Solskjaer: The man who awakens the hearts of the Red Devils!
(Baonghean.vn) - Although he has only been leading the Old Trafford team for a short time, what coach Solskjaer has done has exceeded the expectations of the Red Devils of Manchester fans. It can be said that the Norwegian strategist is on the way to awaken the Red Devils of Manchester with eye-catching attacking football.
Manchester United is known as the most successful club in the "foggy country", that is indisputable. Because, in addition to winning many big and small titles from domestic and continental levels, the Red Devils of Manchester are also famous for their fiery attacking style of play that has touched the hearts of many "football" fans.
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| Coach Solskjaer is helping the Red Devils of Manchester regain the joy of winning. Photo: Foxsports |
Throughout their history, the Red Devils of Manchester have won almost every major and minor title they have ever participated in. They are the team that holds the record of 20 domestic championships, 12 FA Cups, 5 League Cups, 3 Champions League titles, 1 UEFA Cup Winners Cup, 1 UEFA Europa League, 1 European Super Cup, 1 Intercontinental Cup and 1 FIFA Club World Cup and are the team that holds the record of 21 FA Community Shield titles.
Most notably, in the 1998-1999 season, Manchester United became the first English team to win the "treble" in one season, including the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League titles.
With that massive collection of titles, it has clearly affirmed the superior strength of the Red Devils in both domestic and continental arenas. And obviously, the home team of the "Theater of Dreams" has become a brand, the most admired football team in the world.
Despite being the country that holds the record for the number of times crowned champions in the tournament considered the most attractive and competitive on the planet. However, since Sir Alex Ferguson decided to part ways with the Red Devils after more than 20 years of association in the 2012-2013 season, the Red Devils of Manchester have lost the best that Sir Alex had worked so hard to build.
In the past 5 seasons, the Old Trafford team has been one of the most active teams in the transfer market, bringing to the "theater of dreams" many talented players and experienced strategists such as David Moyes, Louis Van Gaal and "The Special One" Mourinho in the hope of regaining the lost "glory".
However, what the fans of the Red Devils of Manchester received was utter disappointment. Under the hands of three strategists with different football philosophies, the Old Trafford team, from the team considered to be the most traditional in the foggy country, seems to have lost its trademark style of play.
They play like a mid-table team and often lose to the “Big Six” teams. That is something that is hard to accept for Manchester United fans.
To save the Portuguese captain's sinking ship from a hopeless crisis, the board of directors of the Red Devils of Manchester decided to "break up" with coach Mourinho at a time when the Premier League is entering its most intense phase.
This was a bold but reasonable decision, especially after what the “Special One” had shown. They quickly appointed coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on loan from Molde Club, until the 2018-2019 season officially ended.
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| Pogba is reviving under coach Solskjaer. Photo: Foxsports |
With the experience of a striker wearing the traditional red shirt and a thorough understanding of the Old Trafford team's fiery passing and attacking style of play, the Norwegian strategist quickly erased the "gloomy" atmosphere that coach Mourinho had created since the beginning of the season.
Instead, Solskjaer breathed new life into the Red Devils of Manchester. He found the key to solving the Pogba problem, the "blockbuster" contract that previous coach Mourinho had been struggling to find a solution for over the past 2 seasons.
The difference between the strategist previously nicknamed "the baby-faced assassin" and the Portuguese strategist is that he builds for the Red Devils a collective playing style, moving a lot and coordinating in groups in narrow spaces, quickly handling situations in front of the opponent's goal.
He has done away with the defensive, calculated style of play that his predecessor had built by allowing the full-backs to push forward to provide more attacking options. The forwards have to be quick to get the ball in as quickly as possible within the opposition's 16m50 area.
If the tactic applied by coach Mourinho is to "brake" the players with a calculated tactical system, then the Norwegian strategist has "released the brakes" to let the players really play football, they move more, handle the ball faster and tend to attack every time they have the ball.
Solskjaer always asks the players to move forward whether the result is 1 goal, 2 goals or 3 goals or more, he does not allow the players to stop when the match is not over. This is something that fans have seen under Sir Alex and is also a tradition that has created the brand of the Red Devils of Manchester.
Although he has only led the Red Devils of Manchester in two matches against Cardiff City and Huddersfield Town, the Norwegian strategist has clearly demonstrated his attacking football philosophy, and the players have thus relieved the heavy pressure of the post-Mourinho era.
They played with ease, attacked with fire, moved reasonably, coordinated well, completely controlled the statistics of the match and especially knew how to find the opponent's net 3 or more goals. Something that for his predecessor Mourinho was a rare "luxury".
It is too early to confirm that coach Solskjaer will help Manchester United squeeze into the Top 4, however, what the Old Trafford team is doing has contributed to awakening a Red Devils who are taking root in the post-Sir Alex era.