We knew a blip would come at some point for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but everyone hoped it would roll on smoothly until the end of the season at least.
That hasn’t happen and Manchester United could find themselves in a sticky situation without Champions League football next season. That, ahead of the transfer window, would be some kick in the teeth.
It all stems from our lack of preparation for this season and needing to sack a manager halfway through a season doesn’t help. To Solskjaer’s credit we wouldn’t be talking about a top-four finish if it wasn’t for him.
NEXT: Man Utd set to offer Mike Phelan role as technical director, while Michael Carrick also faces promotion
Former Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas outlines one main tendency from United’s shocking display against Everton after suffering a 4-0 defeat at Goodison Park.
“Everyone was guilty,” Jenas said, as per BBC Sport. “Even Marcus Rashford, who has got one of the best attitudes of angone at the club, got sucked in by what I would describe as a vacuum of negativity. When you’ve been in dressing rooms, you can feel those sort of problems brewing and he will also have seen the signs in certain games – even their defeat to Barcelona last week, where they almost gave up.”
The lack of passion shown by the players yesterday was insulting. They deserve to get absolutely hammered for that display and some will be lucky to play for the club again.
Jenas has urged Solskjaer to get rid of the deadwood in the summer in order to compete for trophies next season.
“As well as talent, having the right mentality is a key component you need to be a United player and part of Solskjaer’s job this summer is working out which members of his current squad have got what it takes. The only positive United can take out Sunday is that they were so bad that it will help in that process. He will have learned a lot about what he has got, and what he needs to change.”
I don’t necessarily agree with Jenas that you can look at yesterday as a positive. The manager should know by the time the transfer window reopens who needs to go and who should stay.
It might be more clear now as a result of the performance against Everton.
