Manchester United: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s large points to deal with

Manchester United have flown 9,000 miles to Australia to start their six-match pre-season tour but when supervisor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer thought the gap would supply an escape from the issues which were piling up at Outdated Trafford, he was sadly mistaken.

It’s fewer than two months since United completed their marketing campaign by accumulating a single level from Premier League matches in opposition to relegated duo Huddersfield and Cardiff and, within the build-up to their recreation in opposition to Perth Glory on the Optus Stadium on Saturday, their points stay all too seen.

An image of the membership’s wantaway £89m midfielder Paul Pogba was on the entrance web page of the native paper on Wednesday, emphasising the massive curiosity surrounding the rocky relationship between United and their star participant.

Doubts persist, too, over the futures of striker Romelu Lukaku, at £75m the second-most costly participant in United historical past, and goalkeeper David de Gea, who’s about to enter the ultimate yr of his contract.

Solely two gamers have been added to the squad that completed sixth final time period. And, whereas £60m could have been spent signing 21-year-olds Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace and Daniel James from Swansea, it’s a incontrovertible fact that 18 months in the past neither had performed a single senior recreation as an expert.

BBC Sport takes a take a look at the problems Solskjaer has to work by earlier than United open their Premier League marketing campaign in opposition to Chelsea at Outdated Trafford on 11 August.

The Pogba downside

It’s inescapable that Pogba’s future will dominate this journey and, with out some sort of definitive decision, will accomplish that till 17:00 BST on Thursday, eight August when the Premier League’s switch window closes, and presumably past that given Spanish golf equipment can nonetheless signal gamers till 23:00 BST on 2 September.

Pogba and his advisor Mino Raiola, twice, have acknowledged the France World Cup winner’s want to go away Outdated Trafford. Actual Madrid and Pogba’s former membership Juventus are eager. However neither has made a bid, not to mention advised they may attain United’s valuation, which exceeds £150m.

Uncertainty looms massive and Pogba is the centre of consideration.

A clip on United’s personal social media account of Pogba apparently having a row with Jesse Lingard throughout a stroll near the workforce lodge after Monday’s arrival in Australia was seized on as proof of unease throughout the camp. An additional prolonged clip was finally launched displaying the pair laughing.

But such is the swirl of curiosity round Pogba, Solskjaer needed to take care of the problem at his first media engagement on the Waca Stadium on Wednesday. Hypothesis over the row, stated the Norwegian, was proof of a media agenda in opposition to Pogba.

Solskjaer stated United don’t have any must promote their most costly participant. He did not say they’d not although. He cannot. At this stage, no-one can.

Squad points to resolve wherever you look

If Pogba was the one squad concern Solskjaer was wrestling with, it might be a manageable irritation.

The reality is, it isn’t.

Lukaku is in the identical state of affairs. Once more there may be curiosity, from Inter Milan, whose new coach Antonio Conte thought he was bringing the Belgium ahead to Chelsea in 2017, solely to find United and Jose Mourinho had achieved a deal as a substitute.

In Lukaku’s case, Solskjaer is extra open to a deal given the participant is just not a daily starter and any cash generated can be utilized to strengthen elsewhere.

Nevertheless, as with Pogba, there isn’t any bid – leaving each participant and membership in limbo.

Talks have been happening for months with De Gea’s advisers. Their place is obvious – the Spain goalkeeper is open to staying at Outdated Trafford.

However so as to take action, he needs a wage befitting not solely his standing as one of many world’s high keepers, but additionally as United’s participant of the yr in 4 seasons out of 5 to 2018.

So which means getting someplace close to the estimated £400,000 per week United pay Alexis Sanchez, who has been such a disappointment.

The clock is ticking. In January, De Gea will have the ability to signal pre-contract phrases with any non-English suitor.

There are others in Solskjaer’s squad who’ve little or no future: defenders Marcos Rojo, who’s in Perth, and Matteo Darmian, who didn’t fly out for private causes, being the obvious. But transfers have proved elusive.

“There is no quick fix,” was Solskjaer’s response on Wednesday when it was put to him he had stated as lately as April that United wanted to be “ruthless” in reshaping their squad this summer season.

As an alternative, the one gamers to go away Outdated Trafford thus far have been these, like midfielder Ander Herrera, whose contracts had been at an finish.

It means a call can’t be remodeled the short-term way forward for younger defender Axel Tuanzebe, who excelled at Aston Villa final season and has simply signed a brand new contract with United till 2022, as a result of Solskjaer doesn’t know what his choices are going to be.

Negativity is rising among the many followers

It’s not exhausting to seek out negativity among the many United fan base, notably as a result of doubts stay over the knowledge of appointing Solskjaer full-time within the first place.

His managerial file was good in two spells with Norwegian membership Molde however horrible in 9 months earlier than he was sacked at Cardiff.

His work as an interim boss at United was phenomenal. Eight successive wins at the beginning of his tenure prolonged to a run of 1 defeat in his first 17 video games, culminating in that tremendous Champions League comeback in opposition to Paris St-Germain when his aspect overturned a two-goal dwelling defeat to succeed in the quarter-finals.

United received simply twice in 10 video games after Solskjaer had been appointed completely although. They collected two factors from their ultimate 5 Premier League video games, when one other six would have been sufficient to safe Champions League qualification.

Solskjaer’s standing as a membership legend means he retains the goodwill of supporters however many marvel if United erred by not securing the providers of a extra skilled alternative for Mourinho.

But if most are keen to present Solskjaer the advantage of the doubt for now, attitudes round government vice-chairman Ed Woodward and United’s homeowners, the Glazer household, are hardening.

Pretty or not, Woodward is being considered as the person liable for United being of their present predicament. The absence of a technical director, one thing the membership themselves privately stated was a precedence within the wake of Mourinho’s dismissal, is seen by some as proof of Woodward being unwilling to relinquish the facility of negotiating switch offers.

His obvious lack of soccer data is cited as a flaw in United’s set-up, even when the truth – that Woodward’s enter is a part of a course of and targets are recognized by the membership’s scouting division and vetted by the supervisor earlier than signings are tried – is considerably totally different.

Past Woodward, the Glazer household are being focused by a concerted social media marketing campaign.

Till the matches begin, notably at Outdated Trafford, it won’t be identified simply how in depth ‘Glazer Out’ has unfold. United’s homeowners are accused of allowing more than £1bn to drift out of Old Trafford by a mixture of share dividends and curiosity funds since their takeover in 2005.