Is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Job Already Under Threat at Manchester United

The international break should have been the ideal time for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to catch his breath. After leading Manchester United to their worst start to a season in 27 years, you could forgive him for wanting the chance to reflect on what's going wrong and how to fix it.

But just as he might have started to relax, Nemanja Matic started speaking.

On Saturday, ahead of Serbia's European Championship qualifier against Portugal, the out-of-favour United midfielder told reporters: "The coach must opt for the team that will fight for the title, and if he does not win, he bears the responsibility." 

Forget the title, that's just not realistic. But Matic is right that Solskjaer will bear responsibility for results, and you have to wonder if a worrying turning point is on the horizon.

United's next match is on Saturday at home to Leicester City—one of the league's most impressive sides at this early stage. They sit third in the table and have every chance of upsetting United on their own turf.

If that happens, people will begin to wonder if United are even fit to challenge for the top six.

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Solskjaer finds himself in a rut right now. He has presided over three wins in the last 16 games—Watford, West Ham United and Chelsea—and has not won an away match since that last-minute penalty from Marcus Rashford secured victory at Paris Saint-Germain in March. 

United are eighth in the Premier League, and Solskjaer is favourite to be the next Premier league manager to leave his post. Defeat to Leicester, who sold them defender Harry Maguire for a world-record fee in August, would provide a test for the loyal United fanbase who so heavily bought into him after Jose Mourinho was axed.

"Ole's at the wheel" has become one of the most recognised chants in world football, but tough times usually bring tough consequences.

Online, particularly on Twitter where #OleOut is becoming increasingly popular, there are fans ready for change—but in the stands of Old Trafford that is not so much the case. 

Andy Longmuir is a season ticket holder in the Stretford End and goes to most away games, too. 

"Ole brought the feelgood factor back to United, and we can see he is trying to get an identity and style back that we all recognise," he explains. "That's something we lost under previous managers. Our best players so far this season have been Solskjaer signings, but he is still an inexperienced manager.

"He needs to be given time, we know the results have been poor against some mediocre opposition. This is the first thing that needs to improve, to gain some consistency in our performances. The squad depth we have is worrying for the remainder of the season, given the extra fixtures in the Europa League. Who knows what's going on behind the scenes but from the outside looking in it appears to be a total shambles.

"We see that the bigger problem is above the manager. We desperately need a director of football along with some serious investment from the owners. If this isn't addressed in January or next summer I can see matters turning toxic on the terraces against the owners and Ed Woodward.

"It needs a movement from people who go to games to change this—not the social media trolls who have emerged over the last few months."

In recent days, it has emerged that former player Edwin van der Sar is close to being appointed in a director of football role, per The Mirror, and that could ensure Solskjaer worries less about what is going on above his head. 

He cannot afford to worry about anything but improving this team, and there are signs that his style of football could be successful. For example, the algorithm posted here by @utdarena shows "expected points based on performance" has them in second place behind Manchester City.

And the club's website even backs up such beliefs, dedicating an opinion spot on their official page to a piece headlined: We're Better Than Our Position Suggests.

The article describes how United's "Expected Goals" value for each match so far has been better than their opponents each game, meaning they are creating clearer chances.

But these stats do not necessarily help Solskjaer publicly.

"We need some scrappy goals as well," he admitted to BBC after the 1-1 draw at Southampton last time out. "The clinical edge wasn't there. We should have won, again."

The boss will be judged on such small margins. And that could explain why his behind-closed-doors attitude to the Saints game is, apparently, much less accepting than the public comments.

The Sun's Neil Custis and Richard Moriarty reported he branded the performance a "joke" and told the side it was "embarrassing" that they are failing to finish teams off. 

Solskjaer has stood up to the board this summer over signings. He got the two defenders he needed but was left wanting in midfield and attack. Some would argue that an unwillingness to step away from top targets—think Jadon Sancho or Paulo Dybala—is hurting him. But it is clear he only wants players that fit a long-term vision.

As Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez departed in the transfer window, United insiders told B/R how the board were willing to bring in Fernando Llorente to help make up the shortfall up front.

Yet the sources claim Solskjaer was unconvinced about the idea and was worried Llorente could block the path for younger talent like Mason Greenwood.

United fan Danny Gossels goes to most games and told B/R: "The board have let him down. He wanted Sancho, and he wanted a new midfield—our midfield is dreadful.

"It's going to be a tough season. We might finish in 10th place. If we don't beat Leicester, of course he will come under pressure. He will get destroyed by the media for three points in four games.

"Fans are booing at the end of the games and are fed up. The football is abysmal. I stick by him—but won't forever. If [Marcus] Rashford keeps taking free-kicks I am done."

Solskjaer is safe for now—enough of the Old Trafford fanbase are behind him, and there have been no suggestions from sources around Old Trafford that the decision makers are beginning to waver over their support of the Norwegian.

Yet, defeat on Saturday would drastically change the outlook of an appointment that had calmed the seas after Mourinho's stormy reign. 

The feelgood factor, the promise of young players and the prospect of exciting, attacking football is waning, and if there are not results to cover up such issues, Solskjaer isn't even living up to what Mourinho did.

He has moved in front of early season favourites Steve Bruce and Mauricio Pochettino to be the next boss to go—and now we wait to see how the rest of this month unfolds, with Premier League fixtures against Leicester, West Ham and Arsenal and cup fixtures against FC Astana and Rochdale. 

No manager is untouchable, and even though there seems no obvious candidate to step forward and steer United to a better place, the countdown to yet another new boss could soon begin.

You have to imagine that right now, life at the wheel does not feel quite so good for Solskjaer.