MAN UNITED CONFIRMED today that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been appointed as the club’s new manager.
It is an outcome that not many people would have foreseen back in December, when Solskjaer was asked to take over from Jose Mourinho on a caretaker basis, with the club struggling badly in the Premier League amid a series of disappointing performances and surprise losses.
Since then, the Norwegian has impressed in the role, winning 14 out of a possible 19 matches, and beating teams of the calibre of PSG, Tottenham and Arsenal along the way.
The Red Devils have achieved the consistency they patently lacked towards the end of Jose Mourinho’s tenure, while often playing an attractive brand of football that appears to be getting the best out of the previously underperforming likes of Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford.
The 46-year-old has received plenty of support as a result of his team’s performances. Club legends such as Ryan Giggs, Eric Cantona and Gary Neville have backed him for the job.
However, there have been a few dissenters too. Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino was previously seen as a strong candidate for the position, and some people, including Paul Ince, suggested he was the best man for the role, irrespective of the fine job Solskjaer has done.
Former Man United boss Louis van Gaal, meanwhile, also appeared to have reservations about the Norwegian.
“The coach after me [Mourinho] changed to park-the-bus tactics and played on the counter,” he told BBC Sport.
“Now there is another coach who parks the bus and plays on the counter. The main difference between Mourinho and Solskjaer is that Solskjaer is winning.”
In addition, others argued that the club should wait until the end of the season, when they will know whether or not the all-important Champions League qualification has been secured, before coming to a definitive decision.
With all that in mind, what do you think? Have Man United made the right call in appointing Solskjaer on a permanent basis?
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