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12th Feb 2019

The Football Spin on why this should be the end for the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer dream

JOE

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s permanent appointment had seemed inevitable.

After a series of impressive performances and the return to form of key players, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looked certain to become the permanent Manchester United manager in the summer.

The return of the Champions League heralds the coming of spring and for Manchester United fans it was possible to believe that, after the misery of the Jose Mourinho era, Solskjaer could bring back the glory.

But then Solskjaer encountered PSG and everything changed. A 2-0 home defeat has altered so much. Was this the moment, the night, when Manchester United realised they will need to be bolder when they look for a manager in the summer? Can they afford to forget about this performance when they make the decision on who will take United forward?

Is this an over-reaction to one bad night or is it a necessary corrective to the hysteria which had followed a series of impressive performances against mediocre teams following the departure of a manager who shattered the confidence of many of his players?

Solksjaer has done exceptional work up until this point but it may be that more is required. He has overseen the return to form of Rashford, Pogba and Martial but if he does something about Alexis Sanchez maybe then United can get serious about a permanent position.

On tonight’s Football Spin, Dion Fanning explains why this is a good result for Manchester United who need to cooly assess their position instead of jumping into a partnership with Solskjaer.

Paddy McKenna and Dion pay tribute to the great Gordon Banks and Paddy laments the tough time two smooth operators are having, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the UK’s chief Brexit negotiator Olly Robbins. Dion, meanwhile, makes an alarming Brexit confession.

It’s all in The Football Spin.

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