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“Premier League is the toughest league in the world. In this league you never really what is going to happen. There is very little in the teams.” - Luis Suarez.
True to these words, no one knows what is going to happen in the Premier League. Predicting these games is a very tough task. 12 matches left yet everyone is wondering what is going to happen next. This is the beauty of this magnificent league, isn’t it?
Apart from this, there is one more earmark of this elegant league and that is the ability of teams to make a comeback and what's more enticing is the way Manchester United have changed the look of this year's league table.
What a turnaround this team has made!
Things were not good: the manager was sacked, the players were tagged 'misfits' as per the standards of Manchester United, the management and the leadership were questioned and the glory of the greatest club was in danger. The team shrieked for someone to bail them out, players needed someone to ignite the lost fire again, unity asked for restoring and more than that, the club and the fans called for a hero, a saviour who could bring the good times again.
To everyone’s ecstasy, all this happened. The steps of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer changed everything. There was an air of doubt when he was appointed as a caretaker boss but his aura doubled with his efforts has converted that ambiguity into a lovable affair. In 1999, he turned things around for the team in Camp Nou and in 2019, he invigorates the dark duds into a bright sunny hap. Press conferences are engaging again, once more the game is attacking, there is an undying attitude to win the ball and the game. Ruthless Manchester United is back! The baby-face smiling assassin has put the smiles back on the gloomy faces.
How the team changed
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is nothing short of a miracle. Jose Mourinho said it would be a “miracle” for Manchester United to make it into the top four this season, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has got them there in seven weeks. He might have failed as a top-flight team manager with Cardiff but his stats with Manchester United are outrageous. Undefeated in eleven games across competitions is a feat! This is a feat which Sir Alex failed to achieve during his helm as the boss of the Red Devils. To his credit, the bringing back of Sir Alex Ferguson's assistant has proved a masterstroke.
Mike Phelan, who was also the right hand of the Scot, exactly knew what the team wanted from him and from the Norwegian.
Phelan not only helped Ole to adjust quickly but also assisted him to jerk the system swiftly. The biggest change he(Ole Gunnar Solskjaer) made in the team and the fans after the first game in charge was the shift in the mentality. Under Mourinho, United players looked scared to make mistakes for the fear of being dropped, and their football was careful and far too easy to play against. Howbeit, just two weeks after Mourinho was replaced, United are looking like a Manchester United team should do.
The team is more vibrant now and the players look more relaxed even when they make a mistake. The air of uncertainty has been removed. Moreover, the interim manager has tweaked small changes in a such a way that Manchester United look like a side which will look to hurt the opposition rather than thinking of getting hurt by the team in front. The players are confident and are willing to score as many goals as possible irrespective of the scoreline in front of them.
The attack is the key
To score goals, one needs to attack and United rediscovering its lost jewel is not a surprise. They say that attack is the best form of defence and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revived the same in Manchester United. When he stepped in England, the statement was loud and clear that United will be ruthless and attacking in its endeavour. As a consequence of that United is now a side which is yet to lose a game in the new year.
Moreover, he announced a fresh start to the exiled players and restored the harmony in the team.
The likes of Nemanja Matic, Victor Lindelof and Fred have all looked much better when picked by Solskjaer. Earlier this season, Pogba said United should look to 'attack, attack, attack', and that is exactly what Solskjaer has allowed his players to do.
The feel-good factor:
In addition to attacking, one thing that this man has brought back is the feel-good ingredient within the club. The first thing he requested from every individual was that he did not want to be treated as a boss. He was one of them when he was a player and now when he has become the manager of this giant club he is still one of the people who work for the welfare of Manchester United. Nothing has changed for this man.
“He’s always positive when you don’t play well, you have to scream a little, but it’s the same, always positive, just as I saw in the press conference, he’s also like that in the dressing room with us.”- Nemanja Matic on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The positive segment is reestablished. The aims are higher. The intent is not to become someone else but the real Manchester United. A place in the top four won’t help but the attempt is to get the hands on a silverware. This was missing before.
Adding to his optimistic nature, he is a really loved person, involves with the fans and has been able to find time for the people related to Manchester United. This act has restored happiness within the people. Moreover, the Norwegian has been able to bridge the gap between the board and players. The board is happy because the players are happy with the man in charge.
Furthermore, these impacts are proving to be more solid as the players are willing to commit their futures. Anthony Martial was the first to pen-down a long-term deal with the club. He was followed by Phil Jones and Ashley Young. This fundamentally indicates his success in achieving the lost harmony of the club.
