The Weekly Take, Issue 53: Still Clutch as Ever

Throughout his career as a footballer, Ole Gunnar Solskjær was known for his clutch play in high-pressure situations.

Of course, the most famous such example took place in Manchester United’s 1999 Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich. Having come on as a substitute in the 81st minute, Solskjær went on to score the title-winning goal in stoppage time. The victory meant that the Red Devils clinched the Treble that season, becoming only the fourth team to do so and the first from a major league.

Another classic Solskjær clutch play took place against Newcastle in 1998. Newcastle’s Rob Lee was closing in on the Manchester United goal and was about to score the Magpies’ game-winning goal. A Newcastle win would have dealt a significant blow to United’s title challenge. Then, just when it was least expected, Solskjær tore across the field, somehow made up an enormous distance deficit, and barrelled into Lee to prevent the goal. Although the Norwegian did receive a red card for the tackle, he made a big play in a high-pressure situation – something which, as I mentioned, would become a feature of his career.

It now appears that Solskjær’s “clutch gene” has carried over to the other side of the touchline. Ever since taking over as United’s head coach in December 2018, he has done an outstanding job.

This week, he had his best moment in the position thus far, as United scored a sensational Champions League upset victory over Paris Saint-Germain. United’s 3-1 victory made up for a 2-0 first-leg loss, with Marcus Rashford scoring the penalty that put them into the quarterfinals for the first time since 2014.

It’s impossible to understate how great Solskjær has been thus far.

Since Solskjær took over, United have won 14 out of 17 matches, and of the three they did not win, one was the first leg of the Champions League match against PSG, while another was a 0-0 draw against Liverpool. Over those 17 matches, United have scored 39 goals while conceding just 13.

Solskjær has also managed to revive the seasons of players who had been slumping badly prior to his appointment. The likes of Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, and Anthony Martial all seem to have received something of a second wind. Pogba has also rediscovered the superstar levels which he is capable of but not reached for some time now.

United truly had the deck stacked against them heading into the second leg against PSG. Key players such as Martial, Nemanja Matić, and Ander Herrera were all absent due to injuries. On top of that, Pogba was suspended after receiving a red card in the first leg. Add the facts that United were already trailing by two goals and that the second leg was to be played at PSG’s Parc des Princes, and one could easily see why most assumed that PSG would make short work of United.

Yet somehow, against all the odds, Solskjær led United to an improbable victory. Despite having much less possession and far fewer goalscoring chances, United came in with just the right strategy to neutralize the threats posed by the likes of Marco Verratti, Kylian Mbappé, and, sweetest of all, former United player Ángel Di María. The Argentine had recently trash-talked his former club, so it was especially pleasing for United to get their revenge in this way.

Solskjær has been able to do something that even legendary coaches such as Louis van Gaal and José Mourinho could not. He has once again turned United into a powerhouse of world football. They actually look like genuine contenders to win the Champions League – something they have not been since the 2011-12 season.

It doesn’t always work out when a retired player returns to coach his former team. The likes of Filippo Inzaghi, Clarence Seedorf, and more recently, Santiago Solari are all evidence of this.

However, this is clearly not the case with Solskjær. Although he has only been at the helm of Manchester United for a short time, he has already done great things.

United’s numerous fans have good reason to be optimistic, because with Ole Gunnar Solskjær in the dugout, this team’s future is brighter than it has been for a very long time.