He looks a different player already
Manchester United cruised to a 3-1 victory this afternoon thanks to goals from Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matić.
Pogba’s brace comes just days after a dominant performance during United’s 5-0 thrashing against Cardiff.
Such sudden improvement in Pogba’s performances coinciding with the departure of José Mourinho and the arrival of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is no coincidence – it’s almost as if he is a very talented player who was underperforming due to the toxic environment he was forced to work in.
After their victory over Huddersfield, Solksjaer’s comments – just like his tactics – provided refreshing contrast to the negativity that had bled from Mourinho during his time at Old Trafford.
Solksjaer was full of praise for Pogba and backed him to fulfil his potential at the club, saying he is ‘a United boy through and through’.
“That’s the Paul I know, the one I’ve known since I had him in the reserves,” Solskjaer said.
“He’s always been a happy boy and always had a big smile on his face.
“When you play for United you should be happy. Of course it’s a responsibility but it’s also an honour and a privilege. He’s a United boy through and through.
“He knows what it means to play for Man United. Paul created two or three last time, this time he scored two himself and I hope he’ll enjoy it.”
Solskjaer also revealed that Alexis Sánchez, who struggled to make an impact during his first year at United, spent Christmas day working on his fitness at Carrington, calling the Chilean forward a ‘workaholic’.
The Norwegian manager was pleased with the team’s performance but acknowledged that there is still a way to go before United reach the level they want to play at.
“When we scored the second you saw the confidence growing, the attitude going forward, but we need to learn to slow the game down and play in their half,” he said.
“We didn’t do that enough. You don’t change anything but the mindset in one week. I want my team to play in a certain way and you give them little pointers here and there.
“But it’s a work in progress. It’s going to take time for players to go from one manager with the details I wanted and I’ve got a little bit of a tweak.”