Spot on tactics
In conjunction with the feel-good component, he has been spot on with his tactics. Be it the match against Tottenham Hotspurs or the tie against Arsenal, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been at it with his choice of players and tactics. The good thing to notice is that Solskjaer has stuck with the same formula in all of his games in charge. A back four with full-backs encouraged to go forward and centre-backs bringing the ball out from the back has United playing like the teams in the title race have been.
To prevent the leakage in defence, the manager has placed Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera in the deep midfield. The defence now has protection to support the attack, and Solskjaer's forwards can roam up-field knowing there are players to prevent a counter attack. Going forward, United are playing with confidence and aren't scared of making a mistake. Solskjaer has pushed Paul Pogba into an attacking midfield position and his late, Frank Lampard-style runs into the box have been rewarded with goals in games he played so far.
Trust and Unity
Apart from the spot on tactics, the boss has restored the much-needed trust and unity back into the squad. More often Mourinho ranted about the permanence that the players were too selfish to play for each other but the past one month has changed everything. The big ego Paul Pogba is the go-to man now. Marcus Rashford is someone who could be trusted with firing the ball into the net. Anthony Martial is deadly on the pitch, Jesse Lingard is making a dance floor of his own and there is a new baby faced assassin in form of Ander Herrera. Gee, things have really changed this quickly!
Romelu Lukaku has been bestowed with the role because of which suits him the best. Lukaku and Rashford form a deadly pair; with the Rashford playing more of the main striker rather than just running on the flanks.
Solskjaer has put faith in the youngster as his main striker and most importantly given him the support to be effective in that position.
With Pogba providing through balls and an emphasis on crosses coming into the box, United are playing to Rashford's strength. Solskjaer knows exactly what service a striker needs, and he is ensuring Rashford has it.
Paul is a magician
Separating the verity that Solskjaer restored Marcus Rashford, the manager has been successful in removing the mud thrown on Pogba's face. Surely, he has shown that he can use the true potential of the Frenchman which Jose Mourinho failed to achieve. Even before taking over at United, Solskjaer said he would build a team around Pogba - so that is what he's done.
The Frenchman has been moved forward to work with the front three rather than protect the back four, and United look so much more dangerous as a result. Now, Pogba is not stepping into Matic's territory, and his job is simple - get the ball and play it forward. This uncomplicated niche has turned Pogba into a lethal weapon.
Truly, the midfielder is best when he is attacking and after all, this has helped him to fetch some astonishing numbers which he was unable to achieve under Massimo Allegri or Jose Mourinho. His delicious through balls and long balls are bringing out the best in a number of teammates and by the same token of the team. This in itself is a statement that Pogba is playing for them, not for himself.
Raising the bar and not guaranteeing seniors
Besides getting the best out of the main team, Solskjaer is also preparing the young lads of the first team which past managers have failed to do after the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson. Solskjaer made a point of seeking out old team-mate Nicky Butt, now head of United's academy.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a very good knowledge of the players in the academy. As a consequence of that, Solskjaer has already played Angel Gomes against Huddersfield, and James Garner was in the travelling squad to Cardiff. Having worked with the Under 23s during his time as a coach at United, Solskjaer knows how important a pathway to the first team is. If they're good enough, they're old enough, and Solskjaer has been clever in his use of the academy already. Senior players know their places are not guaranteed, and youngsters know if they perform they will get their chance. Everyone raises their game as a result.
This itself is the reminiscence of Sir Alex Ferguson. The Scot used to give the young academy lads a chance which in turn created unrest in the minds of the senior player due to which the seniors were forced to raise their bar a bit higher every game they played. Withal this went missing once the Gaffer left the club and a spree of bringing big names created bickering within the team. Nevertheless, if Solskjaer gets successful in getting this right then he will not be far away from reaching a level as that of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Though the time for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has begun with a bang, the big thing to see is whether he will be good enough to get these results in the long run which most of the managers have failed to do since 2013. Him winning the manager of the month might look flattering but the coming fixtures will determine what the team and the manager are really made up of. Although there are rumours that Ed Woodward and the Glazers are convinced that he is the man for the team yet the challenges posed by Paris Saint Germain on Tuesday than by Chelsea in the FA Cup and Liverpool will actuate the future of Solskjaer as the manager of Manchester United. Hence, the question here is - Will Ole Gunnar Solskjaer inspire the Red Devils through this tough phase?
