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HAVING done well in the Premier League at this moment in time, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s side have managed to convince a decent number of United Fans out there that this team are title contenders. Yet, let us not be oblivious to the fact that this team has lost 3 semi-finals in a row in all competitions.
The decline Manchester United has suffered since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure has been a steep one. Owned by the Glazier family, Manchester United has not clinched the Premier League title since the 2012/2013 season, a whole eight years since Sir Alex’s final season in charge. In those 8 years, Manchester United fans have seen four managers take over their beloved club.
Although David Moyes was handpicked by Sir Alex himself as his replacement at The Theatre of Dreams, the manager failed to give the team any playing identity on the pitch. Having only lasted until the 22nd of April, 2014, Moyes’s United team only managed to secure 27 wins out of 51 matches and garner the worst home record since 1978.
The next manager to take the helm at Old Trafford was none other than the pragmatic tactician himself, Louis Van Gaal. Despite rebuilding the squad and lifting the FA Cup in 2016, it was not enough to keep Van Gaal in the managerial seat, as he, and all the members of his staf, were sacked.
Following the sacking of Van Gaal, his assistant when he was the coach at Barcelona ─ the special one ─ Jose Mourinho, was then appointed as Manchester United’s next manager.
Mourinho’s CV was more impressive ─ with 23 major trophies collected in just 18 years ─ as a top-flight manager. Despite being the most successful manager post-Sir Alex Ferguson, Mourinho was also sacked by the Manchester United Board.
Ole Gunnar Solksjaer was the next man for the job and was appointed as caretaker manager of Manchester United on the 19th of December, 2018. The wildcard appointment of the former Manchester United striker took the sporting world by surprise as Solksjaer did not have the most impressive resume to take over the job, having only managed, most notably, Molde and Cardiff City before taking over at Old Trafford. However, after being appointed permanently for a better part of 2 years, United fans around the world seem to be happy with the Norwegian’s performance as manager.
Being an ex-United player himself and having played under the best manager to ever grace the game, Solksjaer has some input as to what it takes to win a trophy and, most importantly, what it takes to become a Manchester United player. Ole understands that Manchester United is a way of life and knows that in order to be respected at the club, one must first pay respect to the club.
This United team under Solksjaer seem to be putting in performances that are very much reminiscent of Fergie’s Manchester United, by bringing back the counter-attacking style of football that brought so much glory to the club under Sir Alex Ferguson.
This should be no surprise as Solksjaer has openly stated that he wants to bring back the Manchester United of old. The manager has also changed the transfer policy of the club, with the signing of Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan Bisaka, Daniel James and the promotion of Mason Greenwood to the first team.
The Backroom staff was reinvigorated with ex-Manchester United players, such as Michael Carrick, and the recent addition of Darren Fletcher. Solkjaer believes that these fresh batch of players need to be mentally prepared to represent such a prestigious brand such as Manchester United, and who better to educate these players on winning than the players who have won it all?
The changes have made an impact on the Manchester United squad as they are currently placed second in the Premier League, trailing their local rivals Manchester City by 5 points, who admittedly have a game in hand. United went on to join the history books as their 9-0 victory over Southampton on the 2nd of February, 2021 was recorded as the joint-biggest home win of
English top-flight football.
The morale of the players has improved, and this can be seen through their body language in every game, cultivating that never-say-die attitude.
This Manchester United side can win the Premier League title; however, it will not be this season as it is Manchester City’s to lose, in my opinion. United are still a couple of signings away from being in contention to be champions of England.
Solkjaer also needs more time to identify his team’s best formation and players, moving forward. In hindsight, the ‘inexperienced manager’ seems to be faring well and can only be better; Ole has made his team one to fear as the competition progresses. ─ The Vibes, 20 February, 2021
