Both managers have struggled to deliver the on-field success that United fans are crying out for at Old Trafford
By David McDonnell
It is just as well Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was given the full backing of Manchester United chief Ed Woodward.
For Solskjaer's record does not suggest he deserves that vote of confidence, mirroring that of his predecessor Jose Mourinho , who ended up being sacked.
Solskjaer has won 48 points from his 27 Premier League games in charge, the exact same record and points tally Mourinho managed in his final 27 games with United.
Twenty-seven games, 14 wins, six draws, seven defeats, 48 points and a win ratio of 51.9 per cent. Identical records, but while Mourinho was shown the door for such a poor run, Solskjaer is being given time to turn things around.
Yet Woodward can hardly pull the plug on Solskjaer now, having only appointed him permanently in March, when he let his heart rule his head in making the appointment.
That is why Woodward called for fans to show Solskjaer “patience” and warned the club will not be influenced by “short-term distractions” in the form of poor results.
Yet the results and stats do not make for pretty reading for Woodward as he looks to the fourth boss he has appointed since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 to finally haul United out of their plight and make them relevant again.
Having won 14 of his first 17 games to land the job on a permanent basis, Solskjaer has tasted victory in just five of his subsequent 19, losing 10.
As well as wins, the goals have also dried up under Solskjaer, who was supposed to bring the attacking flair and swagger back to the club, with United managing just 16 in their last 17 games.
To add insult to injury, local rivals and champions Manchester City scored as many goals – eight – in their one league game as United have managed in their entire six league fixtures this season.
With United already down in eighth place, 10 points behind Premier League leaders and arch rivals Liverpool, it all adds up to a depressing scenario for the red half of Manchester, with no sign of any escape from the torment.
The success of rivals City and Liverpool, who between them scooped every trophy available last season, has served only to compound United's misery.
Speaking as United revealed a record revenue of £627.1million, Woodward said all the right things, but actions speak louder than words and at the moment the rhetoric is just that, with no evidence of progress on the pitch.
“We and our growing global fanbase demand success,” said Woodward.
“Success means winning trophies. That target and that standard has never changed for Manchester United.
“The progress we have made on the business side underpins the continued investment in the football side.