United are in a cycle of hope and despair after two years of Ole
Boss has shown he’s no stop gap but wait for consistency goes on
TWO years ago, not long after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s appointment as caretaker manager, Old Trafford officials began to remark how a “stop gap” was beginning to show “option value”.
Translation? The pinnacle of Solskjaer’s modest managerial career up to that point had been winning back-to-back Tippeligaen titles seven years earlier. Even as he sat down in his new office at Carrington a few days before Christmas, he was not considered a serious contender to become the next manager of Manchester United.
And yet, in the space of a few weeks, Solskjaer revitalised the dressing room, established a more adventurous brand of football, formed close bonds with key players, began introducing the academy’s most talented youngsters to the first team and — most importantly of all — started winning games.
The toxic atmosphere around the club that had spread in Jose Mourinho’s final days lifted. The air of paranoia, suspicion and internal strife subsided. The culture was rebooted. Nature was healing.
As Solskjaer embarked on a run of 14 wins in his first 19 matches, there was a sense of disbelief among some at Old Trafford but it was a pleasant surprise and one they welcomed.
And even if he had made a barely believable start, there was a reassuring conviction in the way he spoke about what was needed for United to be United again.
The decision to appoint Solskjaer on an interim basis was the best made by the United hierarchy since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson and departure of former chief executive David Gill in 2013.
Whether the decision to appoint him on a permanent basis three months later was just as wise remains to be seen.
On the second anniversary of Solskjaer’s caretaker appointment, there is reason for optimism and scepticism in equal measure, often all within 90 minutes. Take Thursday night for example and United’s latest comeback, their sixth in a row away from home in the Premier League.
United beat winless and almost pointless Sheffield United at Bramall Lane with three exquisite goals.
The move for the third — started by a Paul Pogba pirouette deep in his own half, progressed up the pitch by elaborate one and two-touch passing between four different players, then finished with venom by Marcus Rashford — was an example of why United can be fairly described as one of European football’s most devastating teams in transition.
Make no mistake, that is Solskjaer’s doing.
It is the vision of United that he set out in conversations with his superiors while auditioning for the role two years ago. It is that goal that they bought into.
On the other hand, a United side that starts so slowly that they have conceded the first goal in 11 of their 18 league and European games this season was not part of the grand masterplan.
Dean Henderson’s mistake in the opening minutes against Sheffield United left them to win the hard way once again. And the defensive lapses which have often undermined otherwise solid Solskjaer performances reared their head too.
Failing to score a goal from open play at Old Trafford in seven and a half hours of football was not part of Solskjaer’s vision either, but United’s struggles to break down opponents who are content to sit deep, defend and take a draw are long established under his management.
The 6-1 defeat to Tottenham in October, United’s joint-record worst home defeat in Premier League history, was presumably not on the agenda either.
Nor was a Champions League group stage exit, especially after spending the entirety of last sea
son sweating over qualification.
That defeat in Leipzig was little more than a week ago but is already fading from memory as talk of a genuine title challenge mounts.
After the win at Bramall Lane, United are now five points off the top with a game in hand.
At a moment like this, as pessimism turns to optimism for the umpteenth time already this season, it is worth using the opportunity of Solskjaer’s second anniversary to take stock.
The United manager has proved he is no ‘stop gap’. In fact, he has demonstrated he can be much more than that. If he left
tomorrow, the club would be in better shape than when he found it. No other Ferguson successor can truly say that.
Yet if United are to enjoy real success, they must break out of the cycle of hope and despair and start to consistently convince. Two years on from Solskjaer’s arrival, the wait goes on.
Meanwhile, Solskjaer cannot wait to renew hostilities with Leeds.
A lot has changed since the rivals’ last top-flight meeting in February 2004, with only two cup meetings taking place during a period in which the Yorkshire side’s struggles even saw them
drop to the third tier. Solskjaer came off the bench in their last Premier League meeting and loved the regular clashes with Leeds, where his brace in a 4-3 win for Ferguson’s men in 2002 was a highlight.
“I can’t wait,” the former United striker said ahead of tomorrow’s first competitive meeting in nine years.
“It’s been too long, of course. I know how much it means for our supporters, I know how much it means for our club.
“It’s a different type of Leeds coming up with a coach that’s really done a great job with them and will test us to the limit.
“There were f i er y games, tackles flying in, players from both teams who were winners. We had a few fights, of course. Elland Road wasn’t the quietest place when we came off the coach walking into the stadium and in the stadium.”
Asked if he had a particularly fond memory of facing Leeds as a player, he said with a smile: “Yeah, many. I enjoyed scoring two goals in a win at Elland Road.
“I enjoyed a header back stick. I came on as a sub, it was a cross from Giggsy (Ryan Giggs), and headed back to the other side (to secure a 1-1 draw in 2001).”
(© The Independent)