Why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to win a Trophy for Manchester United next season

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer recently signed a new contract for Manchester United, making him manager of the club for at least another three years. This was a clear indication that the United hierarchy sees him as a long-term prospect rather than the stopgap he was advertised as when he was initially appointed as caretaker in 2018. Most of this is down to the club making undoubted progress under the Norwegian, though some of it is down to a lack of other options.

Van Gaal and Mourinho better than Solskjaer?

The fact that doubts persist about Solskjaer nearly 3 years on from being appointed says a lot. The main reason for this is because he still hasn’t won a trophy for United, something which Van Gaal and Mourinho managed to. It seems scarcely believable that Van Gaal managed to win a trophy given how sterile and boring the team played under him. Until Solskjaer wins a trophy, he’s never going to be able to say that he’s the right man to take United back to their glory days. Nevertheless, Solskjaer has definitely improved the club far more than Van Gaal and Mourinho ever did.

So close yet so far

The other argument against Solskjaer would be that he’s had plenty of chances to win one. 4 semi-final exits and a defeat last season in the Europa League Final represent a lot of missed opportunities. The Europa League final defeat is the hardest to stomach because it is a game United really should have won. They dominated, but still couldn’t beat a side who finished 7th in La Liga, despite thrashing Roma 6-2 in the previous round. Admittedly, they missed Maguire but they still should have won without him even though it was at the end of a long, hard season.

United should be winning trophies every season

The last time United won a trophy was the Europa League under Jose Mourinho. However, that was 4 years ago which is far too long for a club of Man Utd’s calibre. A trophy drought of 4 years would be unthinkable under Fergie. Realistically, a club of Man United’s size and stature should be winning a trophy most seasons, or at least one every couple of years. They also need to keep winning trophies to progress and attract the right players. Kane and Haaland are not going to want to come to a club who never win any silverware as they are already at clubs like that, especially Kane. To be seen as an attractive proposition for new players, United need to be seen as a step up and part of that is the chance to win trophies on a regular basis. This is something that Sir Alex always used to entice new players with, though the prospect of working with one of the best football managers of all time must have helped as well. It's questionable whether the prospect of working with Solskjaer would attract the best players in the world to United.

The good news is that it seems likely United will win a trophy next season after so many agonizing near misses in the past. They have signed two elite players in Varane and Sancho and, especially in attack, boast a frightening number of options. They should get to the quarters of the Champions League at least and seem a decent bet to win the League or FA Cup. They should also mount a serious challenge for the Premier League, though it may take a few more signings for them to become champions under Solskjaer.