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It is no secret that Manchester United have massively improved under Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer. Their recent form has been amazing, as they have won all but two games under the Norwegian care-taker manager.
Solskjaer has surely brought back the United way of playing that the fans were craving for.
Against Chelsea in the FA Cup, the team will face one its most difficult challenges since the appointment of Solskjaer. That's especially so after they lost two goals to nil against PSG in the Champions League.
That loss, however, doesn’t take away from the fact that the players have looked more happy and assured under the Norwegian manager. They have been playing with all the confidence you’d expect of Manchester United players. When they walk onto the pitch they look like they want to win the match rather than looking defeated.
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David De Gea continues to shine between the sticks, Paul Pogba now looks like a world class midfielder and Marcus Rashford is finally proving his potential. Of course, there have been other top performers in the team too such as Ander Herrera and Victor Lindelof.
Against a Chelsea side that has looked vulnerable at times this season, Manchester United will have to bring their A game if they are to get back to winning ways.
Here are four players that need to be on point if the team is to secure a win against Chelsea.
1. Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba is finally coming of age for Manchester United after initially struggling for form. The change to how he now approaches games can be attributed to the influence of Solsjkaer; he’s certainly been set free, and he’s thriving.
Since the appointment of the new manager, Pogba has looked rejuvenated and capable of being the player that Manchester United should build a team around. His huge potential is now showing, as he is bossing games from midfield under the Norwegian manager.
Chelsea will have taken note of this of course, and will want to keep a leash on him so as to avoid being marauded by his deadly attacks.
Pogba is slowly developing into a box-box midfielder now [with defensive burdens taken off], so that he can influence games often. Under Solsjkaer, the flamboyant Frenchman has already scored seven goals and contributed five assists in just 12 games. That’s pretty impressive for a midfielder.
2. Marcus Rashford
What a season the young Englishman Marcus Rashford is having. He has even gone as far as to keep 75£ million striker Romelu Lukaku on the bench for most parts of the season.
Manchester United faithful know all too well of his huge potential. And this season, Rashford has been showing that he is finally ready to knuckle down and secure that striker’s position on a full-time basis.
Before his sacking, Jose Mourinho had words of praise for the young forward. Rashford has continued his development well under Solskjaer.
He has hit the ground running for the Norwegian and is currently averaging a goal every other game. The Chelsea defence will have to be watchful of the young Manchester United forward, to say the least.
Rashford has already shown this season that he can be a danger from set pieces, and Chelsea will not want to concede any fouls around their box.
3. Ander Herrera
Another player that is thriving under the Norwegian tactician is Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera. While playing for previous bosses, he was mainly used as a destroyer, the one assigned to mark the opposition’s dangerous player. He did that job exceptionally well, and Eden Hazard has been one of his casualties.
Under Solskjaer, however, the Spaniard has been freed to exercise his technical ability too, which has seen Manchester United play with a different dimension in the middle of the park. Herrera is good with the ball at his feet and can easily hunt it down from opposing players. He’s a Paul Scholes type of player.
Herrera is now showing what he’s really about, and has certainly become one of the un-droppable players under Solskjaer. Couple all that with his high-intensity style of play, and he will hustle and hurry the Chelsea midfield and look to force them into mistakes.
If Manchester United are to win this match, then Herrera will have a big say in the proceedings.
4. Victor Lindelof
Another player that has been liberated by Solsjkaer’s free-flowing, attacking style of play is Victor Lindelof. He has certainly been one of the beneficiaries of the Ole-effect at Old Trafford. The Swedish defender is now proving just why United forked out that huge sum to get him from Benfica.
Under Solskjaer, Lindelof is playing with the confidence of a top-class defender, and has been stepping into the midfield and spraying passes in a conventional defender’s manner. The Swede is now among the first names on each of United's team sheets and against Chelsea, the Norwegian will want to have his best defender on the pitch.
With him being able to step into the midfield with the ball, it means that he can provide a different build-up dimension when the midfield is overwhelmed. Chelsea will want to have a close look at him and ensure that he doesn’t play a diagonal ball to the strikers as that can hurt them.
