Tomorrow, Manchester United host Atalanta at Old Trafford in a Champions League group stage encounter after a disappointing weekend result.
The most unsurprising result in the world will be a confidence-boosting win that brings Ole Gunnar Solskjaer back from the brink. We’ve been here before with the Manchester United manager.
His uncanny knack for winning at the right time, particularly in Europe, has saved his job on multiple occasions. However, the more it happens the clearer it is that it’s not a substitute for being an elite coach.
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Inconsistent Premier League results have left United in 6th place, already 5 points adrift of leaders Chelsea.
This is a team who signed Rafael Varane, Jadon Sancho and, errr, oh yes – Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer. Those are the signings of a team who wants to win now.
They are not the signings of a team who hope to be in and around the top 6 and hopefully qualify for the Champions League. Nor is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the kind of excellent manager who can make that happen.
The thing is, we know why he almost works for Manchester United. He knows the club, he’s a good ambassador, and he’s probably adept at making his players feel comfortable and valued.
In the case of their summer business, he probably wasn’t done any favours by the Manchester United Hierarchy.
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You don’t sign Jadon Sancho, one of the world’s most exciting young attackers, only to block his path by bringing Ronaldo back a few weeks later.
Ronaldo’s arrival also means Solsjkaer has to move Mason Greenwood out of his best positions, too. After looking like he had something genuine to build on, Solsjkaer must now cater to Ronaldo’s requirements for a team.
Having one legendary goalscorer as the coach and another up front will garner clicks and sell shirts. However, as Solsjkaer often says – this is Manchester United. There is only so long they can be also-rans.
