Nuno Espirito Santo rubs his face before holding his chin contemplatively, hoping the full-time whistle can come sooner. The Spurs coach cut a stunned figure on the sideline every time the broadcast cameras cut to him on Saturday evening. Only six days ago, was Ole Gunnar Solskjær providing the broadcast with the same picture as he watched his side face a multi-goal drubbing of their own. You could say Nuno was doing his best Solskjær impression if last night’s result and performance were something new, but poor losses and inept performances are things too common for Spurs this season. 9 shots with none on target is damning, and while the magnitude is eye-catching, the inefficiency is familiar.
As poor as Spurs were, and as surprisingly effective as Manchester United were, the 3-0 result is more conclusive for Spurs than it is for Manchester United. For the immediate future, the cool Saturday night in North London will help Spurs more than it will help Manchester United. The boos rang loud at halftime in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and the boos rang louder at full-time. For Spurs, they’ve left Tottenham Hotspur Stadium one more step towards sacking Nuno Espirito Santo. For Manchester United, their paths both ways on Ole Gunnar Solskjær have merely become hazier.
A change to a back three for Manchester United is parallel to their win against Spurs. Removing an attacker from the side and replacing them with an additional defender simply covers up the issues in midfield as opposed to fixing them. Instead of drilling the midfield to retain possession and stay disciplined in positioning, Solskjær opted to add an additional body in defence for cover against counter attacks when the midfield is inevitably pierced. The defensive frailties of the “McFred” double pivot were on full display again. In the 13th minute for example, both midfielders made runs into the box—into the same area in fact—before being brought down by separate pieces of contact. United turned the ball over and Spurs began countering before they were stopped by a challenge from a tracking back Edinson Cavani, who briefly took on a “box-to-box 9” role again like he did late against Liverpool last week. Switching to a back three papers over the cracks of the team’s tactics just as a confident win over Spurs papers over the cracks of the coaching staff.
For the time being, Solskjær will likely continue with a back three system against Atalanta midweek and Manchester City in the Derby next week. After all, it’s better to paper over the cracks than to leave the cracks fully exposed. Both opponents are dangerous on the counter and have pace to burn up top. Against Watford in three weeks’ time, we’ll have to see if Solskjær reverts to his usual 4-2-3-1 against a weaker opponent.
Watching the match attentively on Saturday was probably Antonio Conte. Either club could be his next managing gig. If Daniel Levy was wise, he’d call the Italian up sooner than later and beat Manchester United to the punch. Conte would immediately bring a clear way of playing and without compromise. Nuno seems like a really good guy and it’d be a shame for a guy like him to be in the always awful situation of being sacked. Unfortunately, football is a game where performances trump personalities, and results trump performances. Spurs under Nuno have had neither performances, nor results. A loss in the Europa League to a fairly lower quality Vitesse side, a loss to crosstown rivals West Ham, and a battering to Manchester United means it’s three losses in Spurs’ last four games. If Saturday wasn’t the nail in the coffin for Nuno’s time at Spurs, then another negative result against Vitesse will surely be.
Again, the immediate future for Manchester United’s coaching staff is still murkier than ever. Reports say Solskjær had the four matches following the loss to Liverpool to turn things around. Arguably, the easiest hurdle has been passed. Going to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium where the home crowd is currently as hostile to the home side as they are to the away side is could be an easier task than going to Vicarage Road where Claudio Ranieri will set his Watford side up to sit back and hit United on the counter. Watford will be exactly the type of side United have struggled against in recent years. Solskjær must ensure his team doesn’t repeat last year’s results against Sheffield United (2-1 loss), Fulham (1-1 draw), and West Brom (1-1 draw).
So what will it take for Ole Gunnar Solskjær to keep his job? Manchester United would probably need a convincing win against Atalanta on Tuesday, at least a draw with a good performance against Manchester City next Saturday, and a win and clean shit against Watford after the November international break.
Solskjær’s job security doesn’t answer the full question surrounding Manchester United, however. Whether Solskjær keeps his job or not, there’s still a lot of uncertainty whether Manchester United would be better off with him or without him in the near future and beyond.
While many fans are calling for Antonio Conte’s hiring and his CV is excellent, he wouldn’t be a Manchester United hiring. He would almost certainly bring immediate results and better performances with a clear tactical identity, but he’s never lasted at a club longer than three years (Juventus 2011-2014). Conte left Chelsea after two years citing differences with the board. He left Inter Milan after two years as well for similar reasons. Manchester United since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, have been looking for a long-term manager.
David Moyes was handpicked by Sir Alex to succeed him, and the board saw him as a long-term manager as evidenced by his six-year contract. While Louis van Gaal and José Mourinho were brought in to right the ship and win trophies, Ole Gunnar Solskjær was hired with the intention of him being the United manager for years to come. Over the Summer, he signed a three-year contract extension until 2024 which further cements the board’s intentions.
If Solskjær is sacked, but Conte isn’t hired, who could step in as caretaker boss until the end of the season? Assistant coaches Michael Carrick and Mike Phelan would yield a similar product to Solskjær. Assistant coach Kieran McKenna while rated by many as a future top 6 club manager, has never managed above the U-18 level. Looking outside of the club, the options are bleak for a manager that would be both good enough to oversee United until the Summer and content with only a caretaker role.
If Solskjær stays until the end of the season, there’s the risk that the board would once again be tempted to stick with Solskjær in the Summer despite the turbulent form during his reign. There is also the greater risk that United’s targets for the manager position commit their futures elsewhere, or worse, are uninterested should United slip even further.
It’s not to say Manchester United fans should’ve hoped for a loss to Spurs so the club could have a more definitive direction in respect to the coaching staff. Every fan should want their team to win every single game. The win on Saturday doesn’t, however, clear the future up for Manchester United fans. For now, fans should savour the win because it’s hard to say when the next win as convincing as this one will come.
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