Manchester United have to appoint Solskjaer on a permanent basis

Manchester United seems to be a completely different club to the one that Jose Mourinho left in December. There was so much doom and gloom under the Portuguese boss about the clubs prospects.

However, former United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has come in and transformed the mood at the Manchester club. The Norwegian is unbeaten in his first ten matches as interim boss, having won nine times. He has taken United from no man’s land to within touching distance of fourth-place.

In fact, the Red Devils can move into the top-four if they record a victory at Fulham in Saturday’s early Premier League kick-off.

Solskjaer has brought what United needed

I have to admit I thought that United appointing the Norwegian, even on a temporary basis, was a strange move. However, it turns out to have been a stroke of genius by the Red Devils hierarchy.

Solskjaer has let the shackles off a very talented squad and suddenly they are winning games. Imagine letting talented attacking players actually play football, who would have thought of that, certainly not predecessor serial winner Mourinho anyway.

The interim boss understands the club. The Norwegian played under legendary United boss Sir Alex Ferguson and has obviously picked up some managerial acumen from the Scot.

Can he produce consistent results over a longer period?

It seems that United are playing well and everybody is happy with how things are going at Old Trafford. There is a fear that the bounce is just because the rather headstrong Mourinho has left, so the players feel freer to express themselves.

That that may mean that Solskjaer is enjoying something of a honeymoon period at Old Trafford. The question would be can he sustain the team’s current form and mood in the future?

Obviously, very few teams produce the sort of run that United are on consistently. However, the question would be would the Norwegian being able to motivate his squad full of stars on a regular basis? It is also about whether he has the necessary coaching skills to be a success in the long-term.

Solskjaer’s previous managerial record is patchy, to say the least. His previous spell in British football at Cardiff is best left unmentioned. There are likely reasons for his failure in South Wales, such as Solskjaer likes his teams to play, expansive attacking football.

At Cardiff, the level of his playing staff was poor. He did not have the players to make it work in in the Welsh capital. The players at his disposal at United fit his football philosophy, which is why United are achieving good results.

Sometimes a boss and a team just go together perfectly. Other managers can fail at the club, while the boss could fail at other clubs. Maybe Solskjaer can produce results on a regular basis and is the perfect fit for the Red Devils.

Solskjaer is now the favourite for the job

Everybody has been impressed with the way that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has turned things around at Manchester United. The Norwegian has done such a good job that he is now the favourite for the United job on a permanent basis at odds of 4/7.

Prior to his interim appointment, the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Zinedine Zidane and even Antonio Conte had been mooted as possible replacements for the outgoing Jose Mourinho.

If Manchester United continue in a positive vein and finish in the top four, then it would be hugely harsh on Solskjaer if he were not appointed on a full-time basis. Only time will tell what will happen. However, the signs are promising for the former United striker. He could well prove to be the surprise boss to bring back the glory days to the red half of Manchester.

Should Manchester United appoint Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on a permanent basis?