Is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the right manager for Manchester United?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer recently signed a new three-year contract at Manchester United, but there are still question marks over his ability to lead United back to their glory days.

There are those fans who seriously back Solskjaer and those who still doubt his pedigree as an elite coach.

Mixed Fortunes for Solskjaer

Last season perfectly encapsulated Solskjaer's time as United manager: a mixture of terrible lows and incredible highs, but ultimately no trophy to show at the end of it.

There were terrific performances along the way: an away victory against City, as well as 9-0 and 6-2 thrashings of Southampton and Roma, respectively.

Bruno Fernandes had a great season, finishing with 28 goals in all competitions. Edinson Cavani also proved to be a great signing, scoring 17 goals despite being 34 and missing a large chunk of the season through injury.

United finished second, their joint highest finish since Sir Alex Ferguson departed in 2013. The club also recorded a number of comeback victories, evoking memories of the great Ferguson era.

Yet, for all the positives, they had nothing to show for it. It's now four years without a trophy for the Red Devils, their last being the Europa League in 2017.

The club also dropped out of the Champions League in the group stages, including an embarrassing defeat against Turkish minnows Basaksheir.

There were other questionable performances throughout the season, most notably losing the Europa League final to Villareal.

Though Cavani was a resounding success, other new signings Alex Telles and Donny Van De Beek were not, with neither having much game time throughout the season.

What does the future look like for Solskjaer-led United?

The Europa League final was particularly costly for Solskjaer as it meant he remained without a trophy as United boss, a feat which former managers Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal both achieved.

However, one positive for Solskjaer has been his performances in the Premier League. In 2019-20, he navigated a disastrous start and a global pandemic to finish third.

United also finished second last season in challenging circumstances, even looking like title contenders at one point before ultimately fading to a superior Manchester City outfit.

Another positive for him is how much United has improved since his arrival. They are a much better team now than when he took over in 2018.

Solskjaer's transfer business has mostly been good, getting rid of overpriced deadwood such as Ashley Young, Chris Smalling, and Alexis Sanchez whilst buying well in Fernandes, Maguire, Wan Bissaka, Cavani, and Sancho.

Solskjaer has also done well in promoting youngsters to the squad, such as Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams.

United's style of play has also become more attractive since his arrival, with an emphasis on pace and attacking, just like under Sir Alex. Nevertheless, there are still plenty of games where they play stodgy, uninspiring football and get punished for it.

Ultimately, United's prospects look good. Jadon Sancho will take the club to new levels, and key players like Fernandes, Rashford, and Greenwood are still young and can get even better.

United should win a trophy and finish in the top four next season, even if they probably won't win the league.

Solskjaer deserves credit for their improvement since his arrival and given further signings, it's possible he could be the man to finally bring the Premier League back to Old Trafford.