Solskjaer can’t lose to West Ham – especially after his strange tactics and subs

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer cannot afford to lose to West Ham on Sunday.

The Manchester United boss has been facing flak following his side's defeat at Young Boys in their opening Champions League group game.

He deserves to be, too, considering some of the bizarre tactics and substitutions he made, that only added more weight to the theory that the Norwegian is lacking genuine nous at the highest level.

Such is life as United boss, that one loss represents a mini-crisis.

But two defeats on the spin is unthinkable, especially if one of them is against a side managed by David Moyes.

This might sound disrespectful, but it's not meant to. And let's be clear, Moyes has done an incredible job in turning the Hammers into a genuine force in English football.

But Moyes lasted 10 months as United boss after it became clear the job was too big for him.

Solskjaer is expected to get the better of someone who tried his job but failed at it, so losing to the Hammers will not be acceptable.

And if he thinks the stick he's had since midweek is bad then think again, because if he finishes second best to Moyes then United supporters will make him suffer much, much worse.

Is Ole the right man for Manchester United? Let us know in the comments section

Rory McIlroy will be heading to the Ryder Cup this week thinking he's the talisman for Europe.

But the Northern Irishman would think wrong, because there is a new sheriff in town – and his name is Jon Rahm.

McIlroy used to be what Rahm is now – the world No.1 and flag bearer for the European team heading into what has become one of the greatest shows on turf.

But when Padriag Harrington's men tee it up at Whistling Straits on Friday the player Europe will look to won't be McIlroy, or even Ian Poulter or Sergio Garcia for that matter.

Garcia isn't even the best Spaniard in his own side, let alone the best Spaniard in the game.

Don't miss a thing with our football updates!

Want to be on the ball with all of the latest football news?

Well then sign up for the brilliant Daily Star football email newsletter!

From the latest transfer news to the agenda-setting stories, get it all in your email inbox – don't miss a thing.

How do you sign up?

It only takes a matter of seconds.

Simply type your email address into the box at the top of this article and hit 'subscribe'.

And that's it, job done. You'll receive an email with all of the top news stories every single morning.

You can find out more information on our email newsletter on this link here.

Rahm is now the undisputed king of golf and the person Harrington will rely on most to perform and inspire if Europe are to retain the trophy they won in Paris last time round.

It might only be Rahm's second appearance, but his progression since his debut in the French capital in 2018 has been so meteoric and impressive that he's overtaken McIlroy when it comes to their respective standings in the game.

McIlroy has won just one tournament since November 2019 and not landed a Major since 2014.

His world ranking has slipped to 15th and nine of his opponents in Team USA are now ranked above him.

Rahm, meanwhile, sits above everyone else and is also the reigning US Open champion, making him Harrington's strongest card when the biennial shoot-out gets going in Wisconsin.

It's a golfing proposition deemed unthinkable in recent times, but Europe will now revolve around Rahm instead of McIlroy – and look to him when it comes to attempting to beat Steve Stricker's favourites.

He now has the opportunity to become the next Save Ballesteros and go on to be the focal point of his side for years to come.

Rahm has snatched the baton from McIlroy and it will be interesting to see how the four-time Major winner responds to not being top dog.

Will it inspire him to find his best game? Or will it see him remain in his shell, feeling like a spare part on golf's greatest stage?

Make no mistake, Europe need McIlroy like never before because on his day, he can make mince meat of anyone he's pitted against. We've seen this down the years.

And while Team USA look too powerful and strong for Europe, Stricker has the dilemma of who to partner the unpopular Bryson DeChambeau with.

To make matters worse, DeChambeau's feud with team-mate Brooks Koepka goes against everything the Ryder Cup stands for, while Koepka himself appears disinterested in even being part of the competition.

There are cracks in the host side Europe can look to exploit and it would be foolish to predict a home win.

But what we do know is that if Harrington and his stars are to return home across the Atlantic with the trophy and what would be Europe's 10th win in the last 13 Ryder Cups, then it will be Rahm who has been the star of the show.

GOOD WEEK

Emma Raducanu – She's been lapping up her stunning US Open triumph and adjusting to life never being the same again. But for all the right reasons.

Thomas Tuchel – It's emerged the Chelsea manager bought his housekeeper a villa and paid for her son to have a heart operation during his time in charge of Paris Saint-Germain. Bravo.

Pele – The Brazilian football legend has revealed he is on the mend and doing well in his recovery after surgery to remove a tumour from his colon.

BAD WEEK

Tottenham FC – Thierry Henry took the micky out of them while on French TV, claiming he didn't even know why they were!

Steve Bruce – Lost at Manchester United then drew at home to Leeds, leading for yet more calls for him to be sacked.

Wayne Rooney – The Derby boss has seen his club go into administration due to huge debts, leaving his future in limbo.

Source: Read Full Article