When Manchester United could sack Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after Young Boys defeat

Solskjaer and Maguire lament Manchester United's lack of discipline in Bern

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Manchester United went into Tuesday night’s Champions League clash with FC Young Boys on a high after beating Newcastle. However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side instead slipped to a nightmare defeat in Switzerland. And, since then, calls for him to be sacked have arisen amongst fans and pundits alike.

Some Manchester United fans on social media called for Solskjaer’s head, with the Red Devils second-best throughout the match in Bern.

And talkSPORT’s Jason Cundy also chimed in, saying: “That there, shows he’s utterly clueless.

“Young Boys are normally whipping boys of European football and United get rolled over 2-1… it was a disasterclass, it was an absolute disaster.

“It exposed Ole, it did badly. I’d sack him. We know what’s coming, don’t we? You’ve got Antonio Conte out there…

“Who’s the better manager? There will be a stage in the season where they’ll be like ‘I wish we did it earlier.’”

But while some supporters want Solskjaer gone, that isn’t going to happen just yet.

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Of course it isn’t. One defeat isn’t everything, after all.

Have United made progress under Solskjaer? Yes. Are they better than when he took over? Yes. Is the squad improved? Yes.

Then there’s the biggest statement of all, United’s decision to give the Norwegian a contract extension back in the summer.

That was a sign the Glazers are happy with the 48-year-old, even though he’s yet to steer them to the trophies they crave.

So, for now, Solskjaer isn’t going anywhere.

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However, it’ll be curious to see how things play out. Because history suggests the Glazers, if the Norwegian fails to get this team fully firing, won’t hesitate to intervene.

At the moment, let’s face it, that’s likely to be at the end of the campaign.

And Champions League football, rather than trophies, will be the biggest factor of all.

The Glazers only sacked Jose Mourinho in December 2018 because of the doom and gloom mood around the place.

They’d previously been willing to give the current Roma boss until the end of the season to show he had what it takes to turn their dire situation around.

But with Paul Pogba and other players all struggling, and unhappy, they decided to bring the decision forward instead.

However, in previous years, it’s only when Champions League football is beyond them when they’ve chosen to intervene.

They axed David Moyes with four games left to play after it was mathematically impossible to qualify for that competition.

And they relieved Louis van Gaal of his duties two years later after United had finished fifth in the Premier League table.

So that means Solskjaer can, at least, expect to be given until the end of the campaign.

As stated above, they certainly won’t be sacking him anytime soon. And it’s only history that, at present, really suggests he’s got a timeline on his head.

Unless he angers the dressing room – something that seems unfeasible given his popularity – fans can expect him to still be leading the team in May.

If they’re on course for trophies, supporters will be delighted.

Top four, not so much. But that’s what the Glazers deem a success these days and, as long as the money keeps coming in, things won’t change.

Now, the onus is on Solskjaer to guide his side to where they used to be. He’s capable of it, his team have shown that at times, but consistency is now the key. 

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