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Reappraising Solskjaer’s Old Trafford Legacy

Manchester United’s stoppage-time equaliser at Tottenham, stretching an unbeaten run to five games, helped revive the sense of progress that has grown during Ruben Amorim’s second season. Yet as optimism builds, Simon Stone’s thoughtful piece for BBC Sport invites a return to a bigger question. What should we make of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign, four years on from his departure and long after the dust has supposedly settled?

Respecting Achievements

It is easy to forget the scale of what Solskjaer achieved. United finished second in 2020, scoring 73 goals, their highest tally since the end of the Sir Alex Ferguson era. They were top of the Premier League after four games of the 2021-22 season. Stone quotes a source close to the manager who insisted, “He is absolutely far better than many people give him credit for.”

Those early months under Solskjaer were genuinely transformative. Fourteen wins in seventeen games created a mood that the club had struggled to rediscover post-Ferguson. The dramatic 2-1 triumph away to Paris Saint-Germain, sealed by Marcus Rashford’s stoppage-time penalty, remains one of United’s standout European nights since 2011. The emotional reconnection was real and, for many supporters, unforgettable.

Culture, Standards, Connection

Stone’s reporting highlights Solskjaer’s human touch. The warm greeting for receptionist Kath Phipps, the Christmas party appearance, the small gestures that helped “open the door and got them to smile again.” A colleague described him as “an optimist to the limit,” and those around Carrington speak of renewed positivity and higher standards. The return of blazers on away trips, more inclusive spaces at the training ground, and a sense that the club felt lighter all mattered.

Solskjaer’s win rate of 54.2 percent, 91 victories in 168 matches, places him higher than several United managers who followed Ferguson. He reached five semi finals and took the club to the Europa League final in 2021, losing only on penalties. As one insider said, “He was brilliant at man-managing the players. The culture was incredible.”

When It Unravelled

No story is complete without its decline. The arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, described as euphoric at first, disrupted the pressing system that Solskjaer and Kieran McKenna had built. “The system had to change, which is fine, but Ole couldn’t make it work,” a dressing room figure admitted. Six defeats in eleven matches, including the 5-0 against Liverpool and the 4-1 collapse at Watford, brought an end that even Solskjaer privately accepted.

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Yet as another source noted of the Watford match, “It hadn’t all gone wrong, but that is when you need backing.” Players insist he never truly lost the dressing room. Results under Carrick and Rangnick improved, but the same group had already shown they could play for Solskjaer too.

Fair Assessment

Maybe the mistake has been to turn Solskjaer’s tenure into a cautionary tale rather than a nuanced chapter. He built a culture, restored pride, and twice delivered top three finishes. As Stone’s reporting suggests, the negatives have been overplayed and the achievements casually forgotten.

Our View, EPL Index Analysis

For many Manchester United supporters, especially those watching Ruben Amorim’s current side take shape, Solskjaer’s era carries a strange mix of fondness and frustration. There is pride in the big European nights, the top three finishes, the rebuilding of a fractured squad, and the sense that Old Trafford felt like a happier place. Fans remember how players responded to him, how the football felt freer, and how belief slowly returned after the Mourinho years.

At the same time, supporters know that the lack of trophies became a weight no one could quite shake. The Europa League final against Villarreal still stings. Many fans feel that with one piece of silverware that squad could have turned a corner, especially with Bruno Fernandes in peak form and young talents emerging.

The Ronaldo return is still debated. Some fans felt it was a romantic decision that came at the wrong time for a system built around mobility, pressing, and collective movement. Others believe Solskjaer deserved more control over transfers and more support during the unraveling period.

Now, watching Amorim’s energetic, tactical approach, supporters can appreciate that the club has evolved. But many also see Solskjaer’s tenure as a stabilising bridge, a period where the dressing room became united again and the club rediscovered its identity. For those reasons, plenty of fans believe Solskjaer does deserve more respect, not as a perfect manager but as a figure who helped reset the club at a crucial moment.