We’re not surprised, are we?
The contrast between the Manchester United of a month ago and the current United side is astounding. In every way, they look re-energised and liberated. The players seem to be enjoying playing again. And it all seems to stem from the club’s decision to replace José Mourinho with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
So far, the new manager’s tactics seem to involve allowing the players freedom to make forward runs, take players on, and moving the ball along the ground at a high tempo. It should come as no surprise, then, that the likes of Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku are starting to play as well as we know they can.
Lukaku in particular looked lost under Mourinho – not knowing where to run, unable to hold the ball up, he was ineffective. That has all changed recently, and the Belgian striker has put his upturn in form down to Solksjaer’s influence.
“Movement-wise, and stuff like that, but obviously he knows the type of striker that I am,” he said.
“I think from the first day when I came back in, he did a total analysis of my game and I was really surprised.
“He helped me a lot and I am looking forward to keeping on working with him.
“He talks to me all the time, all the time and I like that, and he plays in a way that I like to play, and also the rest of the team.
“We are just enjoying our football right now, but he wants us to win and we want to win.”
Solskjaer was of course a prolific striker for United during his playing days, and particularly effective coming off the bench. He has used Lukaku in a similar role, coming on to join Marcus Rashford in the attack, and it has worked wonders.
You’d suspect, though, that if Lukaku keeps up this form, he’ll be back int he starting XI in no time.
