Manchester United confirm Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as permanent manager
Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as their permanent manager. Ole has been given a three-year contract. The 45-year-old arrived at Old Trafford on an interim basis in December 2018 after replacing former boss Jose Mourinho. This is a big moment for both Ole and the players, who have thrived under his tenure so far. Here's more.
Official: Ole appointed United manager
This is the job that I always dreamed of: Ole
Solskjaer said that he has always dreamed of this job. "This is the job that I always dreamed of doing and I'm beyond excited to have the chance to lead the club long term. From the first day I arrived, I felt at home at this special club. The last few months have been a fantastic experience," said the Norwegian.
United have transformed under Ole
United were sixth in the Premier League when Solskjaer took the command. They were also 11 points off the top four. Since then, the club has lost only once in 13 league games. They are now two points behind Arsenal, which occupy the final Champions League qualifying spot. Solskjaer also won the first six league games, beating a record held by Sir Matt Busby.
United have also reached the Champions League quarters
United have also reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2014. They overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit to beat Paris Saint-Germain. They face Barcelona in the last eight of the 2018-19 Champions League season.
Solskjaer was set to get the job: Our take
Earlier, we had stated that Solskjaer is likely to get the job irrespective of how United finish the season. Reports had stated that their chief target was Mauricio Pochettino. But with Pochettino set to stay at Tottenham, and United players being happy under Ole, the decision always seemed to be an easy one to make.
Pogba had highlighted Ole's influence
Days earlier, Paul Pogba had highlighted Ole's significance. "He is a really happy coach that gave confidence back to the players. This gave us the freedom to play and enjoy football again because maybe we lost that with the results that we had before."
