Manchester United return to action following the international break with an away trip on Saturday to Watford, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knowing his job hangs by a thread
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Paul Pogba limps away from France training with injury
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer summoned six of his first team Manchester United stars for crisis talks on Thursday, ahead of Manchester United’s weekend clash against Watford.
Humbling home defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City have left the Norwegian hanging by a thread at Old Trafford, with the club having only won one of their past five Premier League games.
Solskjaer was granted his transfer wishes in the summer with Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo all arriving. But the former Borussia Dortmund star has struggled to adapt to life at Old Trafford while France defender Varane has been rife with injuries.
Only Ronaldo has managed to maintain his intergalactic form and, at times, has single handedly carried United to draws and wins this season. But even the Portuguese has cut a frustrated figure on occasion, heading straight for the tunnel at full-time of the City loss incandescent with rage.
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Brendan Rodgers, Zinedine Zidane, Maurico Pochettino and Erik ten Hag have all been heavily linked with replacing the Norwegian at Old Trafford in recent weeks.
But Solskjaer remains at the helm with the club’s hierarchy reluctant to make any changes mid-season. It is also unlikely any of the above managers would want to take over at United midway through the season.
However, defeat to Watford could prove one loss too many and see Ed Woodward finally wield the axe and launch a charm offensive on any of Rodgers, Zidane and Ten Hag.
In a bid to save his job, as well as United’s season, Solskjaer called in six of his most trusted players to hold crisis talks on Thursday.
According to the Daily Mail, Harry Maguire, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof and Nemanja Matic were the players who spoke to Solskjaer in the 10am meeting at the Carrington training base.
It is understood the United boss was keen to discuss a plan for saving United’s season as well as a tactical plan.
Solskjaer has reverted to a back three in recent games with mixed results. The formation only tends to work with Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani leading the line but the Uruguayan was out of action in the defeat to City.
A back three also removes wingers from the game meaning there is no place for £72.9m summer signing Sancho.
The 21-year-old was dropped from Gareth Southgate’s recent England squad as a result of his form and lack of playing time. He too will be a keen for a change in fortune.
Solskjaer’s chat with his first team stars comes after he spent a week back home in Norway. The United manager treated the players who were not called up by their respective nations to a week off.
Ronaldo, however, returns after a frustrating time with Portgual. Fernando Santos’ side missed out on automatic qualification for the 2022 World Cup after Sebia pipped them to it thanks to a 90th minute winner from Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Portugal will now fight for their place in the play offs.
