The Red Devil's Resurgence

It’s the 16th of December 2018 and Manchester United have just been subjected to a humbling 3-1 defeat at the hands of their fiercest rivals Liverpool. United’s multimillion dollar team cast a silhouette of dejected figures both individually and collectively. They leave the pitch knowing that the tension in the club is on a knife’s edge, following their worst start to a season in the club’s history a major change appears imminent.

Fast-forward two days and Manchester United have parted ways with highly successful, but also controversial manager Jose Mourinho as he was given the sack on the 18th December. It took a little over 24 four hours for the club to announce that current manager of Norwegian side Molde FK and former United Forward Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would take the reigns as interim manager until the end of the season.

Fans universally appeared split in their assessments of the club’s newest recruit as many believed it was a good acquisition thanks largely to his success leading Molde to their first ever top flight Norwegian titles in 2011 and 2012. With all the promise and praise that certain fans have hailed, there were just as many critics who weren’t too quick to forget that Solskjaer had been fired from Cardiff City in 2014 after taking over the post from Malky Mackay. Solskjaer’s side managed only three wins, three draws and twelve losses in his eighteen Premier League games in charge, the aforementioned results led to Cardiff’s imminent relegation to the Championship. He was shortly after fired in September of the same year as Cardiff struggled to hit the ground running in England’s second tier.

After four years away from England’s top flight Solskjaer returned with a point to prove and a Manchester United side itching to revert the club back to its brilliant best.

Solskjaer’s first match in charge of the Red Devils fell on the 22nd December away to his former employers Cardiff at Cardiff City Stadium. The sides came out to a less than rapturous welcome from the Welsh side’s fans, but it wasn’t to phase United as it took them less than three minutes to display their significant shift in mentality under Solskjaer’s new management. A foul on Paul Pogba 25 yards away from goal gave Marcus Rashford an opportunity to put practise into play as he smashed a free kick low and hard past Cardiff’s hapless goalkeeper Neil Etheridge. United were 1-0 up and Solskjaer off to the perfect start in charge of Manchester United.

United kept the pressure on and were once again rewarded for their persistence in the 29th minute. Paul Pogba once again showing his value as he chased down Cardiff’s Sol Bamba to retrieve possession, before getting his head up, opening up his body and splitting two Cardiff city midfielders with a pass that found Ander Herrera on the edge of the box. Herrera didn’t hesitate to unleash a fizzing shot from 25 yards away, which deflected off Greg Cunningham and landed in the top corner of the net.

In the 37th minute a Marcus Rashford handball gave Cardiff the opportunity to finish from twelve yards away, which Victor Camarasa made no mistake in doing. But Cardiff were to push on in vein and this United side were not to be stopped.

Shortly before half-time United would double their lead once again through Anthony Martial. The Frenchman picked up the ball near half-way and drove forward. The reds didn’t just hit the back of the net, they broken Cardiff down with a piece of fluent attacking football that had Sir Alex Ferguson’s name written all over it. Martial laid the ball to Pogba who immediately bounced the ball off to Jesse Lingard who then pushed possession back into the path of the rapidly progressing Martial. Martial took a touch past Sean Morrison and calmly nestled the ball into the bottom corner of the net to make it 3-1 to Manchester United heading into half-time.

United emerged from the tunnel in the second half the same way they left, in complete control. In the 56th minute Jesse Lingard rounded two Cardiff City defenders on the edge of their box before he was brought down by Bamba. The referee didn’t hesitate to award a penalty which Lingard dispatched calmly.

They weren’t done there as Pogba slid Lingard through on goal, who rounded the keeper and slotted home coolly in the dying moments, to cap off a five-star Manchester United performance.

Following Solskjaer’s first Manchester United bout the United fans were now in full support of the club’s interim manager. It was evident that the youthful side played like a team who had just been unleashed from their shackles and were provided the freedom and support required to get the best out of a gifted crop of players. Following the match the Norwegian manager heaped the praise on the players when he said “The biggest positive to take away from the game was both the attitude and the application of the boys” Solskjaer also made it clear that given the week the players and club had been through made it all the more impressive that they dominated the game in the way that they did.

Following their dominant first display under Solskjaer, the players retreated away for a few days to enjoy their Christmas break, unaware of what the United faithful had in store for their flourishing players come Boxing Day.

Boxing Day arrived and began like any other public holiday, quiet early on as fans slowly made their way to Old Trafford from all over the United Kingdom. By 2:30 the atmosphere had begun to build and by 3:00 the stadium was absolutely rocking. Echoes of “You are my Solskjaer” rung around the stadium as the caretaker manager prepared for his first home match with the club to get underway.

The affair began relatively cagey from both sides, but even when the direct route to goal didn’t appear imminent Nemanja Matic broke the dead-lock. As the clock ticked over to the 28th minute Marcus Rashford fizzed in a corner which was met ferociously by Victor Lindelof. Huddersfield keeper Jonas Lossl did well to keep the header out but was left helpless as Matic fired home the rebound. The match remained so until the referee blew his whistle to signal for half-time.

As the second half got underway United managed to keep their lead in tact thanks largely to a trademark contender for save of the season by shot-stopping marvel David De Gea. Laurent Depoitre’s first time effort appeared certain for the top corner until the Spaniard produced the moment of absolute magic to fish the ball away from the United goal.

In the 64th minute a fantastic piece of build-up involving Marcus Rashford, Juan Mata and Ander Herrera provided Paul Pogba with the only chance he needed to dispatch of the visitors. He found himself unmarked just inside the penalty area and delicately placed a right footed shot into the corner of the net on the keepers near post.

