RATINGS MAN UTD UNITED REBOURN
Rampant Reds look rejuvenated by Solskjaer’s magic touch.. and he’s even got Lukaku scoring!
DE GEA 7 Saved Ake’s shot with his shoulder although he knew little about it
YOUNG Booked 7 Returned as captain and had a hand in United’s opening two goals
BAILLY Sent off 5
Took physical approach too far and was dismissed for scything down Fraser LINDELOF 6
Was comfortable in possession, but struggled up against Ake’s aerial power
SHAW 6 Raided forward down the left and is clearly enjoying playing under Solskjaer
HERRERA Booked 7 Delivered a superb cross for Pogba to head home his second goal
MATIC 7 Played a tremendous through-ball to Martial in the build-up to the third
POGBA 9 Complete box-to-box display from Frenchman, capped by his double
LINGARD 6 Was bright for United on the right without getting in on the goalscoring action
RASHFORD 8 Superb assist for Pogba’s opener and fully deserved to score the third
MARTIAL 8 Sparkled and created Rashford’s goal with a pass with the outside of his right foot SUBS
LUKAKU (Rashford 70) 7 PEREIRA (Herrera 75) 6 JONES (Martial 82) THE longer Ole Gunnar Solskjaer manages Manchester United, the worse Jose Mourinho’s previous reign looks.
Solskjaer has been at Old Trafford less than two weeks, but became King Midas in the blink of an eye.
All he touches seems to turn to gold after masterminding three wins in three games with United scoring 12 goals.
Superstars like Paul Pogba, who netted twice here in a brilliant performance, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial appear reborn and have helped United produce a brand of football supporters demand, but were starved of with Mourinho in charge.
Solskjaer (above) has even managed to get Romelu Lukaku scoring again, with the Belgium misfit finding the back of the net less than two minutes after going on as a substitute.
Even Eric Bailly’s red card 12 minutes from time for a mindless scissor challenge on Cherries substitute Ryan Fraser did not take much shine off a wonderful afternoon. There will be much sterner tests, but this Christmas Solskjaer appears to have given long-suffering fans their club back.
The Norwegian scored three hat-tricks in his glittering career at United, but this one is the most significant of all considering he becomes just the third United boss in history to win his
first three games in charge. Not even the great Sir Alex Ferguson managed this. But there are two sides to every story and the one unfolding at Bournemouth makes grim reading.
Eddie Howe’s men are in freefall following nine defeats in their last 11 outings.
Nathan Ake pulled a goal back on the stroke of half-time, but the visitors were already 3-0 down.
The Cherries remain clear of the relegation zone, but unless Howe can arrest this slide fast they face a desperate scrap to beat the drop.
United, however, are riding a wave of nostalgia and euphoria under Solskjaer – and it swamped the visitors.
Solskjaer made four changes, including the return of Martial, to the side that beat Huddersfield on Boxing Day. Ashley Young, Ander Herrera and Bailly also came back while Lukaku started on the bench after compassionate leave.
The Cherries made three changes and were without club captain Simon Francis, ruled out for up to nine months with ruptured knee ligaments.
He joined Lewis Cook, Dan Gosling and Adam Smith on the sidelines. To make matters worse, Bournemouth had never won at Old Trafford as they strived to avoid a club-record fifth successive league defeat on the road.
But it was never going to happen once Pogba (right) put United ahead inside five minutes. Rashford showed a glimpse of his gifts by skinning both Ake and Diego Rico on the byline before crossing for Pogba, who slid in to convert from close range.
“What a goal,” mouthed the Norwegian on the sidelines. And it was just the start of a scintillating first half reminiscent of the football United produced under Fergie.
Pogba, revelling in a free role behind Rashford, went close along with Rashford and Martial.
It was only a matter of time before United doubled their lead and the second arrived on 33 minutes when Pogba rose above the advancing Asmir Begovic to head home Herrera’s cross.
Things went from bad to worse for the visitors on
45 minutes when
Rashford met Martial’s cross to make it 3-0. But despite all the progress United have made since Solskjaer’s arrival, they still seem incapable of keeping clean sheets and Ake pulled one back in first-half stoppage time.
It meant Solskjaer’s halftime tea did not taste quite as sweet, but this result was never in doubt. Begovic denied Rashford before Pogba set-up Lukaku to make it 4-1 with one of his first touches on 72 minutes. A post denied Pogba his first career hat-trick, but nothing could stop him smiling as he and United finished 2018 on a high no one would have envisaged had Mourinho been running the show.