There was an inevitability of both the result and the aftermath of Manchester United’s meeting with Liverpool at Old Trafford last weekend.
The visitors raced into an early lead and were 4-0 up by halftime, when many of the home fans headed for the exits. A large number of those who did stay would leave when Jurgen Klopp’s side went 5-0 up in the second half – and the question that dominated the game afterward was whether Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would follow them.
Solskjaer’s future has long been the subject of speculation. For all the support that the United faithful have offered the former player, there are many in their number and the media that have said it is time for him to go.
It was not unnoticed that his predecessor, Jose Mourinho, was sacked soon after losing to Liverpool in an anaemic display.
Solskjaer was in no mood to discuss speculation over his future in the post-match postmortem.
“Well, the only way I know how to approach life,” the Norwegian said. “That’s to wake up tomorrow morning, look forward, evaluate what’s gone on, what’s gone wrong, do my very, very best to come through a difficult time.
“This is the worst feeling. You feel rock bottom and the feeling we’ve had, that we are getting to where we want to be, has been there. But in the last few weeks we’ve hit a brick wall. The results haven’t come, the performances haven’t come, we’ve conceded too many goals, too many easy goals and that’s a concern.
“Well, I’ve heard nothing else [on my future] and I’m still thinking about tomorrow’s work. Of course, we’re all low, I can’t say now that I’ve felt any worse than this, this is the worse I’ve been, the lowest I’ve been, but I accept the responsibility and that is mine today and it’s mine going forward.
“I do believe in myself, I do believe that I am getting close to what I want with the club. I think what we’ve done, what I’ve seen, the development, of course the results lately haven’t been good enough, it’s hands up and that brings doubt in anyone’s mind probably. ”
That is something that the manager and his players need to amend by this weekend.
“Next week is Totenham away, then it’s a Champions League game Atalanta, the next team who visits us is Man City. We have to look forward, sort our frames of mind out and make sure we go into the next training session in the right frame of mind.”
If he cannot get everyone in the right frame of mind and quickly then Solskjaer knows that someone else will be in the frame for his job. So who might come in?
Antonio Conte
The bookmakers’ favorite and a proven winner, the Italian lifted the English Premier League title with Chelsea before going on to win Serie A with Inter Milan last season before leaving in the summer. Conte has made it clear that he could be interested although some such as former Manchester United player turned pundit Gary Neville see this as a Mourinho mark two situation. He is seen by many as too defensive but given the team’s shambolic defensive record this season that is not necessarily going to be held against him.
Zinedine Zidane
The Frenchman has won it all as a player and as a coach but there are still question marks in certain circles about his coaching ability despite three UEFA Champions League titles with Real Madrid. In the plus column is that he knows Cristiano Ronaldo from their days together in Madrid and he would be expected to get more out of his countryman Paul Pogba. Against Zidane is that he has never managed in England and his appointment would do little dispel fears that there is no plan in place at Old Trafford.
Mauricio Pochettino
The Paris St-Germain boss was seen as the obvious choice after Mourinho but in the end it was Mourinho who replaced him at Tottenham Hotspur after the Argentine was let go by the North London club not long after taking them to their first Champions League final. Like Solskjaer, the criticism is that he has never actually won anything but there is little doubt that he improves the players under him, as he exhibited in England with both Southampton and Spurs. Whatever questions there are over Pochettino, the biggest one is why would he leave PSG where he has Messi, Neymar and Mbappe? Even if he does want to leave, it would cost a fortune for United to secure his signature.
Roberto Martinez
Would the Spaniard swap the international Red Devils for the club side of the same nickname? The Belgium boss has perhaps done all he can with the national team, getting them to the semifinals of the last FIFA World Cup and the most recent UEFA Nations League, where they finished third. That team is not getting any younger and the former Swansea, Wigan Athletic and Everton boss will continue to be linked to English football based on those experiences. Again, there would be questions over whether he is a big enough name to take over at Old Trafford.
Cristiano Ronaldo
The four-time Ballon d’Or winner has done it all as a player though he made a shock return to the club where he made his name this summer to prove he is not done quite yet. Ronaldo cuts the most frustrated figure when things don’t go United’s way – his reaction to every goal they concede and every match they lose is given much press, with some even saying the Portuguese veteran could cost his former teammate the job. Ronaldo has shown a willingness from the touchline as in the Euro 2016 final when he came off injured and Portugal went on to stun France. It would be out of left field, but so was his return, and the bookmakers have him among the favorites.
