3 times Ole Gunnar Solskjaer brought struggling Manchester United back to winning ways

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United were thrashed 5-0 by Liverpool on 24th October. The defeat questioned the credibility of Solskjaer, whose job as Manchester United's manager is under immense scrutiny once again.

Despite signing players like Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and the return of Cristiano Ronaldo, United have played poorly this season. They are eight points behind league leaders Chelsea. This is Solskjaer's third full season as manager and he doesn't have much time left at his disposal now.

But Solskjaer has a history of producing results when United's form has been consistently poor. Let's look at the past when the Red Devils were struggling and bounced back under Solskjaer. Time will tell if the same thing happens this time also.

#1 Solskjaer's appointment at United (December 2018 - March 2019)

Solskjaer after his first match in charge of United

In the 2017-18 season under Jose Mourinho, United finished second in the Premier League with 81 points. It was the first time in the post-Ferguson era that United finished in the top two in the Premier League.

United did not start the 2018-19 season on a good note. They were eliminated in the first round of the Carabao Cup by Derby County. The Red Devils only won seven of their first 16 league matches. Mourinho was sacked after losing to Liverpool at Anfield, with the club in sixth place.

Solskjaer was appointed caretaker manager and United's form changed overnight. They won 10 of their next 12 league matches and beat Arsenal and Chelsea in the FA Cup. The fairytale had a perfect ending, with United beating Paris Saint-Germain on aggregate in the Champions League, thanks to a 94th minute Marcus Rashford penalty.

The victory was another famous European conquest from United as they beat PSG in injury time after losing the first leg 2-0. Solskjaer was duly rewarded with a new full-time contract after this victory.

2- Dip in form and Bruno Fernandes' arrival (March 2019 - January 2020)

United signed Bruno Fernandes on 29th January, 2020

United could not emulate the same form for the rest of the 2018-19 season. They managed to win just two of their remaining 12 fixtures in all competitions. They lost to Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals and Wolves in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

The 13-time Premier League champions ended the season in sixth place with a 2-0 defeat to Cardiff in their last match. They were the same side against whom United had won 5-1 in Solskjaer's first match in charge.

The first half of the 2019-20 season did not go well either. United's league form was unpredictable. They won spectacularly against bigger teams like City, Spurs and Chelsea, hitting them on the break. But they did not produce results against sides who also sat deep. United were fifth in the league by January and closer to the bottom half of the table than to the summit.

Then came the signing of Portuguese magician Bruno Fernandes. The move turned out to be a stroke of a genius by Solskjaer as the signing turned the fortunes of the club. United did not lose another match in the league that season, winning six of their last nine matches.

United finished third in the league after beating Leicester on the final day. They also reached the semifinals of all cup competitions but lost in each of them. Fernandes won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year Award despite featuring only in the second half of United's campaign.

Start of the 2020-21 season (September 2020 - Early November 2020)

United lost 6-1 to Tottenham Hotspur managed by Solskjaer's successor, Jose Mourinho

The start of the 2020-21 season was difficult for most Premier League sides due to the delayed end of the previous season. Playing in empty stadiums did not do any good either. There was only a month's gap between United's last match of the previous season and the first match of the 2020-21 season.

United suffered losses in all competitions at the start of the season. They lost 6-1 at home to Jose Mourinho's Tottenham, 1-0 against Arsenal and 3-1 against Crystal Palace. This was followed by an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at the hands of Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League.

But just as they had done previously, United bounced back, especially away from home. They produced a string of away comeback wins. They won 4-1 against Newcastle and won four league games on the trot. They won against Southampton in the 94th minute after going 2-0 down and against West Ham after scoring three goals in 13 minutes.

United would go on to break the longest unbeaten away record ever in the Premier League that season. The Red Devils also reached the Europa League final that season, losing to Villarreal on penalties.

United's clutch victories and the struggles of other teams helped them finish second in the league. Solskjaer was the only manager to achieve consecutive top four finishes in the league after Sir Alex Ferguson. Whether United will undergo the same revival cycle again remains to be seen.