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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been at Manchester United for almost two and a half years now and it’s fair to say his stay has been a mixed bag of productivity and underachievement.
While the Norwegian has led the Red Devils back to the top four of the Premier League, the club is still without a trophy in the last four years.
Yes, there’s been big progress but millions of Manchester United fans across the world now yearn for a trophy. Under Solskjaer, the club have come very close to winning silverware, and yet so far.
Last season, Manchester United made it to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, Europa League and FA Cup, losing in each of these games.
This season, United have already lost to rivals Manchester City in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup. That makes it four semi-final defeats under Solskjaer and it’s just not good enough.
Solskjaer must prove himself against AC Milan
Solskjaer has one of the most secure jobs in football at the moment. With Manchester United currently occupying second place in the Premier League, the Norwegian is not at risk of getting sacked.
Earlier this week there were reports that the club’s hierarchy was considering renewing his contract. Should that happen, Solskjaer will be staying at Old Trafford for a longer period.
But he must justify why he deserves that contract extension. And the Europa League Round of 16 second-leg against AC Milan presents the perfect platform for him to do so.
Having bottled it in the group stages of the Champions League, the Norwegian must now prove himself against the Rossoneri. A 1-1 draw at home in the first leg means that United face an uphill task to overturn the tie.
But what a double win it will be for Solskjaer if Manchester United can go to the San Siro and secure qualification to the next round of the Europa League.
Injury boost for Manchester United
Both Manchester United and AC Milan played in the first leg with a couple of first-team players ruled out due to injury. However, there is good news from both sides.
While Zlatan Ibrahimovic is back in the Italian side’s squad, Paul Pogba, Donny van de Beek and David de Gea have also returned from injury to boost United’s chances.
The first-leg result might not have favored Solskjaer’s side but, as it stands, the English club boasts a better team and has the quality to score a goal or two at the San Siro.
“We are happy to have Donny back, Paul and David,” Solskjaer told MUTV. “Big players. Unfortunately, it looks like Edinson has got a bit of a reaction to training today and didn’t feel ready to travel.
“Eric is being assessed. I might be wrong there [in saying he was out]. He might have turned around and said he’s ready but he didn’t train this morning.”
The returns of Pogba, Van De Beek and De Gea is a huge boost for Manchester United but it remains to be seen if the Reds can regain their mojo against AC Milan.
