Ole Gunnar Solskjaer clings on once more but will Man Utd really improve with him?

With their backs to the wall, Manchester United showed their guts to get a big win and save Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's job with the pressure around him growing.

It sounds like a great story but it's getting quite tired. It was the narrative last December, when United's inconsistent start to the season saw them win four of their first 14 league games and slip to ninth. The knives were out when Tottenham came to Old Trafford, but they ground out a 2-1 win. It was the narrative in February 2020, when a run of one victory in five league matches preceded a trip to Chelsea, in which they triumphed 2-0.

And it was the same on Saturday, with their backs to the wall thanks to disappointing losses to Arsenal and Istanbul Basaksehir prior to a trip to a strong-looking Everton side - but they came away from Goodison Park with a 3-1 win, securing their manager's future for now.

The story of United under Solskjaer has been eerily familiar. When he took over the reins from Jose Mourinho, he undoubtedly had a lack of top-level pedigree, having had extensive success in his homeland of Norway but failed in his one stint in the English game with Cardiff.

Those low expectations, coupled with a fantastic start to his United tenure, with 10 wins and two draws from his first 12 Premier League games and impressive away victories over Arsenal, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain in cup competitions, propelled him into the job full-time.

But since then, United have lurched from a miraculous winning run to various crises, which heaps pressure on Solskjaer. For every win over a Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, there is a farcical performance against an Istanbul Basaksehir, a West Ham or a Bournemouth.

In his first season, shortly before he got the job permanently, they travelled to the Emirates Stadium and lost 2-0. They won just two of their last eight games that term and, having started the game in north London fourth, finishing sixth, with a 2-0 home loss to Cardiff.

Last term, it was a similar story in reverse. They were 10th after a 1-0 loss to Bournemouth in November, but a turnaround after an appalling January propelled them to a third-place finish, their second highest since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson.

The strong end to 2019-20 featured semi-final appearances in the Europa League, FA Cup and EFL Cup and there was much hope that they could kick on and mount a title challenge, but that simply hasn't materialised. And, even if this win over Everton sparks another winning run, there is a palpable inevitability that they will be lurching from crisis to crisis before too long.

Nothing sums up Solskjaer's United like two stats that were confirmed today. They have now won seven Premier League away games on the trot, equalling the record set by Ferguson's side 27 years ago. But they now go into the November international break with zero Old Trafford wins to their name in the league and in 14th spot at best after this weekend's action.

A 6-1 home loss to Spurs, becoming the first big six team to lose a home game to Arsenal in almost six years, and a second straight home defeat to Crystal Palace are simply not good enough.

There is no doubt that Solskjaer was an excellent interim appointment after the tumultuous end to the Mourinho era - he had a connection with the fans thanks to his Old Trafford success in his playing days, and his nice-guy persona could get a divided squad back together. But those qualities are great for steadying the ship, but not for making progress.

None of the problems that have cropped up since the retirement of Ferguson have gone away, and have become even worse during the Solskjaer era. If United want to make any progress, they should cut their ties sooner rather than later. Sticking with the same circus benefits nobody.