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Since the departure of the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, Manchester United have struggled to reach the same heights that they did under him. A big part of the problem has been the role of the manager; David Moyes and Louis van Gaal were quite ineffective at the helm.
Jose Mourinho was brought in as the 'special one', as a solution to the problems plaguing the team. The decision divided the fans, but they still hoped for the best.
Mourinho, however, ended up being a bigger problem than his predecessors. He made his big name signing, bringing back Paul Pogba to United, but the two were soon at loggerheads.
Mourinho's acerbic personality didn't exactly charm the team, and the players barely seemed excited to be playing on the field. In his first two seasons Mourinho somehow managed to ensure that United played the Champions League every season, but that came at a cost.
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Manchester United looked dejected and desolate on the pitch this season under Mourinho. Things didn't look too great off the pitch as well, with reports suggesting a tiff between the manager and Pogba.
United looked more like a mid-table club than a top tier one. It was their worst start to the season in 28 years, and it looked unlikely that they would finish in a Champions League spot.
After a disastrous loss to Liverpool, a sulking Mourinho was finally given the pink slip by the club in December. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was brought in as the interim manager, and things suddenly started looking up.
Manchester United are unbeaten in the 10 games since. The swagger is back, and the players seem to be enjoying the game. The team hardly looks the same as it did under Mourinho, despite no major additions to the side in the January transfer window.
The change in the team's performance has bought much delight to the fans, with many demanding that Solskjaer be give the top job full-time.
Here, we look at a multitude of reasons why Solskjaer must be appointed full-time:
1. He has worn the Manchester United Shirt
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a former Mancunian and knows the value of wearing the Red Devils' logo every time one steps on the pitch. He was the legendary super-sub in his time, and has delivered some unreal performances at the club.
He scored a dramatic stoppage time (or is it Fergie time?) winner against Bayern Munich to win the Champions League in 1999, and netted as many as 4 goals after coming on as a substitute (vs Nottingham Forest). He is someone who has been there, done that. And has remained very humble and loyal while doing so.
As a manager, Solskjaer is a role model for anyone playing at the club. His exploits as a player will only inspire the squad to greater heights.
Solskjaer can easily understand the pressures of playing for a club like United, and the glory that accompanies it.
2. Former youth side manager
Solskjaer was the full-time manager of the Manchester United Reserves from 2008 to 2011. During the period, some of the first-team regulars we see today, such as Pogba, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard, played under him.
Having a great pre-established rapport with them has benefited the club massively, as is obvious from the mood in the camp. A new manager has to build relationships with key players afresh; that is not always easy, as Mourinho's stint proved. The benefits of the understanding developed during his reserves stint are visible now, with the players looking to give their all in every match.
Familiarity with the academy also ensures that Solskjaer will continue the tradition of developing and introducing academy products to the first team. There has always been an academy product in every United starting line-up for a long time. These traditions seem to be in safe hands under Solskjaer.
3. Experience with Molde
In 2011, Solskjaer joined the Norwegian club Molde as its full-time manager, a team he had formerly played with. That year, Molde, for the first time in its history, won the Tippeligaen. Solskjaer then repeated the achievement the following year, successfully defending the title in 2012.
It is rare for any manager to win the league in his debut season as a manager, that too with a club which hasn't done it earlier. His stint at Molde shows that Solskjaer has the right instincts and understanding of the game at a very fundamental level. His tactics and selections are excellent, and he is capable of overcoming great challenges.
Critics will point to his subsequent failures with Cardiff. But those in no way undermine the fact that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is as good a manager as the striker he was.
4. Fan favourite
The fans of any club are the club's biggest asset. But it is rarely easy for new managers to win them over; it takes time for them to win the fans' support. Until they manage that, every little action invites tremendous scrutiny - especially now, in the age of social media.
Being a Manchester United legend, Solskjaer has the undying adulation of the fans, especially for his contributions in the treble winning season of 1998. This cult following provides him with a buffer from the fans' anger, especially if a few results go awry.
This reduces the pressure on him to make popular decisions; Solskjaer can focus more on the needs of the club rather than the demands of the fans.
Moreover, with Solskjaer at the helm, the club management can focus on the long-term instead of immediate results, as it is virtually impossible for a Manchester United fan to stay upset with the baby-faced assassin.
5. Ferguson understudy
Sir Alex Ferguson is the gold standard when it comes to managing a modern day club. Having spent a major portion of his playing career under Ferguson, Solskjaer actively picked up coaching and managing skills from the legend. Solskjaer was a student of the game under Ferguson.
According to team-mate Ryan Giggs, Solskjaer would take notes in the dressing room when he was injured. "He's gradually got more experience and when he had that injury and time out he used to take notes of things Sir Alex [Ferguson] would do, so I believed he would do a good job and go in to coaching," Giggs told the media
Everything we've seen ever since he took charge as interim manager, reminds us of the Fergie way. What more could anyone ask for?
6. Hair dryer!
Do not be fooled by the baby-faced appearance. Solskjaer isn't afraid to unleash the hair-dryer treatment that Sir Alex Ferguson was (in)famous for.
Ferguson was known for meting out the hair-dryer to any player who did not meet the exacting standards that Ferguson and the club demanded. In the opinion of the current Manchester United players, Solskjaer isn't shy of using the same treatment.
In Jesse Lingard's words, "He's got a hair-dryer in him. He'll put his foot down and tell you how it is. That's what you need sometimes if a game is going well, you need a pick-me-up to remind yourself that you are a Man Utd player and you play with pride and passion."
The hair-dryer treatment that served the club so well is back, and the fans would be hoping that the winning ways will soon be back too.
7. The interim stint
When Solskjaer took over at Manchester United, the team was in shambles, brooding and consistently underperforming (to put it mildly). Since he took over, in the 10 matches they have played, United have not lost a single game - with a solitary draw marring an otherwise perfect record.
United have won more games than any PL club since Solskjaer's appointment. They have faced top clubs, bottom clubs, gone behind and won, maintained leads and even scored in Fergie time. Since Sir Alex Ferguson left, the team has never looked this dominant.
The mood of the team has improved drastically. Paul Pogba is finally showing his worth on the pitch, and the world is taking notice of Rashford. The players are gelling well, and playing to a plan.
This performance is the most solid argument any manager can pitch for a full-time role. The results are there for everyone to see. If the proof of the pie is in the eating, Manchester United fans have developed an insatiable craving for the pie Solskjaer is serving.
