Fergie finally gets big date to remember

MAYBE this is the date to remember for Manchester United fans, December 7, 2019 – the day Ole Gunnar Solskjaer finally gave the club its best festive present – hope.

United have been bereft of that quality since Sir Alex Ferguson retired six long years ago.

They’ve stumbled through the fog of three managers, lost their DNA and fallen so far behind Manchester City and Liverpool that their special allure has been in danger of evaporating altogether.

But with a derby victory that was as unexpected as it was at times spectacular Solskjaer (below) delivered a rare moment of joy for United fans who have been in City’s shadow longer than they care to remember.

Watching high in directors’ box at The Etihad was Ferguson himself who saw the blue tide engulf his beloved club as soon as he closed his office door for the final time.

And his beaming smile at the end showed how much how he approved of the way United ripped apart the champions in a breathtaking first half of the 179th Manchester derby.

The power and belief of Pep Guardiola’s stars always meant United would have to withstand a secondhalf barrage.

But Nicolas Otamendi’s thumping 85th-minute header was too little too late for a City team worryingly dismantled by the sheer tempo of United’s attacking ferocity in a startling first half.

Rarely have City been taken apart so comprehensively on their own turf – and that’s the tantalising glimpse of the future for United under Solskjaer.

The United boss was said to be facing an uncertain new year if he lost against Tottenham and City.

But after two big wins in three days the full potential of this emerging United team is clear to see and his own future seems a lot more assured despite the spectre of Mauricio Pochettino.

With United in a greater state of transition than they’ve been at any time since Sir Alex left in 2013, talk before kick-off was that this was akin to a free hit for Solskjaer’s young stars.

But with City in the last-chance saloon in the title race maybe this was the perfect time for their neighbours to unveil the potential Solskjaer and United have invested in for a brighter, if different, future. Rashford’s pace terrorised City all evening, he got his goal, missed another top chance and hit the crossbar. Anthony Martial got himself on the scoresheet, beating Ederson at the near post.

The power still remains with Manchester City – but maybe United are finally on the way back.