As we reach the midway point of the 2020-2021 Premier League campaign, fans of English football are being treated to one of the most intense title races in living memory. The last couple of seasons may have seen Liverpool and Manchester City dominate, but Manchester United now seem to be back with a bang, ready to mount a serious challenge after climbing to the summit for the first time in years.
United are now Premier League contenders
Confidence appears to be growing around Manchester United once again. After seven disappointing seasons without winning the title, a feat the club hasn’t achieved since legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson retired, they are once again creating a buzz around online
Premier League betting markets as they are third favourites. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appears to have finally forged a side of genuine title contenders, with his team now amongst the favourites.
Buoyed by stellar performances from their influential Portuguese star Bruno Fernandes, who could end the campaign hitting double figures for both goals and assists, the Premier League form of the Red Devils has been blazing hot in recent months. Marcus Rashford has also been on the rampage, just behind his continental colleague in the scoring and creativity stakes. The influence of both is telling and both players are keenly followed at betting exchanges.
Solskjaer will always be a playing legend
Banners placed around Old Trafford clearly indicate what Solskjaer meant to fans as a player. Despite scoring 41 goals in 54 games with Molde FK in his home country, the Norwegian striker was an unknown quantity anywhere else, although he took to the Premier League like a duck to water. After scoring an impressive 18 Premier League goals in his first campaign at Manchester United, he was dubbed “The Baby-faced Assassin” by the British media
Perhaps the most iconic image of
Solskjaer the goalscorer was netting the stoppage-time winner, as United triumphed in extremis against Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final. That moment alone was enough to make him a legendary figure amongst fans, although it was much more than that. Solskjaer never complained if he was parked on the bench, often assuming the super-sub role and scoring vital goals. He was a team player and fans loved that.
Desire for Solskjaer to succeed as manager
Even after hanging up his boots, it soon became clear that Solskjaer saw a future for himself in coaching, including an initial spell as manager of the reserve team, where he nurtured then-emerging talents like Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard. After returning to Norway to successfully take the helm at Molde FC, he returned to Premier League for a difficult spell at Cardiff City, albeit without being able to help the struggling club avoid relegation.
Following another successful stint with Molde back in his homeland, Solskjaer accepted the call to help steer Manchester United back in the right direction when Jose Mourinho was ousted from the Old Trafford hotseat. The positive
effect was immediate, he became the first coach since Sir Matt Busby to win his first five games in charge. Since then, United have made steady progress and now appear ready for the next step.
Could this be Solskjaer's breakthrough year
When you’re managing the biggest club in England and one of the most iconic in world football, there’s a constant hunger for silverware and sustained success. Solskjaer has yet to win a trophy since returning to Old Trafford as a manager, yet it’s hard to shake the sensation that impatient fans won’t have much longer to wait. Always willing to confront any challenge with his habitual smile, this good-natured coach may be on the cusp of success he deserves.