Five things that have changed at Manchester United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

The Red Devils are unbeaten since the Norwegian tactician took over from Jose Mourinho.

When the hierarchy at Manchester United had run out of patience and decided to sack Jose Mourinho as the manager, many had deemed the move to have come too late. At that juncture, after a humiliating one-sided defeat at the hands of Liverpool, United were 11 points off the top-four positions after enduring one of the worst starts to the season.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed as the caretaker manager which came as a pleasant surprise. Now, a month into his role, the former United forward has taken the club to within three points from the fourth position which is the final Champions League qualifying spot.

Manchester United have now won six Premier League games in a row and seven in all competitions. So, what has exactly Solskjaer done to cause such a major turn of fortunes at Old Trafford?

We take a look at the top five things that have changed under Solskjaer at Manchester United.

5. Rebirth of Paul Pogba

Under Mourinho, the Frenchman was a shadow of his usual self due to the defensive nature of the tactics applied by the Portuguese. To make matters worse, Pogba’s relationship with the gaffer decayed to such an extent where he spent most of his time on the sidelines.

Watch: Paul Pogba thinks he's playing well because he's happy under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

However, since Mourinho’s exit and Solskjaer's arrival, Pogba has again become an indispensable figure at United. The Norwegian manager’s attacking approach has suited Pogba. Freed of defensive duties, the midfielder is now justifying why he is considered as one of the best midfielders of this generation.

Pogba is now fielded in an advanced role, with Matic and Herrera in defensive midfield. Thanks to this newfound freedom, Pogba has scored five goals and made four assists in the six league games under Solskjaer. He is surely going to be central to United’s bid to a top-four finish. 

4. Focus on playing to their strengths

It is not a well-kept secret that United are short of quality defenders. Players such as Chris Smalling, Eric Bailly, Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo have all underperformed with only Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw as exceptions. This area was a constant source of problems for Mourinho who could not convince the higher-ups to sign a new center-back.

However, despite the frailties at the back, Solskjaer sets up his team to play on the front foot from the first whistle. Thanks to this aggressive approach, United have scored first in every fixture under Ole Gunnar, where previously, they were too slow off-the-blocks and conceded first in the majority of their matches under Mourinho.

The caretaker manager has efficiently covered up the shortcomings at the back by bolstering the attackers and giving them the freedom to express themselves and take more risks going forward, something the players and the fans alike yearned for in the previous system.

3. Consistent team selection

The last time Manchester United went into a league game with an unchanged line-up was back in December 2017. Solskjaer aimed to put an end to that after announcing an unchanged squad from the last match against Tottenham but was undone by a last-minute change when Diogo Dalot replaced Shaw who fell ill during warm-ups.

Having said that, observing the line-ups Solskjaer has put out in all of the six league fixtures, a more consistent shape and personnel selection has been noticed. Players like Lindelof, Pogba and Rashford are the first names on the team sheet while the partnership of Matic and Herrera has provided much-needed stability in the center.

By fielding players in their favourable positions and not tinkering with the starting line-ups, the Norwegian tactician has shown brilliant managerial ability which is paying dividends. 

ALSO READ

• It’s like new energy, new blood came in- Zlatan on Paul Pogba

• Sarri reveals that he is facing difficulties in motivating his players

• Jose Mourinho advises Unai Emery on how to handle the Mesut Ozil situation

2. Shift to an attacking mentality

Perhaps the most-visible change right now is the complete overhaul in the way United are playing. Before Solskjaer came along, Jose was in-charge and staying true to his reputation, Mourinho set up his team focusing more on containing the opposition rather than playing on the front foot. The defensive setup was not suitable for a squad of players that had pace and flair going forward. As a result, the forwards were isolated and the defensive shape sacrificed a larger share of the ball possession.

After 17 games, Mourinho’s men had scored only 29 goals (least among the top-six) and conceded 29 goals (most among the top-six). The moment Solskjaer took up the reins at the club, first change he made was to shift the team’s approach to attack-minded gameplay.

Since then, United have started to make more forward passes, more shot attempts and faster counter attacks. As a result, in the seven games played under Ole Gunnar, the Red Devils have scored 19 goals and conceded only five.

1. Rashford’s transformation into a prolific striker 

Marcus Rashford marked his 150th appearance for Manchester United with a sensational goal in the victory against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. The 21-year-old striker is in hot form since the arrival of the interim manager. Solskjaer was himself a clinical striker back in the day for United and a huge chunk of credit goes to him for unlocking the untapped potential within Rashford.

Watch: Marcus Rashford has excelled immensely under the new manager

[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]

Backed by his current manager despite a few misses early on, Rashford has matured into a seasoned striker. The forward has clearly polished his finishing which has made him tougher to deal with. He is now a favored option and a regular starter over the £75 million signing, Romelu Lukaku. In the period Solskjaer has been at United, Rashford has scored five goals and assisted two in six games.

With the 45-year-old making all the right moves, a top-four finish or a silverware could give the Norwegian a good shot at landing the permanent role as manager of Manchester United next season.