Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's best games in charge of Man Utd - ranked
By Sean Walsh
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been sacked by Manchester United, and while it's very easy to criticise him for their horrendous start to the season, he still oversaw a pivotal period in the club's modern history.
The Norwegian found a broken team that needed uniting (pardon the pun) and over the next three years, Solskjaer would help prolong his storied legacy at Old Trafford by overseeing some memorable victories.
It's easy to forget that because of how sour affairs got towards the end of Solskjaer's reign, but let's take a look back to some happier times...
10. Cardiff 1-5 Man Utd
Let's go back to where it all started.
Solskjaer's first game in charge of Man Utd came at former club Cardiff - because the Premier League scriptwriters love a good storyline.
His time in south Wales was widely criticised and the Bluebirds were hoping to put Solskjaer in his place. It didn't work.
Marcus Rashford opened the scoring and a brace from Jesse Lingard closed it on a memorable night just before Christmas.
9. Man Utd 4-1 Newcastle
Man Utd fans furiously circled September 11 in their calendars after Cristiano Ronaldo completed a sensational transfer back to Old Trafford on deadline day.
Supporters were not left disappointed as CR7 bagged a brace on a day where it looked like United had arrived as Premier League title contenders.
8. Man Utd 5-1 Leeds
United welcomed a full-capacity crowd to Old Trafford for the first time since March 2020 in some style.
Raphael Varane was unveiled following his move from Real Madrid just prior to kick off, embracing Rio Ferdinand on the touchline and whipping up one hell of an atmosphere.
A stunning hat trick from Bruno Fernandes and four assists from Paul Pogba had their rivals from Yorkshire quaking in their boots.
7. PSG 1-2 Man Utd
After knocking Paris Saint-Germain out of the Champions League in dramatic fashion in 2019, United were written off on their return to Parc des Princes in the opening group game of the 2020/21 season.
So what happened? They beat Les Parisiens, again. Rashford scored a late winner, again.
6. Man Utd 5-0 RB Leipzig
It's hard to believe that United fell into the Europa League last season when they started off their Champions League campaign so flawlessly.
With another win in Paris in the books, United returned to Old Trafford to take on RB Leipzig, who had reached the semi-finals the previous season and were one of Europe's up and coming sides under Julian Nagelsmann.
But Solskjaer's side wiped the floor with them. Mason Greenwood fired United into a first half lead before a late blitz saw Rashford grab a hat trick and Anthony Martial convert from the spot.
5. Man Utd 9-0 Southampton
It feels like this game gets lost in United history because of the attention Southampton received for losing a match 9-0 for a second successive season.
And sure, the Saints had to play the majority of the game with ten men (and a little bit of it with nine), but this was Solskaer's United at their clinical best. Even Aaron Wan-Bissaka scored.
4. Man Utd 4-0 Chelsea
For all the talk of Frank Lampard's youth revolution at Chelsea, all of the criticism around United's transfer business, the Blues went to Old Trafford on the opening day of the 2019/20 season and got given the run-around.
Chelsea had some great chances at 0-0 and they would come back to haunt them as goals from Dan James, Martial and a brace from Rashford gave United the perfect start to the new campaign.
3. Man City 1-2 Man Utd
Solskjaer might not be an elite-level coach, but he sure knows how to get the better of the game's premier managers.
Pep Guardiola particularly struggled to get the better of Solskjaer's United on various occasions. As Man City's title defence was faltering in December 2019, United compounded their misery with a hard-earned 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium.
2. Man Utd 2-0 Man City
In Old Trafford's last game with a full crowd before the first coronavirus lockdown, United treated fans to a famous win over their noisy neighbours.
Martial put Solskjaer's men in front and clung on for dear life, before a 40-yard screamer from Scott McTominay deep into second half stoppage time sealed the points and kept United well in the hunt for a top four place.
1. PSG 1-3 Man Utd
But that night in Paris, the one which effectively earned Solskjaer the job on a permanent basis, was United's finest moment with him at the wheel.
Romelu Lukaku's double brought fresh life into a tie that should have been dead after PSG won 2-0 so effortlessly at Old Trafford. But United battled hard and were rewarded with a stoppage time penalty for the chance to send them into the quarter finals against all odds.
Rashford smashed it home from the spot. Scenes.