Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks more exposed than ever before with Manchester United badly struggling

Spotlight on the United manager is suddenly a bit brighter, a little harsher and drawing greater attention to this team's many blemishes and imperfections

When Manchester United parted company with Jose Mourinho last December, he had taken just 26 points from 17 games. Nearly a year later, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has to win all of his next three in the Premier League or else his own 17-game record will be even worse.

That statistic does not tell the whole story. It would be disingenuous to suggest that Mourinho’s departure was solely down to results, just as it would be wrong not to credit Solskjaer with getting many things right off-the-pitch over the last 12 months.

But if results this time last year fell below an acceptable standard for a club of United’s stature, then surely the same is true now. Sunday’s dismal performance in a draw at home to Aston Villa was only the latest predictable disappointment on Solskjaer’s watch.

The stats make grim reading. United have four victories from their last 18 league games. Solskjaer’s win percentage since being appointed permanently is a paltry 27.3 per cent. 18 points from 14 games is their worst start to a campaign in Phil Jones’ lifetime.

Solskjaer bristled slightly at the suggestion that, for all the talk of a rebuild, his project is failing to get off the ground. “I think there is loads of evidence these boys are closer to winning games than losing games,” he insisted on Sunday.

He also claimed not to be worried that United are barely inside the top half. “I wouldn't have sat here and talked about us being fifth if we had got that one goal extra,” Solskjaer said. “The league table at this point is not the biggest concern because it is so tight.”

In a way, he is right. It is tight. Tottenham have won back-to-back games and climbed from 14th to fifth. United will move above them if victorious over Mourinho’s side at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

But should fifth be the ceiling on their aspirations? Should United not still aim higher than that? Fellow underachievers Arsenal certainly seem to think they should, hence the dismissal of Unai Emery on Friday. Tottenham’s thinking was the same when sacking Mauricio Pochettino during the last fortnight.

And if United's recent financial results are anything to go by, the club hierarchy believes they could be higher up the table too. Quite remarkably, last month’s Q1 interim report reassured investors that United still expect to play Champions League football next season.

That is despite being eight points behind fourth-place and well off the pace historically required to finish within the qualification spots. Unless they improve dramatically, United will finish well short of the 76 points required to all but guarantee fourth.

Solskjaer now stands alone as the only manager of a so-called ‘top six’ club who can be accused of underachieving. Still, there is no immediate threat to his position. United’s support of a genuine club legend has always come across as sincere and heartfelt.

United are determined to stick by Solskjaer but time is running out (Reuters)

But at the same time, the next week could entirely shape the perception of the Solskjaer project, with Tottenham and Manchester City to play in the space of a few days. Two positive results would ease the tension. One bad defeat followed by another could send United into a tailspin.

The spotlight is suddenly a bit brighter, a little harsher and drawing greater attention to this team’s many blemishes and imperfections.

Whether because of Pochettino’s availability, Mourinho's return, the cut-throat boardroom decisions at other clubs, the congested fixture list or simply the poor results and performances of his own players, Solskjaer feels more exposed now than ever before.