Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time as Manchester United manager appears to be hanging in the balance after his side’s sorry surrender against Liverpool on Sunday.
The Norwegian was hoping that the comeback victory over Atalanta in the Champions League would mark a turning point in what has been an indifferent start to the new campaign.
But any shoots of positivity earned in midweek were ruthlessly scythed down as Liverpool ran riot at Old Trafford, winning 5-0.
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It leaves Solskjaer facing more calls to be sacked, with United in the midst of a desperate run of form across all competitions.
Cristiano Ronaldo suggested that it was in fact the players that should shoulder the responsibility, rather than the manager, something in which Paul Scholes hinted he agreed with.
In a scathing assessment of Mason Greenwood, the Manchester United legend said Greenwood was ‘cheating’ with a lack of effort which gifted Liverpool the opening goal.
"Tactically it was bad today, really bad," Scholes told Premier League Productions. "But on the other side of that players have got to have some kind of common sense as well.
“You think about Mason [Greenwood] in that first instance going to close him down, that was almost cheating.
"He knew he wasn't going to get the ball and he knew it looks like he was going to close him down but he knew he was just going to pass it and he can't do anything.
"It's almost a cheating way of sprinting to him, they pass it and then he has a little walk back because he thought, 'I've done my bit'.
"But he hasn't done his bit, he's ruined the whole team, all the team get pulled out of position, [Aaron] Wan-Bissaka has to come out, [Victor] Lindelof ends up at right-back, then there's all of the space in the middle.”
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Scholes’ damning verdict has more than a shade of similarity with his old team-mate Roy Keane’s big fear back in 2019.
Following a heavy defeat, that time to Everton, Keane predicted that Solskjaer’s players would throw him under the bus.
"I don't fall for this carry on that there is going to be a brilliant reaction from these players," said Keane on Sky Sports. "These are the same players that threw Mourinho under the bus and they will do exactly the same to Ole.
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"Leopards do not change their spots. There are too many bluffers at this club to get United back to the very top.
Solskjaer is adamant he will not throw the towel in, although it remains to be seen whether Old Trafford bosses will deliver a knockout blow before their next game.
United take on Tottenham next weekend in a battle of the under-fire managers, as Nuno Espirito Santo hopes to ease some of the pressure surrounding him, by loading a significant more on his counterpart in the opposite dugout.
