Solskjaer has failed. I reckon it's worth taking a step back and reminding ourselves how this reflects a bigger picture of the lack of seriousness of Manchester United as a sporting organisation.
The Glazers inherited a team of serial winners and sensibly didn't change much (other than the small matter of parasitical wealth extraction). Once Fergie and Gill retired they had their first strategic decisions to make. They chose to appoint a trusted banker as chief executive - a man with only the most superficial industry experience. This man, Woodward, inherited unusual levels of control of the whole organisation, including sporting matters. Neither Woodward nor the Glazers showed any interest in reforming the decision making structures, and only after around eight years of failure made moves to give Murtough and Fletcher a certain amount of autonomy - though not the level of power wielded by sporting directors at comparable clubs.
This pattern of people learning on the job has been replicated across the organisation. Matt Judge was put in charge of transfer negotiations: a man with no prior experience dealing with agents. McKenna went straight from youth coaching to first team. Carrick fast-tracked to first team coaching. Solskjaer himself appointed without an extensive track-record.
Lack of experience isn't in itself proof of lack of quality, and any of those individuals named above might have been great at their jobs. Guardiola had no track record when he took over at Barcelona. The point is, if a critical mass of decision makers, from the very top down, are learning on the job, who is going to make those sharp-sighted calls? Who is really qualified to differentiate a latent Guardiola from someone who isn't going to be good enough?
Solskjaer has failed, and it's time for him to go, but the whole organisation has failed - under *four managers in a row*. It's a culture of amateurism, a culture that's so commercially driven that we actually damage our commercial performance by mismanaging and damaging our core product. Who can be confident that the best possible manager will be recruited at the fifth attempt? And even if the blindfolded darts player hits the bullseye, that manager will have a hand tied behind his back unless the club makes good on the tentative moves toward adding professionalism at every level of sporting strategy.
amateurism, top-down
posted on 26/10/21
No need to read past the title of the OP as it says it all.
posted on 26/10/21
A below average ownership heading a below average board who have a below average manager managing a squad of (mostly) average players.
A recipe for disaster.
posted on 26/10/21
It's amateur hour, every hour at this club.
Might as well rename it Man Utd Football College, a place unqualified people can come and 'learn' on the job.
posted on 26/10/21
comment by I am Batman (U22734)
posted 39 minutes ago
It's time to exact replicate Chelsea's model of doing business. They are the most well run club in England. No need to reinvent the wheel.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
There are plenty of templates we can adopt for running a club well. Leicester City provide another one - probably the best model for outperforming their financial means.
The issue is that the owners have to want to change things, and while they are wedded to being a commercially-led organisation, their basic objectives are very different from a club like Chelsea where it's an added bonus if the business makes a profit but the owner's primary interest is the FC.
posted on 26/10/21
All we are left with now is division, a disillusioned fan base, senior players making it clear they do not feel the manager is capable of taking the team further and an inept,indecisive,pathetically weak board.
For the benefit of all parties there is no way Ole should be in the dug out against City, another serious rout and whatever credibility Ole has left will be in absolute humiliated tatters, I find it incredible the club seems it will allow this to potentially happen.
posted on 26/10/21
comment by Franko Cantona (U22187)
posted 1 minute ago
All we are left with now is division, a disillusioned fan base, senior players making it clear they do not feel the manager is capable of taking the team further and an inept,indecisive,pathetically weak board.
For the benefit of all parties there is no way Ole should be in the dug out against City, another serious rout and whatever credibility Ole has left will be in absolute humiliated tatters, I find it incredible the club seems it will allow this to potentially happen.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What we have here my friend is pride. They got their pants pulled down over Jose and thought they’d found a way back with Ole hence their over and beyond attempts to secure Ole and his assistants to the job for life. Now they surely can’t admit defeat on this or else it makes them look weak.
posted on 26/10/21
I think if Ole stays it's just a stay of execution. Maybe the club think it wiser doing it after the City game (or even the Chelsea game?) and give any new manager the benefit of 'easier' (on paper!) games to settle into the role.
posted on 26/10/21
Them keeping Ole makes absolutely no sense. Things like this shows just what type of ownership we have.
I honestly cannot imagine any United fan dreaming of Poch or Conte though.
posted on 26/10/21
comment by Redastomatoes- Feels very Moyesian...cleverson forever!If he is good enough he is ready! (U12026)
posted 4 minutes ago
Them keeping Ole makes absolutely no sense. Things like this shows just what type of ownership we have.
I honestly cannot imagine any United fan dreaming of Poch or Conte though.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I get the Conte doubts but what’s the issue with Poch? He’s perfect for us
posted on 26/10/21
comment by Robbb Conte (U22716)
posted 45 minutes ago
comment by Redastomatoes- Feels very Moyesian...cleverson forever!If he is good enough he is ready! (U12026)
posted 4 minutes ago
Them keeping Ole makes absolutely no sense. Things like this shows just what type of ownership we have.
I honestly cannot imagine any United fan dreaming of Poch or Conte though.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I get the Conte doubts but what’s the issue with Poch? He’s perfect for us
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Poch is a rich mans Ole.