10 Aug 2021 20:11:03
With a new season fast approaching debate intensifies and opinions differ about how the team will perform this season.
Some will argue that as Ole enters his fourth season and with significant investment in player transfers to the value of well over £300m it's time for him to deliver. It's hard to argue with this sentiment when you consider Utd are the most successful English Club and one of the most famous and iconic Clubs in world football. Winning should be synonymous with the badge and mediocrity trampled and outlawed.
As in life things are always a little more complicated. Ole has brought stability to the Club and successive top 4 finishes has safeguarded revenue and sponsorship opportunities. Champions league football has meant we have been able to attract the likes of VdB, Cavani, Sancho and Varane in the past couple of seasons some of whom might have gone elsewhere otherwise. Ole appears to be on the verge on building a fine squad capable of challenging on all fronts. Football is rarely black and white and whilst Ole clearly lacks the experience and tactic acumen of the worlds best coaches he does appear to be assembling a squad which can provide us with some hope all be it lacking real expectation.
I'm not making excuses for Ole but I'm not convinced his journey at the Club is finished just yet. Some of his management and coaching skills clearly need work and lag far behind the worlds elite coaches but he is a survivor. He's seems to have forged a togetherness and team spirit lacking in the LVG and Mourinho era's. The players have responded producing big results when Ole's job was on the line on several occasions but faltered when success was within reach!
My biggest concern for the Club moving forward isn't Ole but that it lacks the ruthlessness and ambition to be the best. Whilst Ole has done ok I think there is no doubt he wouldn't have survived this long at Chelsea, City, Madrid, Barca, PSG, Bayern or any of the leading Clubs in Europe.
The acquisitions of Sancho and Varane demonstrate a new level of ambition but an elite Club would move on all the peripheral players bloating the squad and re-invest in the CDM we sorely need to really mount a serious title challenge.
Unfortunately no matter what we think as fans top 4 finishes do seem to be the barometer and a measure of performance the Club appear content with. Utd are just not a Club that will ruthlessly sack a manager and then re invest in another in order to be the best.
I ultimately don't believe Ole will deliver and how long he lasts may largely be dependent on how long the fans can tolerate top 4 finishes, semi final defeats and near misses.
Ole's legacy might just be building a squad and providing stability for a new manager to take us forward (providing we get his successor correct) .
I have us down for another top 4 finish. A title challenge is not strictly beyond the realms of possibility especially if Sancho and Varane perform, Greenwood continues to improve and even Martial could return to form. We live in hope!
10 Aug 2021 21:09:36
Are you Shappy in disguise?
11 Aug 2021 08:16:04
Great Post.
11 Aug 2021 09:32:54
Ditto.
11 Aug 2021 22:36:13
Shappy's shortest ever post!