Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s reported thoughts about possibly replacing Rúben Amorim at Manchester United have been explained amid inconsistent results at Old Trafford.
Manchester United ended 2025 with an underwhelming performance at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers, handing winless Wolves their third point of the season. Boos echoed around Old Trafford after the match, suggesting the fans are losing patience with the club’s current situation.
United now sit sixth in the Premier League at the halfway mark, which shows an improvement from last season, but the Wolves game feels like another missed opportunity to move up the table. Sunderland, Chelsea, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester City all dropped points during gameweek 19 which makes United’s draw all the more frustrating.
The team lacks consistency and a clear identity. Although Ruben Amorim‘s stubbornness looked to have softened, this game saw him revert back to his 3-4-3 formation, which destroyed any momentum from the previous game’s victory. An injury to Mason Mount meant he missed out this time around, and his absence was evident.
Although we are rarely given answers from the hierarchy, reports have always claimed that INEOS remain supportive of the manager and have no plans to make a change. However, if performances and results don’t improve, the board could be forced into making a difficult decision. Tuesday’s match proves that Old Trafford will not tolerate performances that do not meet the standards of United.
According to Football Norge, a change could come sooner than expected, and a replacement is ready. Having already steadied a sinking ship at United, some believe Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the perfect candidate.
Would Solskjaer return to United?
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Manchester United parted ways in November 2021 after a run of disappointing results. Despite a tough end to his stint as United manager, Ole led his team to a third-place finish in his first full season and a second-place finish in his second.
His reign began in December 2018, when he was appointed as caretaker manager of the club after Jose Mourinho was sacked, and the opening few months under Solskjaer gave the fans many memorable moments, including Marcus Rashford‘s last-minute penalty in Paris. Before he was offered a permanent position at the club, United had won 14 out of 19 matches under Solskjaer.
For a while, Solskjaer had the full support of the fanbase. After all, he is a club legend who scored the most important goal in the club’s history. However, by the end of his reign, the mood was toxic and any progress had halted. Even Ole went through the same troubles as every other manager since Sir Alex Ferguson, and we are seeing this again with Ruben Amorim.
According to Sporten, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is preparing for a potential return to Manchester United if the managerial vacancy arises. After being sacked by Besiktas, Solskjaer is available and would be ready to help the club during a transitional period.
Pressure on Amorim is building
United are currently maintaining their stance of fully backing Ruben Amorim, despite the team’s inconsistency. It is clear that there is no quick fix but the club must prove their faith in the manager by adding to his squad during this transfer window.
In the last few games before Wolves, United changed shape and Amorim made tweaks to the system which seemed to work well. The team currently has a number of absences due to injuries and the Africa Cup of Nations which has given numerous players more opportunities in the team.
Whilst these games had been disappointing, there were glimpses of promise and entertainment, but failing to beat Wolves at Old Trafford has dealt a huge blow to the manager.
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To improve the situation, the club need to be active in the transfer window. The window is now open and no serious and concrete targets have been identified since Antoine Semenyo chose a transfer to rivals Manchester City over United.
This project is long-term, and Amorim still has many supporters, so it is not impossible for him to turn things around. It feels unlikely that the manager will be changed this season but if the club were in need of a caretaker, Solskjaer has already shown his capabilities.
With games against Leeds and Burnley approaching, there is now an opportunity for United to get back to winning ways and begin moving up the Premier League table.
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