Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not a happy man. And based on what has happened with Manchester United over the past few weeks, he shouldn’t have many reasons to feel happy, either.
After starting the season with a convincing win over Chelsea, The Red Devils have not won again in the Premier League. They drew at Wolverhampton, lost at home to Crystal Palace, and once again drew at Southampton before the international break. But perhaps the most frustrating thing is that Manchester United have been the better side in most of those game. Undoubtedly, they have deserved better luck in at least two matches.
Ole, apparently, has had enough. Solskjaer unleashed a furious tirade at his players after they failed to beat Southampton at the weekend, and it was not a nice thing to see. He reportedly labelling their performance ‘a joke’. Plus, the Norwegian tactician was particularly mad at the fact that United couldn’t break down Southampton’s defensive line. Even when the opposition was down to 10 men!
A report from The Sun even mentioned Solskjaer “made sure his players knew how he felt” post-game. That can’t be good if you’re a Manchester United player.
Solskjaer reportedly described their mentality as ‘embarrassing’. He also accused players of playing “for themselves too much” and ignoring the basics. He could have a point there. United wasted away two leads away from home – Wolves and Saints – while also conceding the losing goal against Crystal Palace on stoppage time.
The manager did not point any single player out, but Solskjaer also made it clear he believed some players were not giving maximum effort. This seems quite similar to what happened down the stretch last season, where there were concerns regarding the team’s fitness and overall commitment. But those questions shouldn’t arise just one month into the league campaign.
United must change their attitude quickly. With that in mind, the international break couldn’t have come at a better time. The Red Devils must re-group ahead of a complicated clash against Leicester when the league resumes next week. Can Solskjaer turn things around?
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