Age is more than just a number in Solskjaer’s plan

THE work Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has done at United cannot solely be measured by results and performances, even if both are improving under the Norwegian’s guidance.

Instead, his impact on the club needs to be assessed through the lens of what he inherited and the changes he has made off the pitch since he replaced Jose Mourinho.

Compare the profile of the squad when Solskjaer arrived to the squad he has at his disposal now and there has been a considerable transformation.

While Mourinho’s squad was built for short-term success, leaving an ageing collection of players to his predecessor, the Norwegian will hand down a young, hungry and dynamic squad with improvement to come.

The obvious caveat here is that Solskjaer will expect to be the manager that benefits from the work he has done in that regard. He’s shaped the squad for the style he wants to play and will hope to continue to rebuild it this summer.

But if the progress he’s overseen does stall at any point, or the former United striker doesn’t turn out to be the boss who can restore the club to the top of the table, then his work in revamping the squad shouldn’t be forgotten.

Solskjaer has overseen the departure of Marouane Fellaini (then 31), Ander Herrera (30), Antonio Valencia (34), Matteo Darmian (29), Ashley Young (34) and Alexis Sanchez (31). United will hope that 30-yearolds Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo will follow them this summer.

In the permanent arrivals column is Daniel James (21 when he was signed), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (21),

Harry

Maguire (26) and Bruno Fernandes (25). This summer United’s top target is 20-year-old Jadon Sancho, while they also retain an interest in 24-year-old Jack Grealish.

There might be a minor gulf of experience now, aside from Nemanja Matic, but some high-earning and under-performing older players have been jettisoned to make room for an injection of youth.

That young takeover isn’t only being completed through new signings either. Solskjaer has got the best from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial and given regular first-team opportunities to academy teenagers Brandon Williams and Mason Greenwood.

Quietly, but efficiently, Solskjaer has dramatically reduced the age profile of this squad. Last season the Reds regularly fielded one of the youngest starting XIs in the Premier League. Perhaps the work that Solskjaer has done in this regard will now come into sharper focus as Barcelona confront a similar, if slightly more dramatic, situation.

United’s squad under Mourinho wasn’t ageing to quite the extent that Barcelona’s is, but the Blaugrana are facing up to an almost impossible summer, with most of the squad up for sale but many of them the wrong side of 30 and on huge salaries.

Finding buyers for some of those is going to be incredibly difficult, especially in an era when football’s finances have been shaken. Despite three semi-final defeats this season has, generally speaking, been a positive one for United. In reality, third place in the Premier League was the most this squad could possibly achieve.

Now Solskjaer has to take them to the next level, with investment in this window. But he has already done valuable work on the squad he

inherited.