How Solskjaer sealed a post-Fergie record & turned one Man Utd player into 'the new Matthaus' v Cardiff

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer couldn’t have asked for a better start as interim Manchester United boss.

The 45-year-old club legend was parachuted into Old Trafford this week following Jose Mourinho’s unceremonious dismissal.

Still manager of Norwegian outfit Molde FK the former ‘baby-faced assassin’ will have six months to save United’s season.

As fate would have it his first game in charge is a return to Cardiff City where he previously enjoyed an unsuccessful brief period in charge.

Not exactly fondly remembered by supporters of The Bluebirds, who must have wanted to rain on his parade, Solskjaer got a semblance of revenge as the Red Devils ran out 5-1 winners. Youth products Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard (brace) were among the goals as well as Ander Herrera and Anthony Martial.

With so much going on here are five things we learned.

Pogba returning to the fold

Manchester United became a club not big enough for Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho – the breakdown of their relationship is seen by some as the reason behind the latter being relieved of his duties.

Pogba, who is the club’s most expensive acquisition, was an unused substitute in United’s last two Premier League outings: a 4-1 home win over Fulham and 3-1 defeat at Anfield to Liverpool.

Having previously worked under Solskjaer, when the Norwegian oversaw the club’s reserve team, there was no doubt he’d be returning to United’s starting line-up. Feeling refreshed, and with something to prove, Pogba set about making up for lost time

He’d play a hand in United’s second and third goals whilst completing the most passes (74/85) by anyone on the pitch, including a no-look that could have led to Rashford’s second of the game.

One touch football back on the menu

There are many things synonymous with Manchester United: late comebacks, wing-play, etc. But one thing which has often been missing of late is the joie de vivre. At their swashbuckling best the Red Devils have been a joy to behold.

Precision football is a legacy of Sir Alex Ferguson and we saw a taste in United’s build-up for goal number three which came four minutes before the half-time interval: Anthony Martial to Pogba to Jesse Lingard back to Martial and goal.

Centre-backs pushing on

United supporters will be hoping Mourinho’s pragmatism makes way for some free-flowing and expansive football under Solskjaer – early days, but you can start to see one or two signs, a notable example being an onus on their centre halves getting forward as much as possible.

Victor Lindelöf and Phil Jones, the first starting centre-back pairing chosen by Solskjaer and neither regarded as ball-playing central defenders, seemed to relish this new freedom. Having extra bodies coming into midfield has its advantages which United exploited against a struggling Cardiff side.

Still looking for a clean sheet

It wasn’t all plain sailing. The Red Devils, bolstered going forward which no doubt is what United supporters want most, left Wales without registering a clean sheet.

Hardly the fault of Solskjaer who alongside Mike Phelan will seek to make United an impregnable force in the coming months.

A momentary lapse of concentration by Rashford, handling in the box, gave Cardiff a first opportunity on goal which Víctor Camarasa didn’t pass up.

It means United have now gone five consecutive league matches without denying their opposition a goal. Next up is Huddersfield Town, the league’s poorest attackers (11 goals across 18 matches) at home.

Five since Fergie’s farewell

Solskjaer is no stranger to big United wins. He famously scored four goals, from the bench, away to Nottingham Forest (1-8) in their Treble-winning season.

This win, though, was symbolic. Not since Sir Alex Ferguson’s last game had United bagged five goals in a single game. That occasion, an incredible 5-5 draw at West Brom, was back in May 2013.

A succession of three full-time United managers – David Moyes (34 games), Louis van Gaal (76) and Jose Mourinho (93) – plus caretaker boss Ryan Giggs (four) couldn’t manage what Solskjaer did on day one.

To put things into perspective, in the ensuing period, Manchester City managed this feat on no fewer than 33 occasions.

The post Cardiff crushed: Five things learned as Solskjaer seals post-Fergie record in Man Utd managerial debut appeared first on Squawka News.



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