Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has his work cut out ahead of the return to club football this weekend.
Solskjaer and his players were on the end of a 6-1 mauling at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur in a Premier League match played just before the international break.
The Red Devils manager is under pressure to produce results immediately ahead of the next league game, a trip to Tyneside to face Newcastle United, this weekend or risk aggravating calls for his sack.
Solskjaer also has to face the poor form plaguing his captain Harry Maguire ahead of the Newcastle United game with several people calling for the player to be taken out of the firing line.
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Harry Maguire was heavily criticised following his poor showing in the scandalous defeat at home to Spurs in the Red Devils’ last game. That Spurs defeat also heaped serious pressure on Solskjaer.
Things went from bad to worse for Maguire during the international break as he was sent off for England in just half an hour of the 1-0 home defeat to Denmark.
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand told BT Sports that Harry Maguire needs a breather to get his head straight and he’s one of many to call for him to be dropped.
However, England manager Gareth Southgate has backed him to return to form as he said in his post-match press conference after the Denmark game that the player is too important to be dropped for both club and country.
It remaina to be seen whether he’ll be in the Manchester United starting XI this weekend.
Some have suggested fatigue/tiredness is behind his poor form having played 55 games in all competitions last year. He had just a two-week break before the new season and that break was even cut short by his squabble with the authorities in Mykonos, Greece.