Advertisement

Can Manchester United sustain revival under Ole Gunnar Solskjær?

As a snapshot of Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s evolving Manchester United, rewind to Bruno Fernandes’s second goal in the 3-0 win at Brighton on Tuesday. On 50 minutes a commanding Harry Maguire header initiated a wow moment. Wow because of what it suggested of Nemanja Matic, whose best days are supposedly gone. And wow because it confirmed how the Serb’s rejuvenation is part of the larger team renaissance Solskjær is overseeing.

Matic took the ball on his chest, pivoted, and found Mason Greenwood with a second sight-like vision that had the 18-year-old surging along the left, before a cross found the relentless Fernandes who volleyed home at the far post.

Related: Pep Guardiola: 'I have trained incredible players and Foden will be one of them'

Here was a quicksilver move akin to how United struck serially under Sir Alex Ferguson: his 2009 vintage produced a near carbon copy when Cristiano Ronaldo, Park Ji-sung and Wayne Rooney tore Arsenal apart in a Champions League semi-final second leg, the still-running Ronaldo ending the sequence by smashing in.

The victory on Tuesday took United’s unbeaten run to 15: their best under Solskjær and a club-best since the 2012-13 last title-winning campaign. The issue now is one that may define Solskjær’s reign: can United’s resurgence prove the start of a genuine return as a force? Or will the side fall away as happened following the Norwegian’s opening 11-game unbeaten run when first taking charge?

The sense is of a more stable United than that which, following the international break last March, won only two of their final 10 games, losing six. Solskjær’s side followed by starting this season with a 4-0 hiding of Chelsea before chequered results marked the next six months. A prime factor here was the considerable overhaul of the squad Solskjær is overseeing, and which is illustrated by a glance at the XI who lost 2-0 against the already relegated Cardiff on the final day last season.

Jesse Lingard, Phil Jones and Diogo Dalot have been demoted. Ashley Young has departed and Chris Smalling loaned out. Beyond those who started, Antonio Valencia, Ander Herrera, Alexis Sánchez and Romelu Lukaku have also either been released, sold or allowed to sign temporarily elsewhere.

Deciding that nine frontline players needed cutting is the near-revolution United have required since Ferguson’s retirement seven years ago left them as champions but with a disjointed squad. Solskjær’s move can be characterised as brave given that this level of “churn” makes team cohesion impossible in the short term.

The summer signings of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Dan James, and Maguire, as well as Paul Pogba, Greenwood, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Scott McTominay, Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelöf were to be United’s new future – a core of experience and youth who would need time to blend as evidenced by the uneven return of 18 wins, 10 losses and 10 draws from the opening 38 matches.

Then, in late January, Fernandes arrived and began making a case for being United’s most vital signing since Robin van Persie in the summer of 2012: his 26 goals the following season fired Ferguson’s side to the championship.

Bruno Fernandes (right) scores in the win against Brighton – he has scored six times in 13 appearances.
Bruno Fernandes (right) scores in the win against Brighton – he has scored six times in 13 appearances. Photograph: Alastair Grant/NMC/EPA

The Portuguese’s debut came in a 0-0 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers on 1 February, which began the 15-game unbeaten run, of which eight have been victories. Fernandes is arguably the player of the second half of the season, an effervescent presence who has scored six times in 13 appearances, become the de facto captain and demands 100% of teammates.

It has elevated them. In the bid to reconstruct the squad with X-factor footballers who have formidable character Solskjær has his ideal on-field proxy. Shaw is in the form of his life. Wan-Bissaka’s defensive ability is now complemented with attacking forays. Matic is again a smooth midfield operator. Martial scored a first career hat-trick in the 3-0 dismantling of Sheffield United last week. And, in the same game, the usually quiet Maguire informed Shaw to “fucking switch on”: a Fernandes-like exhortation.

Since football’s restart, United have won three of their four outings with the return to fitness of Pogba, who is world class, and Rashford, who has potential to be the same, a bonus for Solskjær. Before facing the Blades, Pogba had not featured since Boxing Day and had last started in September, his prolonged absence another factor in United’s early season form.

Yet that Solskjær’s team could then go 11 games unbeaten without him or Rashford, who was injured in mid-January, suggests the manager is building a team rather than an outfit reliant on solo acts.

Pogba remains an enigma who finds the game effortless yet seems to have been serially unhappy. But he may now look at his partnership with Fernandes and where United may be heading and decide to stay. If not, however, the Solskjær project has to be robust enough to shrug off the loss of him or any other player.

The final six league matches will offer a further clue regarding progress. Bournemouth (home), Aston Villa (away), Southampton (h), Crystal Palace (a), West Ham (h), and Leicester City (a) are eminently winnable yet in the reverse fixtures Solskjær’s side lost against Bournemouth, Palace and West Ham, while drawing with Villa and Southampton.

Of Bournemouth’s visit on Saturday Solskjær says: “Everything is better than what it was back then. You can see the effort we’ve put in has worked, team shape is better. I’ve been pleased with the focus of everyone.”

Leicester’s and Chelsea’s respective defeats on Wednesday means that United, who are fifth, are two points behind the latter and a further one from the former. A Champions League berth can also be secured by winning the Europa League. United are all but in the quarter-finals with their 5-0 advantage over Lask before the last-16 second leg next month. And then there is an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea this month.

Related: Wendell: 'Brazilian players have a higher value as we produce the best'

If a campaign with a trophy plus Champions League qualification would confirm United’s upward trajectory, then what must happen in close season is investment by Ed Woodward, the executive vice-chairman. Three A-list signings would give United requisite depth. These may be a left-back – Leicester’s Ben Chilwell is an option; a centre-back – Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly is on the radar – and a goal-scoring forward with Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho remaining a long-term target.

Recruitment may be only one issue, though. Another is the prospect of going deep into the Europa League – the final is 21 August – meaning only a three-week break before next term begins. This compares to Liverpool whose season ends when the league does in July, and Manchester City, who can focus on the Premier League if their two-year Uefa ban is upheld.

But Solskjær would dearly love to have this kind of challenge: it is one only the true contenders face.