5 Premier League managers under the microscope

Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Manchester United

Perhaps under the largest microscope of any manager in the Premier League this season, Manchester United great Ole Gunnar Solskjær will begin his first full season at the helm following United’s sacking of Jose Mourinhio in December.

After a blazing hot start that included an eleven game unbeaten streak, the club all but fell off a cliff in the final few months of the season. The team failed to etch out any real identity under Solskjær and looked lackadaisical during long stretches of time, leaving fans and pundits alike to question whether the appointment of Solskjær was a wise decision by United chief executive Ed Woodward.

This season Solskjær will be tasked with getting his team back to playing the “Manchester United Way,” though that could prove to be quite difficult if there is not wholesale buy in by this roster, especially from the team’s best player Paul Pogba, who has shown mixed signals on whether he sees his long-term or even short-term future at Old Trafford. If Real Madrid come calling, and the price is right, it would not be shocking to see Pogba leave for the Spanish capital to play under Zinedine Zidane. It might even be the best move for all parties considered.

Compound the Pogba saga with the potential loss of striker Romelu Lukaku who has one foot out the door on his way to Italy with Inter Milan, whether or not Chilean winger Alexis Sanchez can return to a fraction of the form he once showed at Arsenal and if Solskjær can re-tool a historically bad defense, and you’re talking about one of the most difficult jobs in all of world football at the moment.

Yes, the signings of right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka and winger Daniel James were a step in the right direction to get younger and faster, and if the club is able to secure a deal for Leicester City centre-back Harry Maguire, that would be all for the better, but there still remains a lack of depth in the midfield and in attack that could leave United out of the top four spots of the Premier League table.

Unfortunately for United, there are still more questions than answers at this point with the season set to open up in just a few short weeks. Will Solskjær be up for the challenge? Only time will tell.