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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has really done a wonderful job since taking over at Manchester United. Under his tutelage, United have won 12, drawn 2, and lost only 1 out of the 15 matches they have played. This is a fantastic record by any standard, and Solskjaer has every reason to feel proud of his achievements.
United was on 26 points from 17 matches in the Premier League when the Norwegian took charge, and have collected 26 more points in 10 matches under him. Both Liverpool and Manchester City have managed to get 24 points from their last 10 matches, and it means that United have been the best-performing team in the Premier League since Solskjaer took charge of the team.
Moreover, United have also qualified for the quarterfinals of the FA Cup, beating teams like Arsenal and Chelsea. The only time they looked somewhat helpless was in the second half of the Champions League match against PSG when the French champions scored a couple of goals in 10 minutes to register an easy win.
Solskjaer and his assistants like Mick Phelan and Michael Carrick have done a commendable job so far for United, and the supporters would hope they continue the good work.
We now take a look at the 3 reasons why United have seen a turnaround in their fortunes under Solskjaer.
#1 Solid defensive performances
United’s defenders have done a commendable job in the last month or so. They have not conceded any goal against the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur, as most of their defensive players have been performing well consistently.
David de Gea was superb in the 1-0 win against Tottenham, and Victor Lindelof made his mark in the goalless draw against Liverpool. Lindelof has grown in stature with every match and remains one of the most dependable centre-backs in the Premier League.
His clean tackling and positional sense make him a complete defender, and United have benefitted a great deal from having him in the side.
Both Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have performed considerably well in the other centre-back role, as United have conceded less than a goal per match on average under Solskjaer. Moreover, Nemanja Matic has been performing flawlessly as the defensive midfielder, and his understudy, McTominay, was very impressive against Liverpool.
#2 Pogba and Rashford performing wonderfully
Paul Pogba has justified his price-tag since the appointment of Solskjaer and has emerged as the best midfielder in the Premier League. He now has 14 goals and 10 assists this season and has hardly put a step wrong since Solskjaer’s appointment.
He has scored wonderful goals with shots from outside the opposition penalty box, delivered crosses from the flanks which have led to goals, and also defended well by falling back to his own half at times.
Marcus Rashford has also come of age in the last month or so, and now has 10 goals from 33 matches this season. He has earned a regular place in United’s starting line-up and scored against the likes of Tottenham and Leicester City.
Pogba was brilliant against the likes of Chelsea and Cardiff City and made full use of the attacking freedom given to him by Solskjaer. These two have contributed immensely towards United’s rise under Solskjaer.
#3 Ashley Young rolling back the years and Luke Shaw defending creditably
United’s fullbacks have also performed very well in the last one month and played their part in the team’s resurgence. Ashley Young continues to be one of the most consistent players for United at the age of 33. He has played in more than 230 matches for the club, but still remains a world-class performer for them. He played exceedingly well to stop Eden Hazard in the match against Chelsea.
Luke Shaw, on the other hand, has cemented his place in United’s starting line-up this season and has really impressed with his defensive prowess. He defended creditably against the likes of Mohamed Salah, Pierre-Emerick Aubemyang, and Pedro Rodriguez, and did not allow either of them to score against United.
Both United’s full-backs are very comfortable going into overlaps and delivering crosses but curb their attacking instincts somewhat while playing against big teams. They have mostly stayed in their own half against the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, and Arsenal, adding solidity to their defence.
