Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s thunderous start to his tenure as the interim manager of Manchester United has reportedly put him in pole position to land the permanent gig.
There are few managerial jobs at the club level that are as coveted as the Manchester United hotseat. And if the Mirror report is to be believed, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the new favourite to land the permanent job after what has been a fruitful start to his tenure as the interim manager of the club.
Jose Mourinho’s sacking was something the fans had seen coming for some time, especially after the disappointing start to the 2018-19 campaign. Manchester United took a bold but shrewd move in getting Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to manage till the end of the season, with the ‘Baby Faced Assassin’ joining on loan from Molde.
The original reported plan was for Solskjaer to steer the ship to safe waters till the end of the season, which would have give the hierarchy ample time to choose the right candidate. But, little did the Board envisage the kind of impact that Solskjaer would have at Old Trafford.
Nine wins in 10 games and Manchester United are no longer a distant horse in the race for top four. Now two points shy of fourth-placed Chelsea, United are also looking a good bet in the FA Cup as well while they are not as much of an underdog in their upcoming Round of 16 Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain.
Apart from the results, what has been pleasing is the brand of football combined with the air of happiness around the dressing room, with a general consensus that the players are finally enjoying their football at Manchester United. Also, Solskjaer’s press conferences are almost in direct contrast to Mourinho’s gloomy talks, which has been music to the ears of fans worldwide.
Suffice to say, Solskjaer has not just changed the fortunes of Manchester United on the field but off it as well. Mauricio Pochettino, who has been long touted as the favourite for the job, also tasted defeat along with his Tottenham side at the hands of Solskjaer’s United.
Solskjaer does seem to be the perfect candidate. He upholds the standards of what a Manchester United manager should be while he commands respect from every player that is a part of the club based on his own history as a player here at Old Trafford.
A role model for many of the young United players growing up, Solskjaer, as people say, is ‘cut from the same cloth’ as all Manchester United greats. People also tend to forget that he did receive his early coaching education sitting beside Sir Alex Ferguson.
According to the Mirror’s report, the players are lobbying for Solskajer to be given the permanent job and that the hierarchy is not sure they will be able to convince Pochettino to come to Old Trafford, should they choose to go that route.
Chances are, if United can pass the PSG test in the Champions League while also somewhat maintaining their current form in domestic competitions and bagging a top four finish, it would be nigh on impossible for the Manchester United top brass to not hand Solskjaer the permanent gig.
