The last 10 games presided over by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer proved to define for Manchester United and the boss himself. He started 2020 with persistent talks of getting the boot and the presumptive replacement, Mauricio Pochettino, out there and very much available. Now, all those talks have become what used to be - rumors.
What is real is the turnaround that the club and the United community are witnessing. The last game at Old Trafford saw the Red Devils dominating the side of Pep Guardiola. That meeting counted as the third Manchester derby of the season, and Solskjaer emerged the winner on all three occasions.
BBC said the Norwegian manager is starting to silence the critics and making sure that the support he got from the fans was worth it. Truth be told, United is now in a better shape thanks to the recruitment moves instigated by Solskjaer.
The English club spent £45 million to bring Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Old Trafford, and the investment is paying off. As the report said, the 22-year-old got the better of Raheem Sterling, and the City star was made to painfully realize who was better at the pitch during the encounter.
And the fans made sure the youngster knows he is loved, and his domination of Sterling won "roars of approval from Old Trafford's gallery."
However, the real United hero now is Bruno Fernandes, who came in from Sporting in January. It's interesting to note that Fernandes came from the same club that Cristiano Ronaldo played before making debut with the Red Devils, so the expectations are high.
So far, Fernandes is living up to the promise and more than enough. Since the first day of wearing the United jersey, the club has eluded the taste of defeat. The Portuguese brought with him the undefined quality that makes for a potent attack whenever he's operating on the pitch.
"Fernandes provides United with a focal point, a game-changer and a player whose speed of thought and action is already offering Solskjaer's team a new dimension," the report said.
Most importantly, the new hire being around and doing what he does best made the United supporters forget about Paul Pogba. Although Solskjaer has made it clear that he wants to see the two midfielders play at the same time and make life difficult for rival teams.
The Guardian said things are looking up for United under Solskjaer. The club's unbeaten run in the last 10 games also showed off an impressive clean sheet in the majority of the last 10 games with only two goals conceded to the opponents.
The report said there is an important lesson that United appears to be teaching. When the clamor grew that Solskjaer is sacked due to a poor start in the term, the club hierarchy instead gave the manager their vote of confidence.
The Norwegian himself asked for patience, and now he is proving that such character is a virtue, and the trust bestowed to the once embattled manager is now paying off.
