Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made three tactical changes to Man Utd immediately after joining

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By Rob Hoskin

Published Jan 16, 2019

Solskjaer knew exactly what he had to change when he joined

The turnaround in Manchester United’s fortunes under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been remarkable.

It’s six wins out of six for the interim manager and, out of nowhere, United are now eyeing a top-four spot.

While wins against Cardiff, Huddersfield, Bournemouth, Newcastle and Reading were pleasing, it was United’s 1-0 win at Wembley against Spurs that captured everyone’s attention.

It came less than one month after United were brushed aside by Liverpool 3-1 at Anfield it what proved to be Jose Mourinho’s final game in charge.

So how has Solskjaer turned things around so quickly?

Well, Manchester Evening News have produced a report explaining how the Norwegian immediately made three tactical changes upon his arrival.

The report states that within minutes of Solskjaer’s first match against Cardiff, these changes were immediately evident.

Of course, the club's former striker had probably watched plenty of United matches under Mourinho this season and already had a clear idea of how to improve the results.

SOLSKJAER'S THREE TACTICAL CHANGES

There were:

- Playing Victor Lindelof in his natural position, at right-sided centre-back, and allowing him to bring the ball out so United could build from the back.

- Pushing the full-backs higher up the field to give his side natural width so the three forwards, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard, could drift into their favoured central position.

- Pressing higher up the pitch and moving the ball quicker with fewer touches.

Small, simple tweaks that haven't required a new formation or personnel.

And it seems Solskjaer’s new approach is working perfectly.

The Red Devils now find themselves just six points off the top-four and with league fixtures coming up against Brighton (H), Burnley (H), Leicester (A) and Fulham (A) you wouldn’t bet against this new look United occupying a Champions League place before too long.

Among those league games, though, United face a trip to Arsenal in the FA Cup then, following the Fulham fixture, take on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.