The sacking of Jose Mourinho as Manchester United manager in December of 2018, was inevitable. What proceeded the curse of Mourinho’s reign was not inevitable. Up stepped Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as interim manager until the end of the season. It was a surprise and one that was met with excitement but also trepidation.
Here is a man, that is a Manchester United legend. Solskjaer scored the winning goal in the remarkable 1999 Champions League final as United scored two injury time goals to steal the Champions League from Bayern Munich and complete the treble. However, Solskjaer’s managerial career so far had seen it’s ups and downs. He won the Norwegian league with Molde but got relegated from the premier league with Cardiff. How would he fare at United?
His first game as manager against old club Cardiff finished 5-1 to United. The first time United had scored 5 goals in a Premier League game since Sir Alex Ferguson’s last match as manager. It would then be victory after victory. United were defeated by PSG in the Champions League 1st leg round of 16, but there is more to that.
Since I’ve been of age that I could travel, I have spent most of time and money following my favourite bands around Europe or traveling to wherever I felt like going. My dad is a Liverpool fan so trips to Old Trafford to see United play were out of the question as a child.
However on March 2nd this year, along with my brother, I went to my first United game. It was against Southampton and we had secured tickets in the Stretford End, where all United fans want to be. A lovely walk up Sir Matt Busby Way and pre-match pints in Hotel Football (owned by the Manchester United legendary class of 92) set us up for the afternoon.
Photo Credit: Paul Cooney
The match was fantastic and typical of United matches I watched on TV under Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign. A smaller, weaker team would play out of their skin at Old Trafford. Southampton went 1 up. United took the lead and Southampton squared it up at 2 all. Manchester United are known for late goals, it’s what they do. Romelu Lukaku ensured that this tradition was upheld with an 88th minute winner, sending Old Trafford into a frenzied mess.
A few days later, that night in Paris occurred. No team has ever lost 2 nil at home in the first leg and gone on to qualify for the next round in the Champions League. Manchester United were missing ten first team players through injury and suspension. Two teenagers made their Champions League debut, Taith Chong, 19 and Mason Greenwood, 17. United through a questionable penalty slotted home by Marcus Rashford sealed a shocking 3-1 victory, meaning United went through on the away goals rule.
What goes up, must come down. Since the heroics in Paris, United have lost two nil to Arsenal and crashed out of the F.A. Cup to Wolves. However, since Solskjaer has taken over, the mood has been lifted and United feel united again. David Moyes, Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho have all tried to replace Sir Alex Ferguson, but failed and failed spectacularly; the football and the transfer strategy has been awful for the majority of the post Ferguson era.
It’s the international brake now and it’s the perfect time to take stock of Solskjaer and United. There have been bad signs in his reign so far, some substitutions have been questionable and undoubtedly, he has rushed players back from injury which has hindered the team. However, United, even in defeat are looking like a real football team again. The mood has changed, football is exciting again. Late winners, fantastic comebacks and plenty of goals were all synonymous with Ferguson and his United teams and it seems Solskjaer is following suit. Should he get the job in the summer? Time will tell, but at the moment Ole’s at the wheel and it’s feeling fine.
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