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As the honeymoon period at Old Trafford continues, the new manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has completely changed the look of the Red Devil's from a side full of pragmatism to that of a side brimming with attacking verve, and his optimistic style has already converted quite a few neutral fans to cheer for him.
After two emphatic victories which were certainly achieved playing the famous ‘Manchester United way’, a bandwagon of United fans have started calling for the Norwegian to be named the permanent manager.
Indeed after 5 years of monotonous, boring, and at times desperate football, United seem to have finally found the swagger back, and the emphasis on positive football has resonated loudly among the United faithful.
Moreover, the gaffer's cheerful personality and exciting press conferences are a welcome relief from the grumpiness surrounding his 3 predecessors in David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, and Jose Mourinho.
But let us not get carried away by the recent drubbing of Huddersfield and Cardiff (arguably the 2 worst teams in the Premier League this season), or even if and when this United side goes on to beat Bournemouth and Newcastle United in their upcoming Premier League fixtures.
All these are teams that United, regardless of the manager, should dominate. Rather than getting overly excited about Ole, just remember that the real test will be when the Red Devils face a team like Spurs, and their talismanic manager (and United’s key target) - Mauricio Pochettino.
#1 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s impact on this United
With with no disrespect to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, lets be honest that the man in charge has still not had even a dozen training sessions with this group of players, and the recent upturn in United's form could very well be attributed (to the gaffer’s credit) to the freedom the Norwegian has provided his players.
This United team was always full of attacking quality, and was just waiting for someone to unshackle their chains and let them loose. In Solskjaer they have finally found their messiah. The manager has given the license to go for the kill, which can be seen in the way United have approached the last two games.
But was he instrumental in improving his players? Right now the answer is NO (although he might end up improving this team in the long haul), but at this point in time his credentials at best can be deemed as uncertain and untested.
#2 Manchester United's defensive frailties
Borrowing a line from Sir Alex Ferguson (the gaffers' gaffer),
“Attack wins you games but Defence wins you championships”
Although everyone (including me) is loving United's resurrection under Solskjaer, let us not forget that United did not absolutely dominate the two teams from the bottom half (of the bottom half) of the table, and especially if Huddersfield had better finishers - the end result might just have been a bit different.
Manchester United's inability to keep a clean sheet against a team that has scored the fewest goals in the Premier League this season just showcased how at times United's defense can switch off.
In the last 14 games, the Red Devils have managed to keep only one clean sheet, and in the process have shipped in 30 goals.
And this is despite Man Utd having arguably the world’s best goalkeeper (and the reigning Golden Glove holder) in David De Gea. How this United side continuously lets their keeper down still remains an unsolved mystery.
But what is certain is that the reigning Manchester United Player of the Year will not be very pleased by the efforts of his teammates, and with just one year left on his current deal, Ed Woodward and the United faithful should be worried.
Meanwhile, Pochettino certainly has improved Tottenham's defence, and that too without letting his foot off the gas. He has certainly made Vertonghen, Dier, and Alderweireld (among others) better players both offensively as well as defensively. It still remains to be seen if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can do a similar job at United on a regular basis.
#3 Managing the players when it gets tough
In his pre match conference, Ole said his main role at United would be to make his players feel comfortable and enjoy their football. Right now this might sound all ‘rosy and optimistic’, but come the time when a couple of defeats knock on his doors, it remains to be seen how the Norwegian would respond in those testing times.
He has already said that he has got a hairdryer of his own (referring to Sir Alex's shouting spree). Perhaps managing the likes of Pogba and Sanchez who recently led the mutiny against Jose for his tough-love attitude remains one of the biggest challenges of his tenure.
Either way, the Argentinian’s man management skills reign among the world's best, and this is the precise reason why the top teams have not been able to cherry pick the top talents from White Hart Lane this time around.
To conclude, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might be a very good manager (although he still has a lot to prove in the Premier League, especially against the big boys) but the Argentinean continues to live in a class of his own, and by all means would be an upgrade on the current manager.
