Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is set to remain in charge of Manchester United, for now.
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According to numerous reports, Solskjaer has held a meeting with the board of directors following the humiliating 5-0 defeat at home to Liverpool.
Solskjaer was at United’s Carrington training ground on Tuesday and met with the players as they trained for the first time following the shocking defeat.
On his future, our partners in the UK at Sky Sports believe that Solskjaer has the backing of the board and Sir Alex Ferguson has also thrown his support behind the current United manager.
What are the latest reports saying?
Here is what Sky say about the current situation:
“The feeling within the club is that while the result was bitterly disappointing and painful for everyone, the immediate focus is on improving after picking up one point from their last four Premier League games.
“But despite their poor results and huge external speculation, there is no suggestion from inside the club that Solskjaer’s job is under threat at this point.”
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A separate report from the Guardian states that although Solskjaer still has the support of the majority of key figures at the club, it is Joel Glazer, the co-chairman of the club, who holds the key to whether or not he remains in charge.
“Sir Alex Ferguson, Ed Woodward and Richard Arnold are supportive of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continuing as Manchester United manager, though the final decision rests with Joel Glazer, the co-chairman who heads the American family’s ownership.
“Woodward, who could stay as executive vice-chairman until April, and Arnold, the managing director and Woodward’s likely successor, are also minded that Solskjaer should continue, having backed him during previous turbulent moments since he took over in December 2018.”
The report concludes by saying that with five of the 12 members of United’s board from the Glazer family, who own the club, it is Joel who will have the overall say on Solskjaer.
What are we expecting?
It seems likely that Solskjaer will remain in charge at least until the game away at Tottenham on Saturday (watch live, 12:30pm ET on NBC and online via NBCSports.com).
That is when we will see if this talented United squad gives him a reaction and shows that the shocking nature of the loss to bitter rivals Liverpool was a one-off.
Solskjaer knows that a top four finish is the very least he has to achieve this season.
And even though the likes of Antonio Conte are being discussed as a potential replacement for the Norwegian coach, it feels like he still has at least a few more weeks to prove he’s the right man for the job. When all is said and done, United could still easily finish in the top four and have a deep run in the UEFA Champions League.
Things seem bad right now, but Solskjaer is likely to be given time to sort it out. That time starts with tough games against Tottenham, Atalanta and then Manchester City in the 10 days before the November international break.
The next 10 days will likely decide whether or not Solskjaer will remain in charge.
