From Solskjær to Henry: 5 managers who are currently managing their former clubs

Football fans, especially Premier League ones, have witnessed a dramatic turnaround in Manchester United's fortunes this past month.

From consecutive losses to Valencia and Liverpool to the sacking of José Mourinho, the appointment of former spearhead Ole Gunnar Solskjær as manager and finally a glimpse of the Ferguson days in the Red Devil's 5 - 1 thrashing of Cardiff City.

The Norweigan's appointment indeed came as a shock for many, but last night's result may prove that it was the best way forward. United fans are rejoicing at the fact that their former player is now their manager.

But they are not the only club with a coach who has previously donned their colours. Without further ado, here are five ex-players who are now managing the same club.

---

#5 Ole Gunnar Solskjær (Manchester United)

Ole got off to a tremendous start

Well, who better to start with than the man making all the headlines today. Ole Gunnar Solskjær has just begun his United tenure, and fans are already going crazy over his appointment.

The man on loan from Molde has managed to change the mindset of the dressing room and employ a more attacking style of football, which was just what every United fan wanted.

Under José Mourinho, the team would occasionally push back and look to defend leads instead of taking advantage, while last night's clash under the Norweigan proved otherwise. After Rashford's 3rd minute blinder, United kept on pushing Cardiff's defensive line, before breaking through again in the 29th minute.

From there, United never backed down, which resulted in three additional goals, making the scoreline a resounding 5-1 for the visitors.

Although Manchester United's board has explicitly stated that they will look for a permanent manager next summer, they should not rule out the possibility of hiring Solskjær on a permanent basis if the team continues to perform like this.

#4 Niko Kovač (Bayern München)

Kovač was appointed in July, ahead of the 2018-19 season

In the summer of 2018, Bundesliga champions Bayern München announced Croat Niko Kovač as Heynckes's replacement, after the former's DFB Pokal win with Eintracht Frankfurt swayed the Munich board.

Kovač spent most of his professional footballing career in Germany, representing Die Roten from 2001 to 2003 and going on to make over 30 appearances for the club. As a manager, Kovač managed the Croatian National team to the group stages of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, before taking on the reigns at Eintracht Frankfurt.

In the past few months, Kovač has been criticized not only for his tactics and strategies but also for the fact that rivals Borussia Dortmund seem to be running away with the Bundesliga title.

However, with five consecutive wins this past month, it looks like the Croat is slowly steadying the ship at Munich.

#3 Santiago Solari (Real Madrid)

Santiago Solari recently led Real Madrid to yet another Club WC trophy

Real Madrid's current head coach Santiago Solari has represented Los Blancos during the Galacticos period, from 2000 till 2005 to be precise.

Interestingly enough, the Argentine moved to the Bernabéu from local rivals Atlético Madrid, for whom he played in the 1999/00 season.

Solari was initially appointed caretaker manager after the sacking of Julen Lopetegui in late October. Solari's 4-match winning streak and the fact that Spanish regulations don't allow any club to have an interim manager for over two weeks led Real Madrid to appoint him on a permanent basis.

Ever since then, Madrid seems to have regained their lost form, winning the FIFA Club World Cup after defeating Al Ain 4-1 in last night's encounter and moving up the LaLiga table from 9th to 4th in over a month.

#2 Ernesto Valverde (FC Barcelona)

Ernesto Valverde played as a striker at the Nou Camp

Ernesto Valverde has been Barcelona's manager for just over a year and a half now and has already made significant changes to the club.

Former club-record signing Neymar Jr. was sold to Paris Saint-Germain in a mouthwatering €222m deal, while his Brazilian teammate Philippe Coutinho moved to Catalonia from Liverpool for €160m.

Barcelona have also gone on to lift the 2017-18 LaLiga trophy after almost going unbeaten throughout the entire season. As a player, Valverde made his mark on Spanish football during his stint at local rivals RCD Espanyol, going on to make just over 70 appearances for the club before moving to Barcelona.

Valverde went on to win many accolades in his two-year stint at the club, including a Copa del Rey trophy, before shifting to Athletic Bilbao.

Now, Valverde's men are into the last 16 of the Champions League and are currently first in the league table, three points off rivals Atlético Madrid.

#1 Thierry Henry (AS Monaco)

Henry's stint with Monaco hasn't gone according to plan at all

Arsenal and Monaco legend Thierry Henry got the rare opportunity of managing the latter after the sacking of Leonardo Jardim, but nothing seems to be working for him at the moment.

Monaco under Henry's management are currently 19th in Ligue 1 and have been knocked out of all European competitions this season.

His playing career with the club, however, looks the complete opposite with the Frenchman being their rising star during the late '90s.

Henry started out working under the tutelage of Arsène Wenger and playing alongside the likes of David Trezeguet while at Monaco, going on to make a century of appearances for Les Monégasques before transferring to Juventus in 1999.

Now, Henry is tasked with saving his first club from relegation and transforming them back to the club they once were a couple of seasons ago.