When Manchester United’s 5-0 humilation against arch-rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford was complete on Monday morning (AEDT), one block of loyal fans stayed behind, bellowing the manager’s name as they stood arm in arm.
There was just one problem – it was the travelling away supporters.
There couldn’t be a more perfect metaphor for the canary in the colemine than the one that came in the form of a couple thousand Liverpool fans, co-opting and ironically chanting their support for a manager whose time seems well and truly up.
https://twitter.com/RobHarris/status/1452329311910903811
Solksjaer is in a unique spot – he seems to be constantly backed, or at least not criticised as heavily as others would be, by pundits on English television, while simultaneously being ripped to shreds by those who once sang his name from the stands.
READ MORE: Team photo exposes split in South African T20 over BLM protest
READ MORE: Manchester United’s $35 million Ronaldo problem
Gary Neville is one of the most respected voices in English football, but he’s also someone who has a long-time friendship with Solskjaer – and despite repeated criticisms of the tactical setup, refuses to suggest that the club needs to move on.
https://twitter.com/GNev2/status/1452630572304683017
Another member of United’s 1990s powerhouse sides, Paul Scholes, harangued Solskjaer for his tactics but focused most of his attention on midfielder and perennial easy target Paul Pogba.
You can argue if Solskjaer is the right man for the job. What you can’t argue is he is being afforded a lot of rope because of who he is, and who the television tastemakers are.
Watch Messi, Neymar, Ronaldo and football’s biggest superstars in the UEFA Champions League with every match streaming ad free, live and on demand only on Stan Sport. Start your seven day free trial here!
Rightly or wrongly, there are many on both sides of the camera who incorrectly conflate making tough personnel decisions with spitefulness and negativity.
Much like calling for a player to be dropped due to poor performance is often seen as a personal attack towards the person in question, the idea that a coach should be relieved of their duties causes some people to bristle at the notion of ‘talking about another man’s job’.
If Solksjaer isn’t good enough for the job, and the tepid football played by one of the most expensive squads in the world is evidence of that, then it should be a relatively straight-forward decision.
Sacking club legends is often difficult – in Australia, the Roosters cut ties with Brad Fittler after a dreadful 2009 season. In the next decade, they made four grand finals and won three premierships.
READ MORE: Daniel Ricciardo responds to ‘dirty driving’ claim from F1 rival
READ MORE: The Mole uncovers major sticking point in possible Josh Hodgson move to Wests Tigers
Manchester United’s supporters have well and truly turned on the manager, despite his standing within the club’s history. And while you can sometimes gauge the effectiveness of a decision by canvassing your own fans, it’s the reaction of your rivals that usually tells you more.
And right now, fans of Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Leeds United, and all of the Red Devils’ other enemies are facetiously pleading with Ed Woodward to give Ole more time in the job.
https://twitter.com/TheSquareBall/status/1452328316736786442https://twitter.com/cityreport_/status/1452636452534243333https://twitter.com/AlexGoldberg_/status/1452325769124978690
Names have been thrown out as potential replacements include former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte, Real Madrid icon Zinedine Zidane, and current Ajax manager Eric ten Hag.
All would, on face value, be a significant upgrade for a club that once steamrolled all comers both domestically and in continental football.
It’s not clear if Manchester United will move on from their manager soon, but it certainly seems like they should.