Manchester United Set to Back Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Despite Champions League Exit
By Ross Jackson
Manchester United will continue to back their under-fire manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, despite the club's disastrous exit at the group stages of the Champions League on Tuesday night.
The Red Devils have endured a turbulent start to the 2020/21 campaign, yet remain within touching distance of Premier League leaders Tottenham following a number of unconvincing comeback wins.
Solskjaer's men had looked well placed to progress to the knockout rounds of the Champions League having taken nine points from their opening four games in Group H. However, back-to-back defeats including a disastrous 3-2 defeat to RB Leipzig on Tuesday saw them dumped out of the competition, with the Norwegian boss' position subsequently called into question.
However, the Daily Mail understands that the club's hierarchy have no plans to part ways with Solskjaer, as they look to distance themselves from the hire-and-fire culture which has seen them make four permanent managerial appointments since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.
Reports suggest the club's chiefs are 'confident the team are heading in the right direction' despite dropping into the Europa League, and that it would 'make no sense to sack the manager now'.
This comes after reports intensified regarding the potential appointment of former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine tactician has been out of work since leaving Spurs in November 2019 and has been regularly linked with a move to Old Trafford.
While dropping into the Europa League will undoubtedly have a huge impact on United's finances at the very least, the club's position in the Premier League may well have saved Solskjaer's job.
Despite a host of underwhelming performances in the league this season, United remain just five points off top spot with a game in hand following their comeback win over West Ham at the weekend.
The Red Devils have taken 19 points from their opening ten league games, six more than they managed at the same stage last season, while they've also found the net on six more occasions.
The Guardian report that Solskjaer's improved league return compared to last campaign is one of the main factors in the club's decision not to look elsewhere, while the recruitment of top-performers such as Bruno Fernandes and the development of players like Mason Greenwood offers hope that the club are on the right trajectory.
United host fierce rivals Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday, knowing a win would be a big step towards banishing the memories of a miserable Champions League campaign.