History shows Ole Gunnar Solskjaer NEEDS a good run to save his job

Man United are in the form that saw Mourinho sacked, while Van Gaal was axed hours after winning the FA Cup and Moyes lasted just 10 months… history shows Ole Gunnar Solskjaer NEEDS a good run to save his job

• Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is under pressure due to Manchester United’s dismal form 
• United’s loss at Leicester extended their poor run ahead of a tricky set of fixtures
• History has shown that boss Solskjaer now needs a good streak to rescue his job 
• David Moyes was axed by United 10 months on after replacing Sir Alex Ferguson 
• After that, Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho were both also sacked by the club
• Here, Sportsmail takes a look at the form that saw all three coaches dismissed 

Manchester United have been in this situation before – many times, in fact. Their current torrid run of form looks set to force the board into making another dramatic change in the dugout, with pressure mounting on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Resembling a man bereft of ideas to turn around this slump more and more with every passing week, it truly appears that the writing is on the wall for him. Still a firm favourite among the fanbase, it will be a disappointing end to his tenure.

But he is not the only United manager to have endured a nightmarish streak. After Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, David Moyes, Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho have all been hired, but were unable to restore the club’s glory days.

History shows Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs a good run to avoid the sack at Manchester United

United fell to another defeat at Leicester at the weekend, piling the pressure on boss Solskjaer

There is something of a scattergun approach from United when it comes to axing their coaches. They have either been brutal in pulling the trigger, or have waited far too long and allowed a rot to seep into every corner at Old Trafford.

With executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward set to depart at the end of the year, one of his final actions at United may very well be handing Solskjaer his marching orders. But is there still a way for the beleaguered boss to turn it around?

Moyes, now enjoying success during his second spell at West Ham, will warn him that there is simply no way out. Under his reign, a lifeless and uninspired United missed out on Champions League football for the first time since 1995.

David Moyes was sacked just 10 months in at United after failing to turn a horror slump around

MOYES’ LAST SIX GAMES IN CHARGE

Manchester United 0-3 Manchester City (PL)

Manchester United 4-1 Aston Villa (PL)

Manchester United 1-1 Bayern Munich (CL)

Newcastle 0-4 Manchester United (PL)

Bayern Munich 3-1 Manchester United (CL)

Everton 2-0 Manchester United (PL)

On his part, a poor run at the start of the 2013-14 campaign set the tone for the rest of the season. United lost to Liverpool, Manchester City and West Ham in the space of just four games in September 2013 – hardly the spark needed for a title defence.

Later on, across January and early February, 2014 United won just two matches in seven. A defeat came against Stoke, and Moyes’ side also drew with Fulham. Again, the pattern was set for the rest of his ill-fated time in the hotseat.

A plane was chartered in March, and it pulled along a short and simple message from angry supporters. ‘Wrong One – Moyes Out’, it read. However, it still took until the next month for United to finally decide his spell in charge was over.

The run of three defeats in six saw them dismiss Moyes. In a cruel twist of events, it was the 2-0 defeat at Everton, his old stomping ground, which proved a bridge too far. An abject showing, the loss encapsulated every problem at United. 

United languished in seventh with four games left, and brought in Ryan Giggs. By that point, they were guaranteed to record their lowest points tally. 

Moyes was axed after a loss against Everton, and the fan’s grim reaper (right) proved prophetic

Also under Moyes, United were beaten in the FA Cup by Swansea, and crashed out the League Cup against Sunderland. In the Champions League, United reached the last-16 stage, losing to Bayern Munich shortly before the loss at Everton. 

The following season, United turned to veteran coach Louis Van Gaal. His two years in charge were marred by slow, blunt performances – and he was extremely fortunate on two occasions to not lose his job around the holiday periods.

Any hopes of a fresh start and an immediate turnaround were ill-founded. Instead, an abject three-game winless streak started off United’s Premier League campaign, and they were notably sluggish out of the blocks once again. 

They lost to Swansea before drawing with Sunderland and Burnley, leaving supporters already fearing for what the rest of the year held in store. Soon after, United were dumped out of the League Cup after their infamous defeat at MK Dons. 

Louis Van Gaal replaced Moyes in the dugout, but his reign was hit by limp attacking football

It was this fits and starts nature under Van Gaal that ultimately proved his downfall. 

From December 2014 into January 2015, United draw with Aston Villa, Tottenham and Stoke, and then lost against Southampton at home. This was the first streak around Christmas which firmly piled the pressure on the manager.

Their next run of poor results came in April, with three defeats in a row effectively ending their hopes of anything above a fourth-placed finish. All three losses, against Chelsea, Everton and West Brom, saw United also fail to score.

Ending the campaign with two more draws against Arsenal and Hull City respectively, United finished fourth in the table, six points clear of Tottenham in fifth but five adrift of third. A steady if uninspiring start for Van Gaal, then. 

Van Gaal twice survived poor mid-winter form, but was dismissed at the end of his second year

VAN GAAL’S LAST SIX GAMES IN CHARGE

Everton 1-2 Manchester United (FA)

Manchester United 1-1 Leicester (PL)

Norwich 0-1 Manchester United (PL)

West Ham 3-2 Manchester United (PL)

Manchester United 3-1 Bournemouth (PL)

Crystal Palace 1-2 Manchester United (FA) 

In his second season, however, the lack of bite and formulaic showings from his team saw him sacked. They endured a patchy October, having lost to Arsenal and then drew with Manchester City and Crystal Palace. 

