HUNGER GAMES
How Solskjaer has fired up his strikers - United special
HOW did United turn their fortunes around?
They have gone from underachievers to record-breakers under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, having become the first Premier League team to win four successive matches by a three-goal margin.
United’s 17-game unbeaten streak is another measure of their improvement, with much of the plaudits reserved for Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba.
Yet Solskjaer warrants praise too, for sticking to his guns and making a series of potentially risky calls.
These four decisions were all gambles from Solskjaer but have paid off in dramatic style...
■ SELLING ROMELU LUKAKU EYEBROWS were certainly raised when it became apparent United were willing to sanction the departure of a fairly prolific goalscorer last summer. Romelu Lukaku wasn’t an unmitigated success in his two years at Old Trafford, but nor was he a complete flop.
In Solskjaer’s mind, however, the Belgian wasn’t a fit for the kind of football his side should be playing. And when it emerged that both parties wanted a change, United were happy to sell him for £74m to Inter Milan.
Part of Solskjaer’s plan was to move Anthony Martial to the No.9 role and hand him that shirt, too. It’s helped the Reds’ attack become more energetic, more fluid, and allowed both Martial and Marcus Rashford to shine. Both have surpassed their previous record goal tallies for a campaign.
There were calls for United to sign a direct replacement for Lukaku, but none arrived until the January loan move for Odion Ighalo. The
Nigerian has helped allow Martial and others to rest, while reinforcing Solskjaer’s faith in the Frenchman. ■ PROMOTING YOUTH ANOTHER key element to Solskjaer’s vision for the reshaped United attack was the emergence of Mason Greenwood. The Norwegian has long been an admirer of the teenage forward, declaring Greenwood ‘is a player for me’ more than a year ago, and handing him a full debut in the 2018/19 season finale against Cardiff.
Greenwood has since got better and better and isn’t just supplementing the United attack anymore - he’s spearheading it.
Scott McTominay and Brandon Williams are other academy products to have benefitted from Solskjaer’s belief. The Norwegian understands the fabric of United and the importance of producing homegrown talent.
He has a decent pool at his disposal.
■ INVESTING IN DEFENCE
JUST as Lukaku was nearing an exit, and following the departure of Ander Herrera last summer, United were inundated with calls from supporters to invest in midfield and attacking areas. As always, lots of names were linked, as Alexis Sanchez joined the list of players to leave, albeit on loan to Inter Milan.
But Solskjaer’s first port of call was to invest heavily in his back line, bar the addition of Daniel James as a squad player up front. The United boss saw gaping holes at right-back and centre-back and therefore persuaded Ed Woodward and the club’s decision-makers to part with £125m for the signings of Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
It has proven a shrewd call, with both men now fixtures in the back line and among United’s most consistent performers. Maguire has the captaincy, while Wan-Bissaka is surely a great contender to be named club player of the season.
■ SIGNING BRUNO FERNANDES LOOKING back at the signing of Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon in January, it’s easy to say it was a ‘no-brainer’ for United. The player was available for £47m and had a fine record of goals and assists in Portugal.
Yet many harboured doubts about Fernandes and whether he’d cut it in the Premier League.
Eight goals, six assists and two successive Premier League player of the month awards tell you that Fernandes has coped superbly with the transition into English football. He’s been an utter revelation, someone who has transformed United’s results and their performances.
He was worth the gamble, that’s for sure.