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Manchester United have reached a new low after the Ferguson era.
And everyone associated with the club, from Executive Vice President Ed Woodward, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, to the owners of the Glaser family and the players who suffered a 1-6 loss to Tottenham, will receive well-deserved criticism for the game. weakest and most disastrous. result since Sir Alex retired seven years ago.
Tottenham joked with the Red Devils in the middle of Old Trafford and at least some of De Gea’s goals in goal had candidates for the most amateur defensive shot United ever allowed in their own stadium.
José Mourinho not only defeated his former employers, he also embarrassed them and threw them into a crisis similar to the one that led to his dismissal in December 2018.
United will rightly be justified by Anthony Martial’s exaggerated red card in the 28th minute, which should at least have been accompanied by the sending off of Eric Lamela, who struck the first blow in the dispute between them. But Tottenham were better in every respect, even when there was a numerical tie on the field.
And despite the fact that in the 30th second the hosts received a penalty and took the lead in the result, they collapsed only minutes later and let the match get completely out of their control.
It is inevitable that after such a ruling, the cries of new hires and accusations of transfer passivity will intensify even more, precisely on the last day of the transfer market. Since Ferguson left, the club’s values have changed and transfers are seen as a universal salvation, and failed investments are covered by more failed investments.
Edinson Cavani and Alex Teyes are likely to sign in the next few hours, but the Tottenham game was a great example that throwing money away does not guarantee a solution to any problem.
Yesterday’s four defenders and goalkeeper De Gea, who at times looked like clowns, tripping and running over each other in an attempt to stop Tottenham’s attacks, were drawn in for a total of £ 209 million. Paul Pogba, who became the most expensive footballer on the planet 4 years ago, once again fell short of expectations and was guilty of at least two of the goals conceded.
Manchester United have not stopped spending significant sums in recent years and at least on paper they have a team that should not fall so low.
Therefore, in the context of the already strong criticism of Ed Woodward and the Glaser family, the question of the coach cannot be raised.
Solskjaer spent the last year and a half in charge of the team without achieving any consistency in the results. Their few good series during this period created some illusions in fans, but United has a habit of abruptly bringing them back to reality with exhibitions like Tottenham’s.
There’s no denying that the coach made the most of his squad with third place last season, but won’t this 1: 6 against Spurs provoke the search for a replacement?
Mauricio Pochettino, who was replaced by Mourinho in November, is still out of work and has since been overshadowed by Solskjaer. If Woodward sacrifices him, the Norwegian has no right to complain, because he is no less responsible than his immediate superior for the current state of the team.
Ole could hope to get the most out of Anthony Martial and unleash Mason Greenwood’s potential, but in fact most players back down under his leadership.
United not only cannot defend, but also cannot react to a change in the situation in matches, there is no plan B when counterattacks as an approach are inappropriate.
It is strange that such a team, full of expensive stars and national athletes, suffers from a clear lack of leadership.
The professional reaction, when you’re 1: 2 behind and meet one less person, is to try to limit the damage and kill the pace of the match first. However, neither the failed captain Harry Maguire nor Solskjaer himself from the bench managed to provoke an adequate reaction and help avoid the humiliating result.
Let’s not forget that against them Manchester United had a quality rival on the rise, but also a rival who was playing their fourth game in a week.
The match was a spectacle for all Mourinho critics, who believe that the Portuguese has lost the magic. The Spurs could not have started the game worse, but they did a complete turn in three minutes and then had fun on the field.
United are at the opposite pole with two defeats in their first three league games, with 11 goals conceded and 16th in the standings.
Three rounds were enough to send the Manchester great far behind the leaders in the standings, far from any dreams of a title or at least progress compared to last season.
The big question is how long the Glaser brothers will be willing to wait for Solskjaer if the results are. History shows that owners rarely rush, and David Moyes, Luis van Gaal and Mourinho were fired months after the decline became apparent.
Solskjaer may also survive a long time in office, but does it make sense to postpone his dismissal?
Towards the end of yesterday’s humiliation, the cameras stopped on Ed Woodward in the bleachers, who was writing forcefully on his phone.
And even if you haven’t made plans to change managers, more and more people think you have to do just that. And that the time has come for the coaching position to feel like someone who will get more out of current players, regardless of what is happening in the transfer market.
