Opposition View: Manchester United

What a difference a month can make. Back in mid-December, Manchester United were a club in disarray as the charmless era of Jose Mourinho lurched from one disappointment to the next.

After a 3-1 defeat to rivals Liverpool, the United board finally bit the bullet and sacked The Not So Special Anymore One. In his place came Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, a club legend but a manager whose only previous experience of being in charge of a Premier League club saw him sacked by Cardiff City after less than a year.

Despite the doubters, Solksjaer has proven everyone wrong so far. United have won six games out of six under the Norwegian and the feel-food factor is starting to return to Old Trafford.

We had a chat with Jordan Street from United blog Old Trafford Faithful about Solksjaer’s impact, United’s hopes for the rest of the season and whether the Albion can be the team to halt the new manager’s faultless start.

The Jose Mourinho era came to an end at Old Trafford with something of a whimper. How will he be remembered among the United faithful?
He came with so much promise, but went out being his usual stubborn self. We’ll always thank him as the man that completed the trophy puzzle as he won our first ever Europa League, but after such an excellent first season, his time ended up being such a disappointment.

From the outside, it looked like certain players – we’re talking Paul Pogba, obviously – downed tools for Mourinho. Was that the case and if it was, what do United fans make of that sort of attitude?
The view amongst fans is mixed. I find it disgusting how he can just give up like that and he still has a lot of making up to do with me. However, some were on his side and see it as him doing the right thing and taking one for the team, so to speak…

What has Ole Gunnar Solskjaer down to inspire such a turnaround in such a short period of time?
Let the players express themselves. It really is that simple. Solskjaer isn’t close to Mourinho’s level from a tactical standpoint, but he’s given them freedom and injected a new lease of life. He deserves credit for that.

Who do you think will be the next permanent United manager? Could Solksjaer’s impact mean he now has a shot at the job on a full time basis?
Right now, it’s looking like Ole. I still want Mauricio Pochettino and I think he’s the best fit long-term, but you cannot argue with the work Solskjaer has done in such little time.

What are the realistic expectations for United for the rest of the season?
I think we have a great chance at finishing fifth, and with a bit of luck, we could creep into the top four. I’d love to see us go on an FA Cup run and win the competition, but Arsenal away in the next round is going to be tough.

Who been United’s stand out performers so far and who has had a disappointing campaign?
For me, Marcus Rashford has been the most consistent. He worked his socks off under both managers and always came up with the end product. I’d like to throw Luke Shaw’s name into the mix, too. You also have David de Gea, who has continued to show why he’s the best goalkeeper in the world.

What did you make of our game at the Amex earlier in the Were you impressed by Brighton that day?
Brighton were good value for their 3-2 win, but United didn’t put up much fight. Your boys wanted it more, they were first to every 50/50 and they were playing for one another. As an organised unit, I’m hard-pressed to find a better group in the Premier League than Brighton. They’ll make it tough for us tomorrow, and the first goal will be massive.

Based on games against United this season, who do you think is going down? And who is going to lift the title?
Huddersfield are already gone, I think. The worst team we’ve played this season, easily, is Fulham. The third spot is up for grabs and I think it’ll be Cardiff who eventually go down. As for the Champions, Manchester City are just too good. I think they’ll track Liverpool down and win it, again…

If you had to give Chris Hughton some advice as to how to pull off a shock at Old Trafford on Saturday, what would you say?
Our biggest problem all season has been nervousness. If Brighton can keep it tight and frustrate us, they could easily nick one late on and steal the win. It’s all about keeping us out in the first half and from there, it’s genuinely anyone’s game.

Finally, a score prediction?
We owe Brighton one, so I’ll go for a comfortable 3-1.

Many thanks to Jordan for taking the time to talk to us. In the unlikely event that the Albion do manage to take something from United, you can get in touch with Old Trafford Faithful on Twitter Twitter to remind him of his 3-1 prediction.