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Jose Mourinho's two and half year managerial career would be remembered for anything but the two trophies he won at Manchester United. The writing was on the wall for the Portuguese after a fall out with Paul Pogba in the middle of the last season and with a style of play entirely different to what defines Manchester United. Eventually, after the humiliating defeat at the hands of their biggest rivals, Liverpool in the current campaign, Jose got sacked and replaced by United's very own, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Though appointed as the interim manager till the end of the season, the Norwegian's charisma and personality is a hit among the fans. The former United striker not only had to produce results but make the team play a more attacking brand of football.
His first game in charge against Cardiff City was the first time since Sir Alex's farewell that United scored five in a Premier League fixture. Since then, it has been a happy ride for the club winning five out of five in all competitions with big tests yet to come. However, the feel-good factor is back at Old Trafford, and the fans are optimistic about the club's chances of finishing in the top four.
Ole took hold of a struggling Manchester United side and made them winners again solely based on three simple things.
#3 Allowing the players to express themselves
Jose Mourinho always prioritized defense first and gave specific instructions to each player to obey. It often led to the players failing to produce their natural game and subsequently put in a poor performance. The most prominent example was Paul Pogba who was made to do defensive duties which he detested costing the Frenchman his place in the starting XI.
On the other hand, being a Manchester United player himself, Ole knew the importance of players expressing themselves on the pitch and play free-flowing football. He has taken the burden off their shoulders which has reflected on Manchester United's recent performances as well.
Players like Marcus Rashford, Antony Martial, can cause havoc if given the free license to move forward and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer supported by Mike Phelan has done precisely that.
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#2 Giving Marcus Rashford more chances up front
Since his debut for the Red Devils, Marcus Rashford was someone with the potential to be a Manchester United legend. His pace, agility, and skill is a nightmare for any defender to play.
Despite getting a decent number of chances under Louis Van Gaal, Rashford's game time noticeably decreased under the former manager, Jose Mourinho. Even when he got an opportunity, it's mostly down the right flank to accommodate either Martial or Sanchez as the preferred left wingers.
However, since Ole became the manager, Rashford has been deployed as the lone center forward with Martial and Lingard playing down the flanks. It was helped the English International express himself much better and even bag a few goals as well. The primary example of his growing confidence was the one moment against Bournemouth where he dribbled past two defenders and produced an immaculate cross for Paul Pogba to tap in.
Rashford often got blamed for his lack of composure in front of the goal, but the goal against Newcastle showed how Ole has helped him learn the art of finishing as well. He has now cemented his place in the squad under Solskjaer which is a good sign for United going forward and a worrying prospect for the opposition defenders.
#1 Taking the defensive burden off Paul Pogba
One of the simple and most essential things Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did after his appointment as the interim manager was letting Paul Pogba play further up the pitch. He knew Paul since the academy days which made Solskjaer's job much more comfortable.
Pogba became Manchester United's costliest player after his transfer from Juventus in 2016. Since then, till Solskjaer appointment, it has been frustrating for the Frenchman who fell out with Jose Mourinho and lost his place in the starting line up. His absence hindered United's performance as they looked short of creativity in the middle of the park.
The former Juventus star always played in a three-person midfield which allowed him to showcase his attacking prowess while the other two midfielders did most of the defensive duties. Solskjaer made sure Paul played in a more advanced role with mostly Matic and Herrera sitting deep in a defensive position.
This simple change transformed Pogba's game as he bagged braces against both Huddersfield and Bournemouth. He was the heart of mostly everything United created from the midfield. Paul is a force to reckon with, and if he is happy, United could go a long way in making impressive progress at the end of the season.
