It feels like the end is near for Solskjaer (Photo by Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)

Keeping Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in a job is doing more harm than good for Manchester United

The Norwegian has come under intense scrutiny since United lost 2-0 at home to City and his position now feels untenable

by · Manchester Evening News

I feel so sorry for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer because this Manchester United job was his dream. I can't imagine how it feels from a human aspect.

But, I think most United supporters realise the current position the club are in. It's a sad state of affairs and they are nowhere near where they should be this season.

The 2-0 defeat to Manchester City at Old Trafford was one of the worst in recent history, not in the manner of the scoreline, but the performance. It was abysmal.

Solskjaer came under loads of scrutiny after United's 5-0 defeat at home to Liverpool two weeks before and many supporters thought his time was up at that moment. However, the Glazers and Ed Woodward decided to give him time to turn things around.

A 3-0 win against a poor Tottenham and a 2-2 draw in the Champions League to Atalanta is what came next. Whilst there was an improvement, United could've easily come away from Italy without any points, as it took a last-minute Cristiano Ronaldo goal to rescue Solskjaer from despair.

When Saturday came, it was a weird build-up to the match. On one hand, there were some United supporters who were feeling confident about the game because Solskjaer has a decent record against Pep Guardiola. On the other hand, there were others who feared the worst because of what we've seen in performances. The latter proved to be the most accurate.

It pains me to say this, but that City game felt like the end for Solskjaer. I reiterated a couple of months ago that it was best to see where United were after the game and it's safe to say the club is a mess. Five points off fourth and nine off the top after 11 games isn't good enough for a squad that boasts the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani, Paul Pogba, Raphael Varane and more.

I will always love Solskjaer for everything he has done for the club, not just as a player, but as a manager too.

Solskjaer risks all his good work being undone if United keep falling this season (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Let's be real. He's managed to assemble the best United squad since the Sir Alex Ferguson years, built a relationship back between the team and supporters and modernised the club. Do you really think a football director would've been introduced by United if it wasn't for Solskjaer? He's seen where the club had been failing and acted upon it.

This season, expectations were always going to raise after the arrivals of Ronaldo, Varane and Sancho. Supporters were expecting a challenge for the title - a chance to finally build on the progression which has been visible under Solskjaer. Instead, United have regressed.

The MEN understands Solskjaer is increasingly at risk of losing his managerial position at United after the performance against Man City at the weekend, though the club are still somewhat reluctant to make a change without any obvious contingency plan in place.

The time has come for Solskjaer to leave and as hurtful as it is, It's doing more damage than good keeping him in a job. Why? Because his position has become untenable.

Just think about it. The players clearly aren't playing for him and there have been countless reports of player discontent in the dressing room. The moment these sorts of noises come out of the club, you know you're in big trouble.

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On top of that, most of the United fanbase mutually agree that they think a change is necessary because the target for the club should always be about challenging for league titles and trophies. I just fear they won't be able to get out of this rut under Solskjaer now.

The writing is on the wall and United's hierarchy are only prolonging the inevitable. It's causing more harm than good keeping Solskjaer in a job because, quite frankly, it'll take a miracle to get out of this. All that good work he did will be undermined.

A decision needs to be made, otherwise, it's going to cost United more points this season.

Should United sack Solskjaer? Follow our United On My Mind writer Omar Garrick on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts on the matter in the comments section below.