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Mourinho's two and a half year reign at Old Trafford had turned sour at the end. United had started optimistically in his first year, winning the League Cup as well as the Europa League. Last season though, Manchester United failed to win a trophy, as a record breaking Manchester City side rendered their city rivals to a second spot finish.
This season, the warning signs were there as early as the pre-season, where United failed to impress, traveling to US with a depleted squad. Things didn't improve too much as the season progressed and ultimately, the results brought about Mourinho's downfall.
The Portuguese had been lamenting about the club's refusal to invest in the transfer market, but in truth, Jose Mourinho did spend heavily during his time at the club. While some of his signings were questionable, there are quite a few who have made a mark at Old Trafford and are currently a big part of Solskjaer's plans. Today, we take a look at 5 signings by Jose Mourinho who are vital for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer right now.
#5 Diogo Dalot
At the start of this season, Mourinho bought 19 year old Dalot from Porto for approximately £19m. The Portuguese teenage was shortlisted to become an understudy to United Skipper Antonio Valencia and was one of the most promising young defenders in Portugal.
Manchester United had lacked a proper right back ever since Rafael departed from the club and both Valencia and current first choice Ashley Young had been converted from wingers to the right back position. As such, young Dalot presented endless possibilities for the club.
He was recovering from an injury when he joined the club, which meant that his first start for United came at the end of September, in that infamous defeat to Derby County in the EFL Cup. The Portuguese did help United take the game to penalties and even converted his spot kick.
Since Solskjaer's arrival, Dalot has made 5 appearances for United, 4 in the Premier League and 1 in the FA Cup. While he had mostly been deployed as the right back, he operated in a left back role against Brighton and set up Rashford to score the winner. He has looked sharp and even though he does lack maturity and experience, he had the qualities that will endear him to his new Manager.
United fans can expect to see a lot more of Dalot from now and until the end of the season, as he remains firmly in Solskjaer's plans.
#4 Eric Bailly
The Ivorian was one of Mourinho's first signings at Manchester United. Eric Bailly was signed from Villareal for £30m in the summer of 2016. On his appointment, the Portuguese had noticed that the defense needed strengthening and he decided that Bailly was the perfect man to do the job.
At the end of his tenure, Mourinho had built a distance with Bailly, but Solskjaer's arrival looks to have changed the Ivorian's fortunes. While the Ivorian is extremely good on his day, he does have an eccentric side which has cost his team on a few occasions.
He started against Bournemouth, but received a straight red which saw him suspended for 3 games. However, ever since the Arsenal game, Bailly has looked like the ideal partner for Lindelof in defense and had also started alongside the Swede against PSG in the Champions League.
His no-nonsense defending, coupled with his speed and technical abilities make him an asset to Solskjaer. The poor performances of the other defenders in the team has also helped his cause, but right now, Eric Bailly is perhaps a confirmed part of Solskjaer's preferred back four.
#3 Victor Lindelof
The Iceman was bought from Benfica for £31m, in the summer of 2017 ahead of Mourinho's second season. Lindelof had a poor debut season and struggled to come to terms with the pressures of the Premier League. This season though, Lindelof successfully turned it around and was firmly in the Portuguese's plans before his departure.
With the arrival of Solskjaer, things have looked even better for the Swede. The Norwegian's attacking tactics gave Lindelof the time and space on the ball that he desires and as a result, he has flourished under his new boss. He added new steel to his game, diving into crunching tackles, but his exceptional ability to read the game remains the same.
As a result, Lindelof has started 10 of Solskjaer's 12 games in charge and his current form has enabled his manage to refrain from indulging on a defender in January. Victor Lindelof also scored his first goal for his club against Burnley and should continue to shine for United, because he is one of Solskjaer's most important players right now.
#2 Nemanja Matic
The Serbian was bought from Chelsea for a fee of £40m at the start of last season. Matic was impressive for United as they finished second behind City. However, this time, he had a tough first half of the season, where he continuously failed to have an impact on games, so much so that his mere selection was questionable at times.
With Solskjaer's arrival, the Mourinho favourite was expected to take a back seat, but exactly the opposite happened. The Norwegian went with Matic as his anchorman in midfield and the Serbian repaid his manager's trust by becoming a silent guardian in the middle.
Matic was aided by the availability of consistent partners, but it has to be said that his game has vastly improved too. Solskjaer has tweaked his position and Matic now doesn't just defend, but actually dictates the play from the deep. However, his defensive contributions are still second to none and by virtue of his overall performance, Nemanja Matic is the man Solskjaer trust the most to keep things under control in the middle.
#1 Paul Pogba
Even though the Portuguese had brought the Frenchman from Juventus for a then World Record fee of £89m, Mourinho and Pogba fell apart during the last phase of his tenure as United Boss. The Frenchman was seen by a section of the crowd as the guilty party, as his performances had dipped to an alarmingly low level.
Enter Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with his smiling face and intrepid desire to build a team around Paul Pogba. And Manchester United were alive again. And Paul Pogba, under his Norwegian Boss's guidance, has finally started to look like the player who cost United a fortune.
Having managed Pogba as a reserves team manager a decade ago, Solskjaer knew what the Frenchman required. The shackles were broken and Pogba was given a free hand to do as he pleases on the field and the result have been mind-blowing.
Paul Pogba is United's top scorer this season so far, scoring 13 goals from 31 games from midfield, while also registering 9 assists. Under Solskjaer, he is the creative heart of the team and has appeared in 11 of the 12 games so far, scoring 8 goals and picking up 5 assists. Paul Pogba has helped Solskjaer embark on a dream start to life as the Boss at Old Trafford and the Norwegian definitely has his predecessor to thank for that.
