MANCHESTER (AP): They’ve quickly created a song for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United.
“Ole’s at the wheel,” the United faithful chant about their new manager. “Tell me how good does it feel.”
Much, much better than it did under Jose Mourinho.
The cloud over England’s biggest soccer club has been lifted since United fired Mourinho, perhaps its most divisive manager ever, last month and replaced him with its former striker from Norway.
The effect: United has won five straight matches — four in the Premier League and another in the FA Cup — and scored 16 goals in the process.
The team and the fans have their swagger back. Where Mourinho scowled, Solskjaer smiles. Marquee players Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez, shunned by Mourinho, already look revitalized under Solskjaer.
So how has the man once known at United as the “Baby-faced Assassin” because of his boyish looks and ruthlessness in front of goal masterminded such a rapid turnaround of fortunes at the club?
The charm offensive began immediately, although it just feels natural with Solskjaer.
On his first day in his dream job, he made an early-morning arrival at United’s training ground and gave a bar of Norwegian chocolate to the receptionist , Kath, who was working at the club throughout his time there as a player.
In many ways, Solskjaer accepted a daunting task when approached by vice executive chairman Ed Woodward to take over from Mourinho. United was sixth in the Premier League, 19 points off the lead and 11 adrift of the Champions League qualification positions, after its worst start to a top-flight season. Its squad looked lopsided, the dressing room fractured.
Yet he has taken to one of the most pressure-filled positions in world soccer with ease. Always smiling, always with a cheerful disposition. Just simply enjoying himself.
“They are good players and it’s up to them to use their imagination, creativity and just enjoy playing for this club,” Solskjaer said, “because that’s the best time of your life.”
That positivity and joyfulness has been reflected on the field.
Defensive and cautious under the pragmatic Mourinho, United is playing with more freedom now and more akin to its traditions of attacking soccer.
Right from Solskjaer’s first match in charge — a 5-1 win at Cardiff — everything about United’s play has been forward-looking. The midfielders and wingers appear to be playing 20 yards further upfield and there is less fear about conceding a goal.
“It’s about us. It’s about Man United,” Solskjaer said. “We want to see them express themselves.”
