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Manchester United made right move with Solskjaer

By Ernesto Hernandez

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 24: Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær before the pre-season friendly match between Queens Park Rangers and Manchester United at The Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium on July 24, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 24: Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær before the pre-season friendly match between Queens Park Rangers and Manchester United at The Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium on July 24, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 24: Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær during the pre-season friendly match between Queens Park Rangers and Manchester United at The Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium on July 24, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 24: Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær during the pre-season friendly match between Queens Park Rangers and Manchester United at The Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium on July 24, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images) /

Ole Gunner Solskjaer came to an agreement with Manchester United to sign a contract extension that will see him tied to the Red Devils until 2024, with an option for an additional year.

The Norwegian manager had one year left on his current deal.

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“Everyone knows the feeling I have for this club, and I am delighted to have signed this new contract,” Solskjaer said in a club statement. “It is an exciting time for Manchester United, we have built a squad with a good balance of youth and experienced players that are hungry for success.”

The extension may have raised a couple of eyebrows but Manchester United made the right move in signing Solskjaer to an extension.

While he is not everyone’s cup of tea, he did lead the club to a second place finish last season. He did, however, come up short in the Europa League final against Villarreal but they are in the Champions League next season.

Solskjaer was the best option for Manchester United

Solskjaer is not the perfect manager. But looking at the market for available managers, there were few out there that could have been an improvement once his contract ran out.

Antonio Conte was out there but he has his own demands that United may have balked at. He was close to joining Tottenham before that sizzled out. All the other high-profile names are taken. Mauricio Pochettino signed a new deal with PSG and Max Allegri went back to Juventus.

To his credit, Solskjaer has managed to right the ship, so to speak, after a tumultuous era under Jose Mourinho. He’s also managed to get the best out of certain players with Luke Shaw being the prime example.

With the addition of Jadon Sancho and the rumor linking Raphael Varane to the Red Devils, United are assembling a squad that should be able to compete in every competition.

What that means is the pressure is on for Solskjaer. He’s getting the players they need to be competitive. The onus now falls to him to get his side ticking and ready for the upcoming season.

United placed their trust on him by giving him this extension. It will now be up to him to live up to those expectations and repay that trust.

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“I have a fantastic coaching team around me, and we are all ready to take that next step on our journey,” Solskjaer said. “Manchester United wants to be winning the biggest and best trophies and that’s what we are all striving for. We have improved, both on and off the pitch, and that will continue over the coming seasons.”

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