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"You are my Solskjaer, My Ole Solskjaer, you make me happy, when skies are grey".
Manchester United have found their collective voice under Ole Gunnar Solksjaer. They have even resurrected his chant and repeated it in their four consecutive PL victories under the Norwegian interim manager.
True to the wordings of the chant United fans adapted for him, Solksjaer has raised the spirits of the Old Trafford faithful after the grey skies of Jose Mourinho's ill-fated spell. There is a buzz around United now and the man at the helm has been responsible for it.
This weekend presents the sternest test of the Solksjaer led United revolution. Tottenham, the team that trounced the Red Devils 3-0 at Old Trafford, are the next side in front of Solksjaer's United.
Having overcome Cardiff, Huddersfield, Bournemouth and Newcastle relatively comfortably, the Old Trafford faithful are hoping that Solksjaer will make them happy once again and inflict revenge on their North London opponents.
However, defeating Tottenham is no mean feat. Here, we consider three very important things Manchester United must avoid to ensure a positive result at Wembley:
#1 A slow start
Manchester United have got off to an electric start in three of the four Premier League games that Solkjaer has been in charge. They scored in the first five minutes against Cardiff and Bournemouth and just before the half-hour mark against Huddersfield.
At St James' park, the Red Devils returned to their normal slow and sluggish way of starting games under Mourinho. It took them a little more than an hour to break the deadlock against the Magpies. They eventually wrapped up the game with a second goal by Marcus Rashford.
This weekend, Manchester United must endeavor to fly out of the blocks against Tottenham. They cannot afford to hand the advantage over to this lethal Tottenham side.
Tottenham Hotspur under Pochettino generally start games with great intensity and goals tend to follow. They have scored more goals in the first 15 minutes of games than any other Premier League side except Manchester City.
Spurs goal tally after 30 minutes of games in the PL this season is also behind only Manchester City. However, after the first half of games, they boast a superior goal difference to every other side in the league having scored 26 first-half goals and conceded only five.
It is therefore very important for United to start the game as they mean to end it. Tottenham have arguably the most lethal front man in the division. United cannot afford to get off to a slo
#2 Losing the ball in midfield
Mauricio Pochettino's Spurs side are a very accomplished pressing team. In a big game like this, pressing and harrying the opposition into mistakes will be a vital part of the game plan for Spurs.
Manchester United have been dispossessed a whopping 236 times this season. Their central midfielders, Paul Pogba, Ander Herrera and Nemanja Matic have combined to lose the ball 75 times already.
Paul Pogba alone has lost it 45 times and that is more than any other central midfielder in the league has. The French international must understand that simplicity is genius in certain areas of the pitch especially in a game as vital as this.
Losing the ball in the midfield against Spurs will be catastrophic because it will unleash the Tottenham attack against Manchester United's fragile defense. With the quality and form that Spurs are in right now, it could leave United with too much to do at the end.
#3 Complacency
Cardiff, Huddersfield, Bournemouth and Newcastle. It is not really a fixture list that will strike fear in the heart of any of the top six sides. Yes, the PL has a way of constantly throwing up surprises. However, the top sides will not mourn so much if this fixture list was their title run in.
For all the talk about Solksjaer resurrecting United and the return of the United way, the Red Devils have not played any team in the top half. All the teams they have won in this four-game winning sequence are placed 12th or lower after matchday 21.
Manchester United must go into the game knowing that it is their first real test under Solksjaer and they cannot afford to lose. Tottenham have more quality than any other team they have faced and will punish any mistakes or loss of concentration more ruthlessly than the others.
Manchester United are in a good run. However, they must avoid some tactical and preparation errors to ensure a positive result against Tottenham.
