Manchester United are of course still in high demand and as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has fought his battles in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup, a number of Norwegian pundits starts to talk and make totally unjustified suggestions about the situation.
Going back to the days of December, early Christmas, a gap of points were between Manchester United and their rivals in the top of the table, and talks about ending in top four was not really the idea of bringing in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
We might think this and that about Ed Woodward, the board and the owners at Manchester United, and what they have done in recent years after the Sir Alex era, but when appointing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as caretaker manager, their first and only hope was to get the smiles back on their faithful fans who were sick and tired of Jose Mourinho who you could describe as a bit of “grumpy”, doing team selection and game changes few thought was possible.
Placing Paul Pogba on the bench, when surely he was needed in the team, playing a young and fragile Scott McTominay out of position in a defense role and not really giving his new “special” signing Fred any hope of a good life at Manchester United.
Fred, who recently has found form and looks a better player was after a few sub performances and a chance or two in the Carabao Cup stamped as an awful player with no future, so things were very different from what we see today.
To listen to “Norwegian” talk before the game against West Ham, you start to wonder if they all have landed with their moon rocket and not been around for the last two or three months making comments about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the pressure he know is under after being the permanent manager at Manchester United.
We all know that Manchester United defeated West Ham this Saturday, went of the field with three points and a 2-1 win. Lucky penalties might have been, but again Paul Pogba scored the goals and happy faces could leave Old Trafford.
There are a lot of games being played at the moment, and the recent game programme for Manchester United is difficult to handle. The fact that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also have a squad not really 100% equipped to the style of play that the new manager demands and at the same time has seen some players struggle with injuries and needed a rest, that is difficult gymnastics.
If you look behind and above the results against Barcelona and Wolverhampton, those two recent games before West Ham, you have seen a team currently transformed into something that we all want Manchester United to be. The fact that the home game and the away game against Barca and Wolves are lost, is a real shame, because the performance was phenomenal and shows that everything is going in the right direction.
We will not see a revolution at Old Trafford in the summer, we will not see Paul Pogba leaving and no one will put any pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Most of the same players will be around. Juan Mata and Ander Herrera are both out of contract and coming to an age were they will seek more game time, and with more younger players now pushing harder for places, they might be jumping ship.
If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his team is beaten by Barcelona and are knocked out of the Champions League next week, and if Chelsea or Arsenal grabs one of the top four places in front of Manchester United, that will not be seen as a failure at all, and could ease pressure of a team who is no finished article.
Finishing top four might set the goals higher next season, which would probably be wrong as a team needs to adapt, evolve and get into the right shape, and in a way be totally unfair. Finishing out of top four could see fans being less demanding and again understand that this project could take a bit of time, and have a realistic goal to be among the top four next season.
We feel that the Manchester United fanbase, those who are the faithful and those knowing the club well, understands this and will get their legend a big hug, patience, love and flowers even if MU ends in the quarter finals of the Champions League and are lose out on top four.
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