Ole Gunnar Solskjaer bested Mauricio Pochettino yesterday in what was the ultimate job interview for the Manchester United managerial position. The Red Devils bested Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, giving Solskjaer wins in his first six games on the job.
He became the first United manager ever to do so, with the previous record being five games, held by Sir Matt Busby.
Solskjaer has unshackled the team, letting them play free and loose, and the results have followed. United are entertaining again, and the 45-year-old Norwegian is beloved, at least right now, by both supporters and players.
Perhaps the path of least resistance is the way to go in settling the United managerial issue? If it’s broke don’t fix it, right? A blog on NBC Sports puts forth this idea, and further explains why it makes sense.
As it currently stands, conventional wisdom holds that Pochettino is the number one choice/most desired target to take over on a permanent basis. England manager Gareth Southgate is considered the fall back option if Poch can not be procured.
As for Solskjaer, one would have to think that if he were guide the team to a top four finish and/or make a very deep run in the UEFA Champions League, he would get to stay on long-term, right?
Perhaps even a FA Cup title could persuade the board into letting him stay on, maybe?
Elsewhere, Paul Pogba has spoken up about his being frozen out under Jose Mourinho, and how everything changed when Solskjaer took over. With four goals and four assists, no player has been involved in more scoring since the Solskjaer interim regime began.
Quotes via The Guardian.
“Before the coach arrived I was in the shadows, on the bench, and I accepted that,” said Pogba.
“It is a pleasure to play again. Now I am always smiling… It’s a pleasure to be reunited with him. I knew him from the academy and the reserves, when his nickname was ‘Supersub’. He is doing a really good job. As a player he knew the mentality of this club. He has come back to help us and it is going very well.”
Finally, in the last item of the all Solskjaer effect edition of Man United news and notes, winger Jesse Lingard has said that Marcus Rashford has been taking shooting tips from his caretaker manager/the man who was known as the “baby faced assassin” during his playing days.
“Throughout the training sessions in Dubai he’s been practicing his finishing with the manager,” said Lingard.
“It’s prepared him for big games and moments like that.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.