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Rumors are not long in starting to spin at Manchester United, especially when they are on the receiving end of a humiliating 6-1 loss.
The capitulation against Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday at Old Trafford meant that the inevitable ties to former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino began to circulate once again on social media.
Pochettino, who was fired by Spurs last November, has long been touted as United’s next manager, even while still employed by the north London club.
United have lost two of their first three games of the Premier League season, and were extremely fortunate to come out of Brighton and Hove Albion with a 3-2 win, after sealing all three points with a Bruno Fernandes penalty at the last breath.
They were outscored in all three games, but it’s not all down to manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
While he is the one who chooses the team, the responsibility should not lie solely with the affable Norwegian, who returned to United, initially as interim manager almost two years ago, following the dismissal of former starter José Mourinho.
Poor hiring, once again, and negative unrest among the team can also be seen as contributing factors.
The hindsight, of course, is a wonderful thing and it appears that United’s board of directors was quick to appoint Solskjaer permanently, after he was handed over to the full-time position in March 2019.
The Reds could have finished third in the Premier League last season, and qualified for the group stage of the Champions League when it seemed impossible to do so, but that’s not enough for one of the biggest clubs in the world.
And it’s not yet another pantomime of a transfer window, with Executive Vice President Ed Woodward and his team refusing to pay Borussia Dortmund’s £ 108 million asking price for Jadon Sancho, leaving him until the last minute to sign left-back Alex. Telles already 33 years. – former striker Edinson Cavani, and recruiting youngsters Facundo Pellistri and Amad Diallo in what was a disappointing transfer deadline.
A £ 35m net spend on the first team, excluding Pellistri and Diallo, tells its own miserable tale.
United fans will accept a loss if they can see that their team has given it their all, which was definitely not the case against Tottenham, where negative body language and hunched shoulders were obvious from the moment forward Anthony Martial went. controversially expelled.
The Reds faithful will undoubtedly be grateful for the international break and rejoice that they won’t have to endure any more pitiful performances for another week.
Every game is of course crucial, but next month for United could prove pivotal in shaping the club and Solskjaer’s fate.
Only three games may have been played, but seeing United currently ranked 16th in the league table is a bitter pill to swallow.
From now until the next international break in November, United will play seven games, four of them away from home.
And, given United’s current form, all of those games are potential banana skins, with Solskjaer’s future at stake if defeats continue to pile up.
The first is a trip next Saturday night to the northeast, where they will face Newcastle United, led by Reds legend Steve Bruce.
Newcastle have started the season well, earning seven points out of a possible 12, and who can forget their inspired 1-0 win against United at St James Park last season?
The match will be followed by their first Champions League match since April 2019, when they travel to France to face Paris Saint-Germain.
Thomas Tuchel’s team is back at their best, having lost their first two games of the season.
They beat Angers 6-1 in their last game before the international break, and possibly with a better team than they boasted two seasons ago when United made a famous comeback at Parc de Princes to advance to the League quarterfinals. of Champions. be grateful to come out with a point.
Four days later, on Saturday 24 October, United will host Chelsea at Old Trafford.
The Blues have also had an inconsistent start to the season, and are currently seventh in the league table with seven points, four more than United.
Solskjaer’s side beat Frank Lampard’s men 4-0 on the opening day of last season, but it will certainly be a much closer affair this time around.
There will be no truce as United host RB Leipzig in the second of their Champions League group matches the following Wednesday.
The moans could be heard for miles when they were tied in a difficult group alongside the Bundesliga side, PSG and Istanbul Basaksehir, who will face in Turkey on Wednesday, November 4.
Sandwiched between their second and third Champions League group matches is another home game, this time against Arsenal, on Sunday, November 1.
The Gunners are off to a good start to their Premier League campaign, posting nine stellar points out of a possible 12, as well as making some crafty transfers in the summer transfer window.
Things don’t get any easier for United after they face Istanbul Basaksehir for the first time, with a trip to Everton, which is currently scheduled to start at 3pm on Saturday, November 7.
United fans won’t want to remember goalkeeper David De Gea’s horror show that allowed Dominic Calvert-Lewin to put his team ahead in the third minute, when the two teams last met in early March.
Bruno Fernandes salvaged a point for United, but this match could be even tougher this time, with Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton at the top of the Premier League, their record of 100% intact.
After that, it’s time for another international hiatus, and Solskajer will pray that United’s results look much better than they did before the October internationals.
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