The walls are closing in and there's looking like there's little room to escape for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Though there has been a stay of execution this week following Manchester United's humiliating 5-0 defeat to Liverpool, but it seems that one more misstep in the next three matches against Tottenham, Atalanta and Manchester City could be fatal.
Perhaps what's been most damning for Solskjaer have been the noises coming out of the dressing room since the drubbing. Nothing new was really learned from the game on a tactical level, it has never been the Norwegian's strong suit, but the voices of discontent seeping out of the cracks is pointing towards an unsalvageable situation.
Solskjaer has always been praised for his man-management skills and they have been clear to see, the repour he has with his players is obvious and, even now amid all the turmoil, the atmosphere still isn't as dark as it was in the last days of Jose Mourinho.
But yet, rumblings of bust-ups, players openly challenging his authority and, as the MEN reported on Tuesday, the bafflement with certain selections does not paint a pretty picture. Turning this around looks as difficult as turning a ship in the Suez canal.
All hope is not lost though and, with the strength in depth at his disposal, Solskjaer has the benefit of having more cards to play, ones that he's rarely used. It's time he listened to his players' complaints and play two players whose exclusions have bewildered them so much.
First and foremost is Jesse Lingard. He was arguably United's most in-form forward prior to the international break despite not starting in either the Premier League or Champions League. He scored two late goals - one of them a crucial winner - in league matches and was the man to tee up Cristiano Ronaldo at the death to defeat Villarreal.
But since then he has played just 10 minutes of football and been sat twiddling his thumbs on the bench for another four games. Why?
He may not be as good or expensive a player as Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and even Bruno Fernandes, but there's no denying that he has been performing much better than them in his limited appearances. Add to that, the tireless energy he brings would be much more of a help in situations where United need to press, as he can overcompensate for the lack of work that Ronaldo does.
While it's understandable that Solskjaer wants to stick with players he trusts, when several are underperforming to such an extent changes need to be made. More of a meritocracy is required, otherwise, resentment just continues to grow.
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A man who has had even fewer opportunities than Lingard is Donny van de Beek. While the Dutchman doesn't have a string of strong cameos off the bench to point to as to why he should be included, United's midfield troubles are more than enough to show why change is needed.
The duo of Fred and Scott McTominay once had its merits but any suggestion of them being 'solid' was shot to pieces on Sunday. Nemanja Matic has been proven to be too slow for most games and Paul Pogba simply can't play in the position.
The only player who hasn't been given a fair shake there is Van de Beek. Why? It's understood that his performances in training have impressed his teammates and he proved while helping get Ajax to the Champions League semi-finals that he is more than capable.
He may not possess the defensive qualities of Solskjaer's favoured partnership, but he is much more comfortable at keeping the ball and better at distributing it. Teaming Van de Beek up with either Fred or McTominay, who can do the work of protecting the defence, has the makings of a much more dynamic partnership.
Solskjaer appears not to fancy him but, at this stage, what does he have to lose?
If the manager is to avoid another disaster then change is a necessity and his players have already told him which changes to make.
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