How Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could shake up Manchester United for the trip to Newcastle

Two weeks of international football have given Ole Gunnar Solskjaer more than enough time to analyze his team’s horror show defeat to Tottenham.

That 6-1 beating at Old Trafford not only emphasized the problems at Manchester United that we already knew about, but many more as well.

Often when the pressure has mounted on Solskjaer in the past, his United team have responded with a hot streak.

Now you need it more than ever. After Saturday night’s visit to Newcastle United, the scene of possibly his most mediocre performance last season, a daunting series of games awaits him.

Solskjaer’s team must play Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, RB Leipzig, Arsenal, Istanbul Basaksehir and Everton, all before the next international break.

The question for the manager is whether now is the time to be bold and shake things up on his team or stick with the tried and true in the hopes that multiple players will get back into shape.

Some of Solskjaer’s selection problems for the Newcastle game will be dictated by injuries and suspensions, but there is certainly room for change.

Is it time to get Maguire out of the line of fire?

In an ideal world, Solskjaer could give his captain Harry Maguire a couple of weeks’ vacation to recuperate after a rather disastrous start to the season.

The ordeal of his conviction in Greece, a couple of bad performances in the United colors and then a red card on England’s duty against Denmark, is not a good time for Maguire.

But with that demanding match roster looming, there’s absolutely no way Maguire would want to take time out and there’s little chance Solskjaer will let him pick.

As Maguire will be suspended for England’s Nations League matches against Iceland and Belgium next month, then he can take a break.

In the meantime, Solskjaer will only have to hope that his main middle half can get back to playing decent form against top-class opponents.

However, as Solskjaer hinted during his press conference Friday morning, there may be forced changes to his central defensive partner at St James’ Park.

Maguire was seen holding the back of his leg a few minutes before receiving his second yellow card and Solskjaer confirmed a ‘small blow’ that will require a late fitness test.

United no longer have Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe, leaving their most likely match at center-backs Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof.

Lindelof started the first two Premier League games of the season alongside Maguire before Bailly came in to replace him in the Spurs debacle.

However, Bailly and Lindelof are not completely strangers, as they met in the EFL Cup tie in Brighton late last month and managed to keep a clean sheet in a 3-0 win.

But Newcastle will be a much tougher proposition for Brighton and United fans already watching from behind their hands with Maguire on the squad will likely not feel much more confident in his absence.

Dispense with Pogba?

It has been an equally terrible start to the season for Paul Pogba. After testing positive for coronavirus, his return to action has been marked by poor performances against Crystal Palace and Tottenham.

Then, Pogba left international with France and returned to talk about his ‘dream’ of playing for Real Madrid.

Now reports have suggested Pogba is unhappy playing so deep in United’s midfield and wants Bruno Fernandes to play a more advanced role.

The problem is that Fernandes has been outstanding since arriving at Old Trafford in January and, well, Pogba has not been.

So if Solskjaer were feeling bold, Pogba would be eliminated for the Newcastle game with Fernandes as the number 10, Nemanja Matic as the retention player and Donny van de Beek operating between them.

Pogba’s natural inclination is to keep going, but when he’s supposed to show more discipline in a retired role, he can leave United with few hands when teams attack.

Van de Beek is more likely to offer that discipline but has so far been limited to three substitute appearances totaling just 46 minutes in the Premier League as Solskjaer easily brings him into the English game.

So surely it’s time for Van de Beek to make his full league debut and Pogba is much more likely to break through than Fernandes.

Telles time?

With the transfer deadline just after United’s last game and the club leaving virtually all business until the eleventh hour, the newcomers have yet to be in action.

Forward Edinson Cavani is still in quarantine, so he cannot play Newcastle and Facundo Pellistri is unlikely to be involved.

But Alex Telles may appear despite flying to the middle of the world to play Brazil against Peru in a qualifying match for the World Cup on weekdays.

His arrival from Porto offers competition for Luke Shaw on the left back and given Shaw’s struggles so far this season, quite a few United fans would be eager to see Telles directly.

It would certainly be a bold move from Solskjaer, as he hasn’t had time to work with Telles in training camp yet.

But given United’s urgent need for back reinforcement and a little more creativity in the future, Telles may be the man to make an instant impact.

Greenwood to lead the line?

With Cavani taking no chances amid the Covid-19 crisis and Anthony Martial suspended after his red card against Spurs, Solskjaer needs someone to lead the line Saturday night.

Odion Ighalo has played just nine minutes of Premier League football so far this season and didn’t make much of an impression in both Carabao Cup games.

So that could open the door for Mason Greenwood to move from his usual right-side bunk to lead the line.

Greenwood is a natural center forward and clinical spiker, so Solskjaer would back the teenager to give United an advantage.

He hasn’t had the biggest impact in his three Premier League games so far, though, but no one has exactly covered himself in glory.

If Greenwood moves there, it will probably allow Dan James to exit on the right side.