Shaw: Solskjaer’s relit our fire
THEY played with a swagger and a flair not seen for months.
There were flickers of the old swashbuckling style of Manchester United as there were goals, every pass went forward and the players did it with smiles on their faces.
In 90 minutes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lifted the shackles off the Jose Mourinho reign and returned to the traditions of Sir Alex Ferguson. The fans have got their United back.
The fun was back, along with passing and moving the ball, and you begin to wonder what this team is now capable of because world-class players want to play again.
Fresh
David De Gea is the best keeper in the world, Paul Pogba a World Cup winner and in Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial, United have three outstanding young forwards.
United have their identity back and a manager who is proud to be managing them rather than someone sulking, arguing and who does not want to be there.
England full-back Luke Shaw said this win over Cardiff was exactly how United are supposed to play – and claimed Solskjaer has given them a fresh start.
Shaw said: “Under any circumstances, that’s how Man United are expected to play. At times it didn’t happen.
“But the team were very good, very quick getting the ball forwards and more clinical.
“Before the game we looked at how we could exploit them. We knew what their weaknesses were.
“The goals we scored were just magnificent.
Rash’s free-kick helped settle the nerves. Then but it’s sort of a fresh start and we need to look forward.
“In games before we’ve had a lot of chances that could’ve maybe ended up with a scoreline like that but we didn’t take our chances.
‘‘Thankfully we did today. It was nice to get the five goals and hopefully we can push on from here.”
It was the first time that United have scored five in a game since Sir Alex Ferguson left in May 2013 and while Cardiff are hardly a European superpower, the belief returned.
Rashford scored a stunning freekick, Ander Herrera had one deflected into the top corner, Martial rounded off a great team goal and star man Lingard scored twice.
Victor Camarasa had given the hosts a little hope when he reduced the deficit to 2-1 from the spot after 38 minutes.
United are still eight points off fourth but now, starting with the visit of Huddersfield on Boxing Day, have a run of winnable games – and Shaw believes the top four can be reached.
Fight
He added: “There’s a long way to go. We’re not too focused at the moment on the other teams. At the moment it’s about us and the next four or five games are very winnable games for us.
“We need to focus on each game. But if we carry on playing like this we can pick up as many points as possible.
“We’re still in two cup competitions and we want to get into the top four. We want to be playing in the Champions League next season and we want to focus on how to catch up.
“I don’t see why we can’t do that if we keep playing like that.”
Solskjaer gave an impressive first audition as United boss but Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino is still United’s No.1 choice and Shaw knows him well from Southampton.
“I’m not too focused on what’s going to happen in the summer,” said Shaw when quizzed on the Spurs boss.
“The most important thing now is to focus mainly on the team and what Ole wants from us as players.”