Fourteen minutes later Pogba solidified his crown as the man of the match as he let fly from outside the box and found the bottom corner of the net to make it 3-0 United. Huddersfield pulled a goal back through Mathias Jorgensen, but It was too little, too late as United emerged 3-1 winners on Boxing Day.

Four days later the United faithful were all smiles following their current run of form as they proceeded back to Old Trafford for Solskjaer’s third match in charge. The opponents on this occasion were Bournemouth.

The fans were out in full support and as they finished taking their seats in time for kick off, Marcus Rashford wasted no time in treating the United faithful to a show.

In the fifth minute Rashford wasted no time in chasing down an Ashley Young through ball header towards the corner flag. The young Mancunian then went on to take a delicate touch to retain possession and give himself enough room to turn and face his hasty market Nathan Ake. Rashford rolled the ball to one side of Ake and went around the other before continuing on his way towards goal. Bournemouth midfielder Diego Rico came in support of Ake and as he went to press the United forward, Rashford bamboozled him completely with a meticulous piece of skill thanks to a perfectly timed elastic chop. Rashford didn’t even need to get his head up and with that drove the ball straight to the outstretched leg of Paul Pogba who finished confidently. United were 1-0 up and showed no signs of slowing down.

33 minutes in and Ander Herrera who had been controlling the game through the middle of the park got an assist to his name as he whipped in a dangerous ball which perfectly met the head of United’s talisman, Paul Pogba. Bournemouth’s keeper Asmir Begovic couldn’t get near the ball as he tried to meet the cross making the French midfielder’s job all too easy.

United’s first-half rampage was to continue when Marcus Rashford got the goal he so desperately deserved following his performance. Anthony Martial held up play as Rashford hauled himself forward. Martial saw the run and found it perfectly with an elegantly lofted cross which made Rashford’s job all too easy.

Bournemouth were to be rewarded shortly before half-time, but Manchester United substitute Romelu Lukaku made the perfect return to fitness and form as he emphatically volleyed home a tremendous Pogba through ball to seal the 4-1 result for United.

Solskjaer was now three wins from three games and United were flying in the Premier League leading into the New Year.

On the 2nd January Manchester United kick started the new year in the same manner that they finished their last, clinically. The Red Devils travelled away to Newcastle and were held to a tense 0-0 first half.

United came out in the second half knowing full well that all three points were required to keep their momentum going as well as assist their push for a top four finish this season. In the 64th minute Marcus Rashford drilled what appeared to be a harmless free-kick towards Martin Dubravka’s goal only for the Newcastle keeper to spill the effort. Once again Lukauk was the super substitute for Manchester United, thrashing the loose ball into the back of the net to hand United a vital lead at St James Park. United went on to double their lead in the 80th minute through man in form Marcus Rashford. The 21-year-old exchanged possession with Romelu Lukaku as they broke following a Newcastle attack reaching the opposing eighteen-yard box. Alexis Sanchez surged up in support and received the ball from Lukaku. The heavily scrutinised Chilean showed complete and utter composure to shift his body position and slot Rashford through on goal. Rashford made no mistake in dispatching and securing a 2-0 win for Manchester United. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was now four wins from four matches in charge of the historic club.

United’s fifth bout following the Norwegian manager’s appointment was to be the FA Cup fixture against second tier Reading. Solskjaer made nine changes to his line-up for this fixture in order to rest crucial players as well as re-introduce some players who have been on the fringes following injuries during English football’s busiest period.

Prior to half-time a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decision gave Manchester United a penalty after Juan Mata was fouled as he ran towards goal. The Spaniard found the bottom corner of the net from the resulting penalty to put United 1-0 ahead. On the stroke of half-time the reds went 2-0 up, a lead which they retained until the final whistle. Alexis Sanchez who was back in the starting line-up for the first time since Solskjaer’s appointment perfectly threaded a through ball into the path of Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian forward then rounded Reading keeper Anssi Jaakkola and scored his third goal in as many games.

Manchester United’s sixth fixture under the leadership of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was head to head with third placed Tottenham Hotspur. A match which many fans believed would truly show the quality of the Norwegian’s management as the club’s first match under a top-six side.

The first half provided minimal opportunities for both sides as neither appeared to fatigue as the half went on. The breakthrough came seconds before the half-time whistle courtesy once again to a scintillating counter-attack, orchestrated by Paul Pogba and finished off by Marcus Rashford. The French midfielder sent a perfectly arched ball in behind the Spurs defence. Rashford was alert and subsequently got on the end of the pass and punished the London side in the blink of an eye.

The second half proved to be United’s most testing under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but David De Gea produced a second half display worthy of winning any match to silence his critics. His performance sent social media into overdrive and fans around the world voiced their astonishment at his ability through outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The Spanish shot-stopper made eleven second-half saves including sending back numerous shots from within the eighteen-yard box to keep a hold of United’s clean sheet and the three points to go with it.

Following the victory over Tottenham, Solskjaer had now broken a 73-year-old record becoming the first Manchester United manager in history to win their first six matches in charge of the club. The record putting him above the likes of iconic club legends Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson.

When Solskjaer was initially asked about the thought of breaking such a record he dismissed claims he was striving for that and instead stated that “maybe one day I will look back at the records I have, but not now”. He also went on to say, “My target is to get the club playing the style of football that will get us to where we need to be, it’s about getting results”.

Confident words to match the side’s confident displays from United’s new manager. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may only be an interim manager for the club, but there is one thing that is for certain. The Norwegian manager is finally giving the United fans what they have been desperate to see since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013, the ability to believe once again.