Daniel Storey: Man United must move. There are better managers than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer available

Nobody is denying that Manchester United have bigger problems than their manager. But he is still a problem

Sun, 04 Oct, 2020 - 22:32

Has Solskjaer come to his natural end?

Nobody is denying that Manchester United have bigger problems than their manager. Ed Woodward is a good bet for attracting sponsors but he has overseen a period of disastrous recruitment that leaves United scratching in the final days of the window to put out fires he started. The Glazer family have consistently added to the club’s debt when a better owner would have spotted the growing crisis and addressed it with their vast resources and club coffers.

But just because you have five problems doesn’t mean that you should solve none. The first 45 minutes against Tottenham was one of United’s worst halves in Premier League history. They lack all defensive organisation, shambolically plodding around the pitch and making it easy for their opponents to run amok. It felt like the type of display and result that sees a manager sacked.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was lucky to get this job. He lacked the CV and the tactical depth to take this club in this state forward and he has been given almost two years to prove otherwise. United have enjoyed excellent runs during his tenure, but at no point has Solskjaer convinced that he is the long-term option.

Now Manchester United must move. There are better managers than Solskjaer available and some of them would presumably be attracted by the high salary and chance to rebuild a fallen giant. Fail to do so, and United will be forever committed to taking one step forward and two more back.

James has already justified Everton’s leap of faith

As soon as it became clear that Everton had not paid a transfer fee for James Rodriguez, his transfer became a no-brainer. Carlo Ancelotti had his teacher’s pet and James had his favourite manager and mentor.

We are now seeing the power of a technically excellent player enjoying his football. It isn’t just the manner in which James drops into space and possesses the vision to pick out the right pass at the right time, but how hungry he is to be on the ball and make Everton tick.

Last season, Everton’s most prolific midfielders in terms of league goals and assists combined were Bernard and Gylfi Sigurdsson with five. After four games of the new season, James has already matched that total. Keep him fit and the two strikers will receive the service they craved last year. Then Everton really can knock on the door of the top six.

Chelsea’s existing players step up to the plate

There is something vaguely ironic about Chelsea spending significant sums on new attacking players, scoring 10 goals in their first four league games and the only goal scored by a new signing was Ben Chilwell’s opener against Leicester City.

For now, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz look as if they will need time to settle.

Werner’s shooting has been awry, while Havertz found space against Crystal Palace but has only had six touches in the opposition penalty area so far this season.

But Frank Lampard will understandably sell this as a positive. A short preseason and relentless schedule suggested that it might take longer than usual for his new-look attacking system to gel, but that only increased the onus on the existing players to step up and fill the void. So far, more than half of Chelsea’s league goals have come from unexpected outlets. There’s very little wrong with that.

Wilson growing into Newcastle’s No. 9 role

Joelinton may have retained Newcastle’s No. 9 shirt after Callum Wilson’s arrival, but Steve Bruce has finally seen sense with his record signing. Joelinton flourished at Hoffenheim playing on the left of a front three. He struggled hugely to play as the central striker during his first season in England, but looks far better back in his familiar role.

Wilson has stepped into the breach brilliantly. Allan Saint-Maximin was Newcastle’s best player against Burnley, but Wilson’s movement and poacher instincts have taken this team to a new level. Wilson is not the perfect striker and does have a habit of missing presentable chances, but if you continue to get into dangerous positions and never get down on yourself after spurned opportunities, goals will always come.

Last season, Newcastle’s top league goalscorer was a central midfielder who started 25 league games (and he only scored six times). The last Newcastle player to score more than 12 in the top flight was Loic Remy in 2013/14. Wilson has four in his first four. It makes a monumental difference.

Does flourishing in his absence pile pressure on Moyes?

Firstly, Moyes’ defence. Although his self-isolation following a positive Covid-19 test bars him from attending West Ham’s matches in person, the club is keen to point out that Moyes is still picking the side, taking the team talks and instructing assistant Alan Irvine to make the substitutions.

But here’s the thing: West Ham look brilliant with Moyes absent. They thumped Wolves 4-0 last Sunday evening and this Sunday won 2-0 away at a Leicester City side that had taken maximum points. This is the first time that West Ham have won consecutive league wins during either of his spells in charge and he wasn’t even there to oversee them.

Perhaps this is mere coincidence, but it’s an unappetising pattern that Moyes will be keen to dismiss when he returns to the dugout after the international break. His first three fixtures: Tottenham (a), Manchester City (h), Liverpool (h). They lost those three by a combined scoreline of 0-9 last season.