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Manchester United Should Not Sack Solskjaer, Yet

By Keith Lisenbee

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 07: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manager of Manchester United looks on during the Carabao Cup Semi Final match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on January 07, 2020 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 07: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manager of Manchester United looks on during the Carabao Cup Semi Final match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on January 07, 2020 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) /
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3. Paul Pogba

In the 2018-19 season, Paul Pogba scored 10 goals and had nine assists in 3011 minutes over 34 Premier League matches. This season, he has zero goals and two assists in 521 minutes over seven league matches.

Due to injuries, dancing, illness, and (what I believe) agent posturing, Manchester United’s only world-class infield player has been as non-existent as Nicholas Cage this season. Pogba is a versatile mid-fielder who when mentally and physically available can completely change matches.

Solskjaer has had to undergo virtually an entire season without the squad’s best player and potentially an “older” locker room leader. He must answer endless questions regarding the Frenchman’s status at every agonizing press conference.

4. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a young and depleted roster

Nine Manchester United players aged 25 and younger have played over 1000 minutes in all competitions so far. The average age of the squad is 26.1 years of age, which is the fourth youngest in the EPL.

Midfielder Mason Greenwood, a rising star, is only 17-years-old, has played in 25 matches, and racked up 1214 minutes in all competitions. He also the club’s third-heighest scorer with eight. Defender Brendon Williams, aged 18, has played 1001 minutes in defense and has taken Luke Shaw’s starting spot. During last summer’s transfer window, United picked up 22-year-old defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka and left-winger, 23-year-old Daniel James.

Both have made significant impacts on the squad. It appears that this youth movement is by design orchestrated to a significant degree by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer himself. This is a long-range plan, which is in the rational best interest of the club, which requires patience and stability. It is also consistent with the Red Devil’s history of building up a young nucleus of potentially great players over time.

Given that Ole is as green as green grass in April when it comes to Premier League management, he would get more traction from players who are young and inexperienced as well. However, due to injuries to Scott McTominay, Paul Pogba, and now Harry Maguire the starting XI has needed to be restructured. Illnesses and other injuries have beset many other players during the season, which has created nightmare starting line-ups of players who aren’t of Premier League caliber.

It also should not be forgotten that Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez, and Ander Herrera all departed last summer, and they were not replaced. Solskjaer did not have the final say in all those roster decisions.

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