Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been heavily criticized this season. The Norwegian manager didn’t have good results at the start of the season with Manchester United, and there was a lot of pressure under his seat. Many experts believed it was time for him to leave once the team seemingly couldn’t showing any sort of consistency.
However, United seem to have turned a corner over the last few days. The Red Devils defeated both Tottenham and Manchester City (away) during this week by a 2-1 score each time. Those two wins have pushed Manchester United all the way up to fifth place in the standings – depending on what happens with Wolves on Sunday. But most important, the team is finally showing consistency levels they hadn’t shown in the past.
Manchester United are on a five-game undefeated streak in the Premier League (W3, D2). If we add all competitions into the mix, then United have lost just once in their last seven games (W4, D2, L1). That defeat came when Solskjaer fielded a young side at Astana in the UEFA Europa League. He made that decision once The Red Devils had already clinched a spot on the knockout stages.
Success against Top 6 sides should be a factor as well
The performances against Top 6 sides have been noteworthy as well. Manchester United are undefeated against these teams this season. They defeated Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea, while settling for draws against Liverpool and Arsenal despite scoring the opener in both games. Manchester United also defeated Leicester earlier this season, so the message is clear. The Red Devils are undefeated against top sides / title contenders.
Manchester United remain alive on both the Carabao Cup and the UEFA Europa League, having clinched quarterfinals and knockout-stage berths in both tournaments. Those are minor competitions, but winning there should undoubtedly boost the team’s confidence.
The establishment of a regular, consistent starting XI
After struggling with injuries through most of the season, Solskjaer now has most of his top players available for selection. Excepting Paul Pogba, of course. But having David De Gea back to top form, Harry Maguire settling at the back, and an established attacking line formed by Daniel James, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford eases things enormously.
The analysis is clear. Manchester United should stay the course with Solskjaer. He already said the team is going through a rebuilding process, so fans must be patient. But if the latest results are a sign of things to come, then this team is clearly trending in the right direction.
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