Around the same time, United suffered yet more humiliation in the League Cup, losing on penalties to Middlesbrough. With it, another trophy slipped Van Gaal by.

A bizarre mirror image of his first year at the helm, it was the holiday period of December 2015 which saw the wheels come off. Over the course of several snooze-worthy weeks, United supporters were reduced to a weary slumber.

United drew to Leicester and West Ham in late November, and found themselves unable to get back on track as they entered December.

In that month, Van Gaal presided over three defeats in a row – which came against Bournemouth, Norwich and Stoke. A draw with Chelsea rounded off the grim run, but United often failed to score and were at their worst under their coach.

In his two seasons, Van Gaal guided United to fourth and fifth-placed Premier League finishes

Also over that period, United were knocked out of the Champions League – and banished to the Europa League – after finishing third in their group. They went on to fail to win the competition, having been eliminated by Liverpool.

Steady until the end of the season, United looked as though they would still be able to salvage some semblance of respect. Losses to Southampton, Sunderland, West Brom and West Ham over the coming months, though, proved costly.

In the end, United finished fifth in the top-flight, and were locked out of the top four on goal difference. It was another cruel punishment for their stunted attacking displays which saw the fanbase eventually turn against Van Gaal.

Despite him winning the FA Cup in his final game in charge, United lined up Jose Mourinho in the hope of becoming a trophy-gobbling juggernaut once again.  

Jose Mourinho was then United’s third manager post Sir Alex Ferguson, but was also dismissed

Having more than lived up to his self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ moniker in the past, a wave of excitement swept around Unites after Mourinho’s appointment. Ultimately, however, he suffered the same fate as both of his predecessors.

In September, United lost to cross-city rivals Manchester City and Watford back to back, but it was the unsightly run between October and December which cast a dark mark over his first campaign. Truthfully, it was a horror streak.

They drew with Stoke and Liverpool, before losing to Burnley. After that, they beat Swansea, and were then forced to settle for three straight draws against Arsenal, West Ham and Everton respectively. Already, tension was mounting.

A number of other brief stutters saw United end the season with a whimper. Two consecutive draws against Stoke and Hull in January and early February 2017 halted any progress, and April and May also proved difficult months.

MOURINHO’S LAST SIX GAMES IN CHARGE

Manchester United 1-0 Young Boys (CL)

Southampton 2-2 Manchester United (PL)

Manchester United 2-2 Arsenal (PL)

Manchester United 4-1 Fulham (PL)

Valencia 2-1 Manchester United (CL)

Liverpool 3-1 Manchester United (PL) 

United even went five games without a win to almost round off the campaign, having drawn with City and Swansea, lost to Arsenal and Tottenham and then shared another draw with Southampton. They went on to finish in sixth.

Mourinho was certainly aided by winning the FA Cup and the Europa League, causing United, just like they did with Van Gaal, to hold firm. For the second spell, that choice looked to have paid off.

Domestically, United enjoyed a good year. However, they endured a rough patch in December, after being dumped out of the League Cup by lower-league Bristol City and drawing with Leicester, Burnley and then Southampton. 

Over February and March 2018, United crashed out of the Champions League. They drew with Sevilla away, but were then sent packing after a defeat at Old Trafford. 

Almost immediately, doubts were raised over Mourinho’s future.

This uncertainty proved to be the underlying theme behind his third season in charge, which is where his reign at United shuddered to a halt. 

Mourinho’s tenure was marred by in-fighting, and United sacked him during his third campaign

In August that year, early defeats by Brighton and Tottenham were costly.

After that, a draw with Wolves and loss to West Ham put the pressure on Mourinho again, but a thrilling comeback against Newcastle saw the coach live to fight another day – several months, in fact, before United finally decided to sack him.

The period in November and early December saw Mourinho handed his P45. A defeat by Manchester City, and with Crystal Palace, Southampton and Arsenal pushed him to the brink – before a win against Fulham briefly spared him.

On December 16, United lost at Liverpool, and delivered a performance which effectively confirmed he had lost his dressing room. Two days on, a statement confirmed the inevitable – Mourinho would follow in Moyes and Van Gaal’s steps.

The 3-1 defeat at Liverpool on December 16, 2018 proved to be Mourinho’s final game in charge

Of course, Solskjaer promptly replaced him as interim manager and, after inspiring United to their sensational Champions League victory against Paris Saint-Germain and bringing back some swashbuckling football, was then hired permanently. 

Unfortunately for him, though, it has all come tumbling down around his ears. Poor results, insipid showings and no discernible style of play from his team are all catching up to him and, again, the axe looms heavy over his shoulders.

He has little choice but to do his utmost to steer United out of their slump, or he will face the consequences. Typically, it is the holiday period which has been the undoing for the bosses of old, but United face a tricky run of fixtures before then.

And with this run of form showing no sign of ending, it would be a surprise if Solskjaer makes it to Christmas at all.  

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