Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a man who has caused a major split of opinions among the Manchester United fanbase. Some fans are adamant that he is not worthy of holding such a coveted position, and needs to be sacked, while others are happy with what he’s done and are excited for a future with him. So, what’s the answer? Does Solskjaer deserve more credit, or should United start the search for a new man in charge?
The Argument for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Succesful Signings
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s work during the transfer windows has been outstanding. Bruno Fernandes, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire, Daniel James, and Odion Ighalo have all been signed by him. Every single one of these signings has been successful at United, and have fit well into the squad.
Bruno Fernandes
At the moment, Bruno Fernandes is the best United player. In just his first month playing English football, he is up for Premier League Player of the Month. He is the perfect creative midfielder that United was missing. Manchester United was having injury problems in the midfield. They were being forced to play Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira, but Bruno’s signing has fixed the midfield. When Pogba gets back from injury, their midfield will be downright scary. It will feature Fernandes, Pogba, McTominay, Matic and highly improved Fred and Mata.
Fernandes doesn’t just bring great on-pitch performances to the team, he also brings the perfect winning mentality. He is a player who gets upset at a draw away from home, instead of being satisfied with coming away with points. This winning mentality is vital if United want to return to their former glory.
Defensive Signings
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been equally successful. Most Premier League fans laud him as the best slide-tackler in the league, and many Mancunians even rate him higher than other stars such as Liverpool‘s Trent Alexander-Arnold. This is a tough comparison to make, but defensively and in one-on-ones, Bissaka is the better player. Bissaka quickly and seamlessly settled into the squad and started putting up amazing performances right away.
Solskjaer’s other defensive signing, Harry Maguire, has also been outstanding. Maguire has taken a leading role in the squad, and is already captain, after showing great leadership and play. Since his signing, he has continued to put up amazing performances. He even scored more goals (1) than he conceded (0) in February! Before Maguire’s signing, there wasn’t enough depth in the defensive line, forcing players such as Phil Jones to play, leading to many holes at the back. Maguire has fixed these problems. Maguire also compliments the other defenders around him, whether it be Victor Lindelof or Eric Bailly, they both seem to play better when Maguire is with them.
James and Ighalo
Daniel James and Odion Ighalo have not been quite as successful as the other signings, but they have been worth their price tags. Daniel James was signed from Swansea City for $18 million, but since joining United his market value has increased to $31 million. After performing well against big Premier League teams. James has added even more squad depth and when in-form is a force to be reckoned with. His pace is astounding, allowing him space on the wing and he can send accurate crosses, or cut inside to shoot. He is a danger on all fronts. Odion Ighalo was recently signed on loan from SH Shenhua, and has performed well above all expectations scoring 2 goals in 2 starts.
Not Afraid to Use the Youth
Solskjaer has brought in new players to the first team through the transfer market, but he also has another resource he’s not afraid to use – United’s youth program. Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams have both been brought to the first team through the youth teams by Solskjaer.
Mason Greenwood is a youngster with loads of potential. At only 18 he already looks in place on the pitch against any side. With Marcus Rashford sidelined with an injury, Greenwood has looked the part, stepping up in front of the net. He has 4 goals and 2 assists in just 6 Europa League games. But Greenwood is more than just a stat. He compliments the other players around him, dragging defenders out of positions, and adds to the attack.
Brandon Williams has put in some impressive defensive performances, especially for his age, but part of the reason he was such a good addition to the squad was because of how he improved Luke Shaw. Luke Shaw was a mountain of untapped potential, but when Brandon Williams started to climb up the pecking order to take Shaw’s spot, something changed. Shaw finally had some healthy competition for his spot and he was forced to work harder and improve, helping the entire defense. Since then, Shaw has grown to be a much better player and has thoroughly transformed.
Forces Performances out of Players
Solskjaer has a knack to find untapped potential and unlock it. Players such as Shaw, Lindelof, Bailly, Fred, Mata, and Martial have all greatly improved under Solskjaer. Solskjaer does this by adding healthy competition to a position, forcing everyone to work harder and compete for their spot. United had a pretty solid base of players under Mourinho, but they were not being forced to play their best, so the team was stagnating. Solskjaer has greatly improved the base built b managers before him by adding his own additions and tweaks and by improving the quality of players already in place.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Has a Tough Job
Fans don’t give Solskjaer credit for what a great job he’s done, and all the challenges he’s overcome. The Red Devils have faced injury after injury, crushing their midfield, and suffocating their attack. Midfield enforcers Pogba and McTominay have been out with injuries for quite some time now, McTominay just recently returning. Star player, Rashford will also be out for the rest of the season with an injury of his own. Solskjaer has found a way to deal with these problems by changing formations, tactics and bringing in players from the transfer market and youth academies. He has done a wonderful job with what he has. When the players are all fit and Solskjaer can bring in some summer signings, the squad will be deadly.
Solskjaer also came into effect during a very tough period for United. Jose Mourinho had completely lost the locker room, causing the squad to have very low morale, and making many players want to leave. Ole Gunnar immediately restored faith in the team, raising spirits and morale once again.
Solskjaer is an amazing manger and should be given more credit for the wonderful work he’s done.
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