Gossip: Solskjaer has two games while five face the chop
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might have two games to save his job and retain the right to dump five in January…
DOES OLE HAVE TWO GAMES TO SAVE JOB?
Manchester United have been briefing that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s job is somehow still safe – regardless of league position and precariousness of the Champions League situation – but The Sun claim that the Manchester United players themselves believe that the Norwegian needs to win key games against Atalanta and Liverpool this week.
A source told SunSport: “Some of the players think Solskjaer has two games and that if United don’t win these two games, he could leave. They’re such important matches for the club in the Champions League and Premier League.”
It’s not helped that Ronaldo has reportedly been telling anybody that will listen that Zinedine Zidane should take over. Not that he would be interested.
A CLEAR-OUT AT MAN UNITED?
This is real 2+2 stuff from The Sun but our job is not to question (well, it is) but to report the gossip, and they claim that United ‘could have a January clear-out with as many as five under-performing stars facing an Old Trafford exit’. Well they certainly could.
What follows is a list of the usual names of players who are on the periphery at United. So that’s Donny van de Beek (obviously), Anthony Martial (of course), Victor Lindelof (inevitably), Phil Jones (poor lad) and Jesse Lingard (forever surplus to requirements). Quite who The Sun believes is going to sit on the bench after this clear-out is unclear.
NEWCASTLE SHORTLIST NARROWS TO THREE
We have seen roughly 427 managers linked with Newcastle but 90 Min now claim that the shortlist has been narrowed to just three names – Eddie Howe, Paulo Fonseca and Lucien Favre. Of course, Steve Bruce is still actual Newcastle manager – though he is clearly outstaying his welcome – but he is expected to be replaced by one of the above in the coming days.
Howe has apparently emerged as a target after glowing references from the Redknapps, while Fonseca and Favre are both well-regarded coaches who are very keen on coming to the Premier League; they almost joined Tottenham and Crystal Palace respectively in the summer.
