Solskjaer and Phelan have brought back "old school" Man United – Lingard
Jesse Lingard thinks Manchester United have looked more like themselves since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Mike Phelan returned to the club.
Interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his assistant Mike Phelan have brought back the "old school" Manchester United, according to Jesse Lingard. Solskjaer, a fan favourite as a player at Old Trafford, made his return to the club in December, coming in as a temporary replacement for the sacked José Mourinho.
United ran out of patience with Mourinho after the 3-1 defeat to bitter rivals Liverpool, but his dismissal had – in the eyes of some supporters – been a long time coming due to a lack of on-pitch entertainment and reported unrest in the dressing room.
Solskjaer effect
Solskjaer has made a remarkable impact, winning nine and drawing one of his 10 matches in charge across all competitions, while a move away from Mourinho's pragmatism has seen the likes of Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial flourish. Phelan, who also served as an assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson, returned alongside Solskjaer, and together Lingard thinks they have reinvigorated United.
"Solskjaer and Mike Phelan have brought back the old school Manchester United," Lingard told the Daily Mail. "They know the league and the club inside out, so to pass that on and get us playing how we are has been perfect. Solskjaer is doing very well. Nobody can fault him. He has taken a lot on, but he already knew what he was doing when he came in. He got the players backing him straight away. He told us there are big expectations and pressure at this club, but we have to deal with it and play like a real United team. We will challenge for the title next season if we carry on how we are now. We're back to basics and winning games by grinding out results or scoring a lot of goals. As long as we're winning games, that's all that matters."