Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s latest excuse for Manchester United not scoring goals is because they are tired! The lack of goals is not being attributed to Marcus Rashford’s injury, nor is it blamed on the fact that Anthony Martial is playing like a sloth who has been told to take it easy. It is not the fault of Andreas Pereira or Jesse Lingard, two attacking midfielders who have four goals between them this season nor is it down to the sheer lack of quality in the team. No, it is because they are tired.
In an interview following the insipid 0-0 draw at home with Wolves Solskjær actually said as much, proving yet again that he is incapable of ensuring his brain is in gear before engaging his mouth.
His words, more or less, were, “just wait until after the break, then we’ll start scoring goals”.
Now this could be with the arrival of Odion Ighalo in mind because he will surely start the first game after the break, however this was not mentioned by Solskjær. It could be that he knows that Rashford will be returning sooner than we thought. Or, and more likely, it could just be blind optimism, something this manager possesses in far greater abundance than anything remotely resembling managerial ability!
To make this excuse, particularly when bearing in mind that Wolverhampton Wanderers have played many more games than United, is bordering on desperation.
Against Wolves his team were effective at preventing their opponents having many counter attacks although, in fairness, the visitors still created a couple of decent chances. What made the game relatively interesting, from a purely tactical point of view, was the fact that Wolves set out to do exactly the same. This meant that, over the course of 90 minutes, the two teams basically cancelled each other out.
The only positive arising from this game was the debut of Bruno Fernandes who looked the part from the first minute. It’s just a pity that so many of his new teammates didn’t!
Bruno Fernandes already wondering what he has let himself in for!
Nuno Espirito Santo was, unsurprisingly, the happier of the two managers because his team had collected an away point. Solskjær, considering who he is managing, was nowhere near disappointed enough. Sir Alex Ferguson, when manager of Aberdeen, once famously laid into his team, on national television, after they had just won a European trophy! Now we have the manager of Manchester United smiling politely when they can’t score and drop points at home! And he then wonders why supporters are losing patience with him!
Ex-United players are saying he should be given time. Why? Is it because they are also ex-teammates by any chance? How come these same people never said Louis van Gaal or José Mourinho should be given more time? It would certainly have made more sense as they both delivered trophies in their short time at United.
What is true is that sacking the Norwegian now wouldn’t necessarily be the right move. A new manager would be unable to change much at all until the summer so it is probably better to let sleeping dogs lie. A change at the end of the season is becoming imperative and must be made if United are to progress rather than regress.
Plenty has already been said and written about Ed Woodward and the owners and, without doubt, the removal of both those entities from the club would be beneficial to the health and mindset of millions of United supporters around the world but, at present, that is not going to happen so let’s at least appoint a manager who has the first idea of what he’s doing!
And finally…..
Jürgen Klopp won’t be attending his team’s FA Cup replay against Shrewsbury Town. Neither, apparently, will the vast majority of his first team. They are all off for some warm weather drinking training somewhere…..ermm…..warm!
Jürgen Klopp swearing the oath to protect the integrity of the FA Cup, (whilst keeping a remarkably straight face)!
We have no objection to this because, back at the beginning of the season, every Premier League club was sent a letter imploring them to respect the winter break and not arrange any sort of football matches, friendly or otherwise, at all. So, of course, the FA then arranges football matches for them during the winter break.
Klopp can be a lot of things. He can be arrogant, he can be silly, he can be successful but, on this occasion, he can be right!
WHY SAY ANYTHING? 
Why does he have to go and congratulate the opposition’s players? Mind your own players.
I get depressed only by his line-up left alone watching them play. No matter how long you give him he is not up to the job. I wish the season was over. No coaching done they can’t pass, controlo, defend or attack. Given two weeks and Fernandes will be as bad as the rest.
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