Now patience is running out – NRK Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule

“Transition period” is a popular term for coaches who want to buy overtime.

It often hints at the predecessor’s mess that needs to be cleaned up and the fact that victory machines are not built overnight. New players will enter, tactical principles will be learned.

Since Ole Gunnar Solskjær became Manchester United manager in December 2018, he has been able to use this term. It has deserved and needed patience.

But there are limits to the length of those periods. For Solskjærs United, who open the season against Crystal Palace on Saturday, this time is up.

This is the season that United will take a giant leap to the top of the table.

And if not, you will wonder about the future of Solskjær..

New dimension

Because if there is one thing that is not tolerated at United, it is stagnation.

Progress can be measured on two things: performance and barn quality. In terms of results, United have been resting under Solskjær: even though they jumped from sixth place to third place last season, the score was the same as before: 66.

What speaks for Solskjær is that the stable’s profile has changed. He has discarded several older names and brought in quality players, of good age and with good attitudes, such as Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes.

Now United have also brought in Donny van de Beek (23), a smart and agile Ajax midfielder who creates and scores goals on a regular basis. It can give Solskjær a new dimension for the future.

Some fans have criticized the fact that United have not brought in more players this summer, and more could have been expected so far, but the stable is still in good condition.

Now the question is whether Solskjær will get the best of it.

80 points

What to expect from United this season? The long-term goal now should be to fight for the title in 2021/22. This means that United must take a big step to the top in the next eight months.

It’s probably too far away for City and Liverpool than so far, especially since the latter signed the brilliant player Thiago Alcântara yesterday. That both teams collapse at the same time is highly unlikely.

At the same time, it’s hard to expect a comfortable third place from United, now that Chelsea have spent around NOK 2.5 billion on new players.

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What is clear, however, is that United should overcome the battle for a place in the top four. Although Arsenal are exciting with Mikel Arteta and Tottenham have strengthened the team with José Mourinho, there should be a gap with United.

So it makes more sense to set a score as a goal. United have added 66 points two years in a row.

This time, 80 points should be a realistic goal.

Following in the footsteps of Pep and Jürgen

This sum will not be enough to take the title, but it will represent the clear progress that is expected and needed.

Mourinho scored 81 points in his second season at United, the club’s best catch since Alex Ferguson left in 2013. It took Liverpool and City 75 and 78 years, respectively, before entering the title race for the first time with Jürgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola.

It is on this level that Solskjær should be now.

Some would say that Solskjær should win a title this season. However, it is not realistic to catch up with City and Liverpool so quickly, and while a cup title would certainly have tasted good, it is the league that clearly measures the quality of a team.

Will Solskjær manage 80 points? All we can say is that their conditions are better than ever.

Best of February

It is true that the summer has been a challenge. Captain Maguire has been in trouble in Greece, Paul Pogba has contracted the coronavirus and shooting star Mason Greenwood has been sent home from the England national team after breaking quarantine rules.

However, the most important thing is that the development of the team is positive. And behind last season’s 66 points, there are two promising trends.

One is that Solskjær appears to have arranged the defense. United conceded 54 league goals in 2018/19, a number they cut to 36 last season, the lowest in the league behind Liverpool and City.

The other is that United had the most points in the league since early February.

Several factors explain this performance. The biggest was the entry of Bruno Fernandes, who transformed the team with his creativity, energy and desire to win.

But United hadn’t made it through apart from advances from Greenwood and Anthony Martial.

Especially after the breaking of the crown, these two surrendered at a high level. Martial finished the season with 17 league goals and seems capable of breaking the 20-point mark this season. Greenwood proved to be one of the best finalists in the league.

Furthermore, Pogba returned from injury. With no rumors about a possible transfer to Real Madrid, the midfielder played as if he knew he would stay at United.

When United struggled in the fall, Solskjær often had to use Andreas Pereira, Daniel James, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard in offensive roles. Towards the end of the season, Solskjær practically had a new attack.

The importance of this update can hardly be overstated.

Greater width

Thus, it was no wonder the discussion about Solskjær’s tactical abilities died down. Many have wondered if he has the ability to create as clear a pattern of movement as Klopp and Guardiola have.

Obviously Solskjær doesn’t need this. As long as it has the best players on the court at the same time, United can beat anyone.

Perhaps the biggest concern for Solskjær is the width of the barn. He barely rotated his five most offensive players towards the end of the season, which eroded his strength. It is understandable that he does not use Pereira, James, Mata and Lingard.

But in a season that will be shorter and more intense than ever, Solskjær will have to rotate. You need more players that you can trust.

The signing of Van de Beek will help in that, although it is difficult to predict what role the Dutchman will play. At the same time, Solskjær knows that it should have even more alternatives.

The dream remains to land lightning winger Jadon Sancho from Dortmund before the international transfer window closes on 5 October.

If United put him in his place, it will almost start to smell like a title fight.

But regardless of Sancho, Solskjær now has a stable that should overcome the desperate battle for a place in the top four. As a team builder, the Norwegian has delivered the goods.

Now only the results are missing.