3 Improvements at Manchester United since Solksjaer's appointment

With Manchester United having parted ways with Jose Mourinho after a disastrous run of results derailed the club's season, the Old Trafford hierarchy turned to one of their former players to help steady the ship and since his appointment, the Norwegian has done just that and some.

Solskjaer was a heavy fan favorite during his playing days, due to his knack for coming off the bench to score crucial goals, with the most important unarguably being that which handed the Mancunian giants victory in the 1999 UCL final in the dying embers of the match which completed the unique treble.

Upon retirement, he has cut his teeth in management, making a name for himself at hometown club Molde, but the United job is undoubtedly in a much higher class than that of Molde.

Having impressed significantly thus far at Old Trafford, winning six out of his first six matches, there is already a raging debate as to whether the 45-year-old should be handed the reins on a permanent basis, with there being those for and against the move.

However, for all the arguments about him lacking the expertise required to manage a club of the caliber of United, detractors would do well to remember that there are precedents of 'inexperienced' managers doing well at mega clubs at the first time of asking such as Pep Guardiola and Zinedine Zidane, while so-called established managers have been humongous disasters (look no further than Jose Mourinho).

Even though it might be too early to make assertions on what his Manchester United legacy would be, there are already signs that Solskjaer is headed in the right direction. In this piece, we take a look at three positive impacts the Norwegian has had since being appointed the caretaker Manchester United manager.

Also see : Womens World Cup Bracket, Gold Cup Standings, Copa America Standings.

#3 Bringing out the best of Pogba

Following his world record return to Manchester United in the summer of 2016, Paul Pogba was seen as the man upon whom United would be built and the star to lead them into the future under the management of Jose Mourinho.

However, it did not go according to plan, as both player and manager fell out, having numerous disagreements that the situation became so untenable that it was virtually impossible for both men to work together.

The World Cup winner became a regular feature on the bench towards the end of Mou's reign, with numerous reports linking him with a move away from Manchester United.

Nevertheless, for all the accusations of being inconsistent and overrated, on his day, Paul Pogba is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world, possessing the ability to dictate the tempo of matches - this much we had seen in the colors of France and Juventus, as well as fleetingly with Man United.

Since Solksjaer's appointment, however, Paul Pogba has been a man reborn, returning to his prime best which made United shell out such megabucks for him.

In six Premier League matches under Solksjaer, Pogba has scored five goals and provided five assists, which comes at a remarkable rate of 0.8% for each or a goal involvement ratio of 1.6 / match which is a massive upgrade on what he offered under Mourinho.

Solksjaer managed Pogba at youth level for Manchester United and upon his unveiling said he planned to build his team around Paul Pogba and on evidence of what we have seen so far, he has the key to unlock the Frenchman's immense potential which is central to all United hope to achieve moving forward.

#2 The return of free-flowing attacking football

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United - Premier League

United is a club steeped in attacking culture, with the club's flair reaching new heights under the long and distinguished management of Sir Alex Ferguson.

The club has given us attacking icons such as George Best, Sir Bobby Charlton, David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo but to name a few and as such, United faithful expect the club to not only win but to do so with style and poise.

This tradition is one which has been departed from over the last few years, with it reaching new lows under Jose Mourinho, as the Portuguese' pragmatic, playing not to lose style ensured that defense was placed at a premium, with him ready to win at all costs at the expense of aesthetics.

It became a horror show, as fans previously accustomed to witnessing attacking swashbuckling football now saw their beloved team put in dour displays devoid of any on the edge excitement.

The arrival of Solksjaer has seen the return of attacking football, as United players now play without any inhibition, taking the game to their opponents instead of sitting back and being reactive.

The full-backs are now regulars in the opposition half, as against their static positioning under Jose Mourinho, while attack-minded players such as Tony Martial, Marcos Rashford, Jesse Lingard and the aforementioned Paul Pogba are once more thriving.

Solksjaer is a bonafide student of Sir Alex Ferguson, having spent seven years under the great Scots' tutelage so there was never a possibility of him deviating from his methods and on evidence of what we have seen so far, attacking football is here to stay at United.

#1 He has helped lift the spirits at the club

A team is always the reflection of its manager and nowhere was this more evident than at Manchester United with Jose Mourinho.

The Portuguese always seemed to have an eternal scowl, rarely smiling and having a negative air around him, and this rubbed off on the players, with most United players bearing long faces on the pitch and it apparently crept into the backroom staff also, so much so that Wayne Rooney had to voice out his concerns over the toxic atmosphere at the club.

A team built on such a negative atmosphere is doomed for failure and this was a crucial part in United's downfall, as nobody seemed to be enjoying their job.

By contrast, Solskjaer's arrival seems to have lifted everyone's spirits, as the Norwegian has always been an affable personality right from his playing days, always with a smile on his face (earning the nickname 'the baby faced assassin') and evidently he has carried on that affability into management.

The United players are enjoying themselves once more, no longer scared to make mistakes and this is in a large part thanks to Solksjaer's appointment as manager

Edited by Abhinav Munshi