In so much of the conversation and speculation about the current and future management of Manchester United, the debate tends to be framed in absolutes.

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has insisted that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer deserves time to sort out United’s problems.

Here's how the players rated in Liverpool's win over Manchester United at Anfield today.|

Roy Keane has said that Liverpool's first disallowed goal was incorrectly ruled out by VAR, claiming "the game has gone mad".

Mikel Arteta celebrated his first win as Arsenal boss as the Gunners outclassed Manchester United in a 2-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium.

Your correspondent spent the eve of the derby in north-eastern France, enjoying some December 6th Saint Nicholas celebrations with various drunken Flems. I marvelled at the locals’ luck; in effect, they get two Christmases.

Substitute Oli McBurnie secured Sheffield United a deserved share of the spoils as a thrilling, helter-skelter clash with Manchester United ended in a 3-3 draw.

“I don’t even know who the prime minister is any more. I haven’t got a clue,” said Gareth Bale last month, adding, hopefully with knowing self-parody: “I follow the golf, that’s about it. I can tell you who’s No 1 in the world.”

Roy Keane has reignited a war of words with his former boss, Alex Ferguson, and questioned the almost unanimous praise which is heaped on the Scot.

Manchester United may have finished only sixth in the table last season but they comfortably retained their position as the leading developers of Premier League talent.

After Manchester United's defeat at Old Trafford to relegated Cardiff City today, Paul Pogba had to withstand a barrage of abuse from some discontented United fans which was caught on camera.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed out-of-sorts David De Gea will not be dropped at Huddersfield, with deputy Sergio Romero injured.

Ole Gunnar Solksjaer may well experience first-hand tonight the gulf in class that currently exists between his Manchester United side and their treble-chasing neighbours but, regardless of the result, the club’s new manager is already searingly honest in his appraisal of their standing in the English game.

Manchester United go into tomorrow's derby with Manchester City on a run of six defeats in eight games.

James Milner admits he will become a Manchester United supporter for the first time as Liverpool hope for an advantage in the Premier League title race.

"He's bringing in all the things Sir Alex Ferguson stood for because he was experienced big time in Sir Alex Ferguson's time in Manchester."

Being a schoolboy in a classroom full of Liverpool fans during the 1980s was a painful experience.

Last December, this column described Manchester United’s appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as “romantic hokum”.

What began as a night of heady Champions League celebration for Manchester United at a revived and passionate Old Trafford ended with a dose of reality, administered by PSG, that suggests although the club may appear healed under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the shortcomings of his team are still very much there.

If Jose Mourinho was “The Special One” then were does that leave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the management stakes after Manchester United’s caretaker manager masterminded a thrilling comeback from two goals down inside the final five minutes?

Alexis Sanchez used this 3-1 FA Cup victory to mark his return as an influential footballer and become the latest player to experience a rejuvenation under interim Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Even after all these years, it’s still hard to look at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and not see him as a puckish little boy who’s just been caught scrumping for apples. It is a key part of his immense charm and ongoing appeal, of course.

John O’Shea believes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has already demonstrated that he could do the Manchester United job on a permanent basis.

And then there were four. Four points between Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of a Premier League title race that was gifted new life at the start of a new year, with a victory last night that may one day look like the most significant of Pep Guardiola’s English career.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Old Trafford return ended in another victory for Manchester United's caretaker manager as a Paul Pogba brace helped see off spirited Huddersfield.

Roy Keane has launched a scathing attack on Manchester United players and professional footballers in general, calling them "weak."

“When your headlights aren’t on, the best rearview mirror available isn’t likely to improve your driving.”

As a player, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer earned a reputation for being United’s man to turn to in times of crisis.

“What’s your team, Patrick?” went the standard introductory gambit ahead of a week making tea and fixing paper jams.

The Old Trafford faithful have had little to cheer this season - at 26 points, United’s tally is their lowest at this stage of any season since 1990/91.

As you would expect, today's dismissal of Jose Mourinho as Manchester United boss has prompted a lot of reaction on social media.

Paul Pogba has had a cryptic reaction to Jose Mourinho's sacking.

Zinedine Zidane, Mauricio Pochettino and Antonio Conte are all said to be in the running to become the next Manchester United manager.

Manchester United has announced that Jose Mourinho has left his role as manager.

Manchester City have a 99.8 per cent chance making the last 16 of the Champions League, according to the Euro Club Index

Jose Mourinho expects Victor Lindelof to be out for “quite a while” with an injury that compounds Manchester United’s defensive problems heading into a crunch period and important Champions League clash with Young Boys.

Whenever United play Palace these days, I always find myself thinking of the loyal Irish Examiner reader out in Clonakilty once described to me as “the only Eagles fan in Ireland”. (Hello there, James.)

Just about the only piece of good news for Manchester United on Saturday evening was that they do not have to wait long for their next match. Jose Mourinho’s players will hope to use a Champions League meeting with Swiss side Young Boys to quickly get a dire goalless draw with Crystal Palace out of their system.

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has refused to "play the game" and expand on comments made in a recent interview where he appeared to suggest some of his players lacked character.

There's nothing like the restorative powers of an international break - niggling injuries that kept players immobile for a fortnight miraculously disappear as a new round of league fixtures approach.

The rights and wrongs of Manchester City’s relationship with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations have been well aired this week but, whatever the balance sheets may or may not tell us, the gulf in class between the city’s two clubs has never been more starkly demonstrated than it was for 90 minutes at the Etihad last night.

Daniel Storey asks five key questions ahead of the Manchester Derby.

It’s the ultimate battle of philosophies in Manchester tomorrow. A classic clash of styles as the family pulling every stroke to pump as much money as possible into their club faces the family working every trick in the book to take it out.