The Norwegian’s man-management at Manchester United has been top class – but the game against Tottenham will show whether he has the tactical nous to beat the bestNobody realistically doubts that Manchester United’s game against Tottenham on Sunday represents a new level of challenge for Ole Gunnar Solskjær but equally it would take a particularly cussed soul – or Nemanja Matic – not to acknowledge the change of mood he has already enacted.Perhaps his role is simply to be a palate-cleanser but Solskjær has United playing with a sense of enjoyment that arguably has not been there since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. Related: Ole Gunnar Solskjær will build up United players, not break them down | Jonas Giæver Related: Solskjær:...
Illustrious past that is impossible to replicate is undermining managers at Old Trafford as Mourinho found to his costA football journalist should never welcome the departure of a leading manager, particularly one as notable and quotable as José Mourinho.The guy has been good copy over the last decade and a bit, and remained so right up to the end. Although Manchester United trail forlornly in Manchester City’s wake in most aspects of football relating to the pitch, if you could pick up points for entertaining press conferences or providing pithy replies to questions rather than attempting to defuse them the situation could well be reversed. Related: What next for Manchester United? Sort Pogba mess and show humility United no longer...
David de Gea has been left increasingly exposed, as has José Mourinho’s reliance on Marouane Fellaini as a battering ramThere was a time when the prevailing attitude to José Mourinho was it might not be pretty but he got the job done. At Real Madrid that began to change. Why was he so obsessed by playing his “trivote”, his block of three holding midfielders, even against lesser sides? But still, the problem was at the front of the team: Mourinho sides did not concede goals. This United did: 29 in 17 league games this season, the fifth-worst record in the league. But the situation is even worse than that. David de Gea is widely considered to have surrendered his crown...
A top conductor gets the best out of his players and can turn a good performance from an orchestra into a great oneJosé Mourinho prowls the touchline at Old Trafford. Skulking, swearing, coat fully zipped against the dirtiest weather Manchester can throw at him, he glares at the pitch. Arms raised in shrugging disbelief, shoulders high, kissing his ears, then suddenly outwards, pointing with purpose, finally thrust deep into his pockets in high dudgeon. What do the players think? Do they care? For all the histrionics, he is essentially helpless, a puppeteer whose strings have been cut for 90 minutes, his one power the threat of substitution.Not far away, at the Bridgewater Hall, Omer Meir Wellber stands in front of...
A drip, drip of low-grade antagonistic mediocrity under José Mourinho is slowly eroding everything United have beenDrip, drip, drip.Watching Manchester United these days has taken on a strangely repetitive quality. Usually when giants flounder there is a grim fascination in seeing them fail, in watching players raised on success having to deal with defeat and misfortune. But not now, not any more. United grind on. They pick up some points, they drop some points. Nothing much changes. The narrative seems to have stalled. They have good players who can get them goals but they have a propensity for chaos that means 15 games into the season they have a negative goal difference. The slow erosion of everything Manchester United have...