Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been Manchester United’s manager since late December 2018, when he started as a caretaker manager. The United board later confirmed him permanently in March 2019. His time as United manager has had mixed results. There are times his team went on to win 14 matches out of 19. On the flip side, the team has performed dismally in cup competitions losing in one final and semi-finals. Nevertheless, he has steadied the ship at Old Trafford. If you are a Manchester United fan in Vietnam you can visit bongdaso, one of the leading sports betting sites in the country covering football for the latest news from the Theatre of Dreams. And now, can United under Ole go to the next level?
What Is Ole’s Philosophy?
In early 2020, Ole was asked what his philosophy was in three words. Even though he did not answer this question as expected, this is something you can tell if you have been watching United for the last two seasons. Some respectable soccer pundits describe him as being “vanilla.” In short, this means he is unadventurous, predictable, and uninspiring. This is the direct opposite of his predecessor, Jose Mourinho.
However, Ole is known to be one of the best man managers there is. This is true based on how he has been able to keep together his star-studded squad. On the pitch, Ole’s preferred formation is a 4-2-3-1 with a double pivot that provides safety in the midfield. The focus of this formation is maintaining numerical advantage with forwards interchanging rather than positioned narrowly.
Based on statistics, this formation has seen United give up ground in the name of solidity. His philosophy borrows from Sir Alex Ferguson’s 4-4-2, which also maintained numbers behind the ball and overwhelmed their opponents with a mix of extreme effort and strong two-forward approach.
Ole also seemed to have brought back “Fergie Time,” which defined them in Ferguson’s era. Last season, United won many games late on. Statistics show that they are more likely than other top teams to fall behind but also likely to catch up. However, staging comebacks against top European teams might not be very easy.
What He Needs To Fix
The current squad is arguably the best Ole has ever managed. However, it is still unbalanced as he has many attackers who are unwilling to do the dirty work while very few are in midfield. Matic is the only specialist defensive midfielder but, at 33, does not have the legs to cover the pitch as he should.
This has led to the MacFred partnership between Fred and MacTominay, which acts as a double pivot. However, the two have not done a great job when it comes to transitioning from the back to attack. If he can get the defensive mid position fixed, he has a chance to prove that he is the man for the job.
So, Is Ole The Man To Take United To Glory?
Ole has brought calm and stability back to the club. However, United found themselves where Chelsea were with Frank Lampard. Chelsea were ruthless and decisive and brought in Thomas Tuchel, and he turned things around immediately. Currently, Ole is the man for the job because there is no one else out there who can do the job better. United’s board and fans will hope that this is the season he wins his first trophy as United manager.
