pull the plug on the current regime, although they’re also concerned about recent results.

Should the scorer of United’s most famous goal be dismissed, Antonio Conte has been widely touted as a possible replacement.

However, the report concludes that the Red Devils’ hierarchy has reservations about the irascible Italian.

It’s difficult to see how the United boss rides out the current storm. Reports of dressing room disharmony certainly eat into his reputation as a feel-good coach.

Ole is still at the wheel then. But he appears to be crashing through safety barriers and careering towards the cliff edge.

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