Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has already found Man Utd’s biggest problem after the club turned down Erling Haaland.
Manchester United’s struggles since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 don’t seem to be ending anytime soon, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer once summed up their problems really well.
Solskjaer is seen as one of the best managers United has had in the past ten years, even though he didn’t win any trophies during his time as boss from December 2018 to November 2021.
He left with the second-best win record since Ferguson and might have done even better if the club had listened to him more.
Over the years, United has missed out on some amazing players, like Manchester City’s star striker Erling Haaland. Solskjaer knew how special Haaland was because he managed him at Molde, and he really wanted to bring him to Old Trafford back in 2018. But the club didn’t follow his advice, even though they could have signed Haaland for just £4 million at the time.
At an event in 2023, Solskjaer said: “I told United about this talented striker they should have signed. But they didn’t listen. Four million! Don’t ask where he is now. He’s too good.”
Since then, Haaland has helped Man City win two Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and a Champions League, and he’s scored nine goals in 11 games against United. United have definitely paid the price for not listening to Solskjaer.
On another note, Michael Carrick might lose his job after United’s 4-1 defeat to Como in the Champions League. The team hasn’t won in their last seven games, which is making it harder for the club to keep him in charge.
A lot of this pressure on Carrick could have been avoided if the club had supported him better during the transfer window. United needed a new center-back, left-back, and striker, but instead, they mainly focused on signing midfielders like Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos, and Carlos Baleba for a total of £155 million.
Because they didn’t strengthen other areas, the team’s weak spots are clear, especially in defense where players like Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro have had to play out of position.
Of course, Carrick’s tactics haven’t helped, but many managers would find it tough with the players he has, and others before him have faced similar challenges.