Assessing Manchester United’s form since Ole Gunnar’s take over and the likely ‘outcast’

Romelu Lukaku Is Yet To Start A Premier League Game For Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Seven wins from seven. The impact of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as Manchester United manager should not be underestimated as he is finally getting the best out of a group of players who were underperforming in such abysmal fashion for his predecessor, Jose Mourinho.

While Mourinho will blame everyone else under the sun except for himself for United’s dismal campaign up until his departure, it is no coincidence that the Manchester United squad are thriving under a manager who is instilling them with confidence.

One player epitomises the rejuvenated form of the Red Devils under Solskjaer and that is Marcus Rashford. A forward who struggled to convince Mourinho of his worth, Rashford made 125 appearances for the former United manager, scoring 28 goals and laying on 20 assists.

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Rashford was involved in a goal (i.e.scored or provided an assist) every 250 minutes during Mourinho’s reign and even some encouraging form earlier this season wasn’t enough to earn a regular place in his former boss’s plans.

Step forward, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

It is clear that Rashford suits the way that the new United manager wants to play and the 21-year-old has been thriving. It is amazing what a show of confidence can do for a player as Rashford has scored five goals and laid on one assist in Solskjaer’s seven-match winning start to his reign as manager at Old Trafford. Rashford has been involved in a goal every 88 minutes he has been on the pitch for Solskjaer.

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While Rashford is thriving as the main man at the Theatre of Dreams at the moment, spare a thought for Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian forward has had to make do with a role from the substitute’s bench as he is yet to start a league game for Solskjaer, although he has scored three goals in five appearances in all competitions for the Norwegian, including one in the only game he started against Reading in the FA Cup.

Could Lukaku’s best role now be as a super-sub? It was an assignment that suited Solskjaer well during his own playing days with United, although it is easy to forget that Lukaku is still just 25.

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A forward who has scored 109 goals in 240 Premier League appearances could be forgiven for wanting to start games regularly and he is at a stage of his career where he should be reaching his peak, not sitting on the bench.

Time is still on Lukaku’s side but it is clear he must produce more if his time at Old Trafford is to be deemed a success. After falling out of favour under Mourinho and falling behind Rashford in Solskjaer’s pecking order, Lukaku needs to take every opportunity with both hands if his stay with United is to extend beyond the summer.

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