How Man United bounced back
Ole Gunnar Solskjær is a breath of fresh air at the helm of the world’s most lucrative football club, Manchester United – and fans want him to stay
JUST a few weeks ago even diehard Manchester United fans were questioning their loyalty to their beloved club as one disastrous defeat after another left them sliding down the English Premier League log. But then the self-proclaimed Special One got the sack – and suddenly it was a whole different ballgame.
At the time of going to print, the Red Devils had yet to lose a single game under caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær (45) – and the Old Trafford faithful were ecstatic.
United were suddenly doing what they have always been so good at: going on the attack. And José Mourinho, wherever he may be, was being relegated to the realm of a bad dream best forgotten.
MOURINHO VS SOLSKJÆR
There’s no denying José Mourinho had incredible success as a coach. The 55-year-old Portuguese brought home silverware for Porto, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, and took Chelsea to Premier League glory three times in two separate stints at Stamford Bridge.
When he took the reins at Old Trafford, he seemed poised for glory. But after his third dismal season, United bosses finally decreed the Red Devils and the Special One just weren’t a good fit.
Mourinho spent three years doggedly trying to force the attacker-filled side into his preferred defensive style. But his “sit deep and keep things tight” approach just didn’t suit Man U, The Independent’s chief football writer Miguel Delaney says.
“United suits adventure and attack and risk and chaos, characteristics that have never really enthused the Portuguese.”
But with Solskjær, the star-studded side returned to their attacking style – and it’s working.
“Rarely can a club have been transformed so markedly in so short a space of time,” Goal.com’s Manchester United correspondent Kris Voakes wrote after their 2-0 defeat of Newcastle.
Days after his appointment as caretaker manager in mid- December, Solskjær led the side to a 5-1 victory over his former club Cardiff City. It was the first time Man U had scored five times in a game since the Alex Ferguson era.
Convincing victories over Huddersfield, Bournemouth, Newcastle and Reading followed, making Solskjær the first Manchester United manager to win his first five league games since Matt Busby 73 years ago.
But Solskjær isn’t bothered about breaking records. “I don’t care,” he says. “When I’m in a position, I never look back on what I’m doing. Never, ever.”
THE SUPER-SUB
The former forward played for United from 1996 until
2007, earning himself the nickname the “baby-faced assassin” for his knack for finding the back of the net. He scored 126 goals in 366 appearances and became known as a super-sub thanks to his habit of coming into matches at the 11th hour and scoring spectacular goals. After his retirement, Solskjær joined United’s coaching staff, working under Fergie as the strikers’ coach for the first team, and later coach of the Manchester United Reserves. He went on to coach Norwegian club Molde and made his return to the Premier League two years later as coach of Cardiff City – although he lasted less than a year after Cardiff was relegated. Solskjær returned to Molde in 2015. And then United came knocking again. His 11 seasons under the golden reign of Alex Ferguson certainly taught him a thing or two. “Ole will treat players the way they should be treated,” says Danny Gabbidon, who was part of Solskjær’s coaching staff at Cardiff. “I’m not sure that was the case so much under Mourinho. “He’s the complete opposite of Mourinho. He’s very level-headed, calm. He gives off very good energy, a positive vibe, and knows how to create a good environment. “He treats everyone with respect. Not just the players, but everyone, right down to the tea lady, and I think that’s what’s needed more than anything else at United.”
RISE AND RISE OF THE STARS
One player who’s thriving under SolFrench skjær’s new regime is Paul Pogba. In the past, the French player often found himself on the bench but he’s now back on top form.
In his first three appearances since Solskjær stepped up, Pogba scored four times – as many goals as he managed to net in his previous 20 games under Mourinho.
Strikers Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku have also recovered form and wasted no time praising their new boss.
Solskjær is an excellent motivator, says Rashford, who’s scored three times under the new regime. “Just having those words around you makes all the difference,” he told Sky Sports. “I want to keep improving on that.”
“He’s just trying to make us better and win games,” Lukaku added. “So far, so good. We just need to keep going.”
WHO’LL GET THE JOB?
Frenchman Zinedine Zidane (46), who led Spanish giants Real Madrid to three successive Champions League titles as well as a La Liga title, is one of the names that’s being bandied about. But his lack of Premier League experience could count against him.
Enter Mauricio Pochettino (46). The Argentine coach of Tottenham Hotspur is a clear favourite for the top job at Old Trafford, thanks to his steady stream of solid results with the London side.
But will he take it if the offer does come? Poch has long been loyal to Spurs and the boys in blue and white are on the cusp of moving into a state-of-the-art new stadium. Spurs are also having a great season and, at third on the log, have victory in their sights.
“So why would he leave now?” former Spurs player Paul Parker asks. “If he can win [his] first English title with Tottenham since 1961, suddenly he’s going to have his own statue outside the ground. If he wins it for Manchester United, they’ll say, ‘We expect you to do that – that’s why you’re here’.”
Then there’s Solskjær, who’s made no secret of his desire to make his position permanent. His six-month contract ends in May and, asked how he feels about leaving, he bluntly stated, “I don’t want to.”
Despite his dream start, pundits aren’t sure he has the top-flight experience necessary to guide Manchester United full time. But time will tell, says James Ducker, the Daily Telegraph’s football correspondent.
“If they flourish in the Champions League, have big wins in the Premier League, get into the top four, maybe win the FA Cup, then the momentum from the fan base becomes pretty irresistible.” S SOURCES: GOAL.COM, SKY SPORTS, THE INDEPENDENT, MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS, BBC