Ole Gunnar Solskjær is a house-hold name in Manchester and for United fans all over the world. Solskjær was brought to Manchester United by Sir Alex Ferguson, from Molde.
He was a lethal striker who played 366 times and scored 126 goals while earning the nickname of the “baby-faced assassin”. He is considered as a United legend because of his last-minute goal in the Champions League final of 1999, which secured the treble for United.
After the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, United have failed to reach the heights that the club is used to. The club has had David Moyes, Luis Van Gaal, and Jose Mourinho at the helm, but none have been able to make United a formidable force.
In December 2018, after a 3-nil loss to Liverpool, Mourinho was sacked. He had reportedly lost his players’ confidence and his pragmatic style of play didn’t sit well with United fans. Ole Gunnar Solskjær was appointed as the caretaker for United, for the rest of the season.
His appointment led to a huge uproar, as his previous managerial outings were with a relegated Cardiff City and Molde in Norway. Ed Woodward, United CEO, explained his appointment to be a fresh start, as the players needed to gain their confidence back. Ole had earned his coaching badges at United and had previously worked with the likes of Pogba and Lingard.
Ole had a great start to managerial life at United, winning 14 games out of 19, with an impressive win percentage of 74%.
Not only that, but he had also instilled confidence in players, and United transformed into a free-scoring side scoring a whopping 40 goals in the 19 games. His best moment as a care-talker manager was when United overturned a 2-nil deficit, away at PSG, and went onto the Champions League quarter-finals. This convinced Woodward and the club owners to hand him a permanent contract.
But after his permanent appointment, the team performed poorly. The hunger and spirit in players seemed to go off and a string of bad results followed. The worst results were losing 4-nil to Everton and a 2-nil loss against already relegated Cardiff City.
His appointment on a permanent basis was questioned, but the club stuck with him. After one and half seasons we might be looking at the light at the end of the tunnel, as his plans seem to be finally working.
As a caretaker manager, Ole had employed a 4-3-3 formation with the midfield consisting of an attacking midfielder, a box-to-box midfielder, and a defensive midfielder. Pogba and Herrera thrived in the formation and the French midfielder was the highest goal scorer and provider for United that season. He was also a part of the Premier League team of the year and was the only player outside the top 2 teams to do so.
Ole had promised to get the club back to where it belonged, amongst the very elite. Along with giving players confidence in their abilities and freedom on the pitch, he was hell-bent on taking the deadwood out of the club.
His first contribution to the transfer market was Fellaini’s sale in the January transfer window. Ole didn’t see Fellaini in his long term plans and didn’t feel he was worthy of being in a United team. In the summer transfer window of 2019, Ole made a centre back and a right-back his priority signings. The club brought in Harry Maguire, club captain now, and Aaron Wan Bisakka, arguably the best right-back in England.
Maguire was bought for a World record fee for a defender, and Wan Bisakka came with a hefty price tag as well. This showed the lack of a knowledgeable negotiator at United. The transfers and the transfer fees raised eyebrows but both the players have done justice to the trust put on their shoulders.
In the summer transfer of 2019, the club’s main target man, Romelu Lukaku was shipped out to Inter Milan and so was Alexis Sanchez. Alexis Sanchez was sent on loan though. Ander Herrera also left for PSG after United let his contract run down. Ole had made sure to get rid of players who he didn’t see as a part of his plans. He also got the young and lightening quick Daniel James from Swansea.
United was without a proper centre forward, and the onus of scoring goals was on Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. This was a very risky but a bold move by Ole.
The first match of the season was against Chelsea, at Old Trafford. The Red Devils thrashed Chelsea 4-nil, with Rashford scoring a couple, and Martial and James getting one goal each. Pogba also seemed to enjoy football playing in the double pivot with Mctominay, assisting 2 goals in that match. But things were about to go wrong as Pogba was injured and so were Rashford and Martial subsequently. This exposed United and their weakness to score goals against sides with low blocks.
In the January transfer window of 2020, Ole made sure to get players who would add goals to his United side.
United bought Bruno Fernandes and Odion Ighalo in the window. He also sold Ashley Young. Both the signings have brought life back into the United side, and the team was on an 11-game unbeaten streak before the pandemic put an end to football.
Bruno Fernandes seems to have got the spark the team was lacking and his entry has rejuvenated the entire United squad. Maguire has also been named as club captain, after the departure of Ashley Young.
Ole has trusted the players in the team and getting the results. Fred, Lindelof, and Shaw look great and so do Rashford and Martial. Even Ighalo has chipped in with crucial goals and has had his contract extended until January 2021.
United have changed their transfer policy of bringing in superstars for loads of money under Ole. They are primarily targeting young players who are not just capable but hungry to prove their value at arguably the biggest club in the World.
United have shelled out a lot of money on failed superstar signings like Di Maria, Falcao, Alexis Sanchez, and Lukaku. Ole wants to rebuild the United side base on Sir Alex Ferguson’s model of bringing in players who are capable and turning them into superstars.
One more thing Ole has done is giving the youth academy products their chance. Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams have constantly featured for United this season.
Ole has given them the chance and the youngsters haven’t let him down. Greenwood has scored 11 goals in only his first season, which isn’t over yet. And Brandon Williams has given Luke Shaw tough competition for the left-back spot.
Only time will tell is Ole brings glory to the club or if he becomes just another manager United sack in the quest of finding another Alex Ferguson.
