LONDON: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made nine changes, resting some senior players, as Manchester Unted defeated second division Reading 2-0 in the iconic third round of the FA Cup.

But this exercise in rotation was the least of the changes the Norwegian has undertaken since succeeding sacked Jose Mourinho just before Christmas.

The 45-year-old’s impact has been remarkable. In five victories – four in the Premier League and one in the cup – United have scored 16 goals.

Certainly the opposition has been comparatively modest in Cardiff, Huddersfield, Bournemouth, Newcastle and Reading but United are once more playing with a smile on their football.

That is something United fans have not seen since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013. Not under David Moyes, not under Louis van Gaal and not under Mourinho. Against Cardiff they scored five goals for the first time in a game since Ferguson’s farewell match.

Solskjaer has achieved this by insisting on a priority of attacking football rather than safety-first football and by his one-on-one engagement with the players as individuals. He knew some of them from his days at United between 2008 and 2011 as manager of the reserve team.

England forward Jesse Lingard said: “He is great, one-on-one with players. Great man-management. He will always speak to you and tell you what to do. He knew me from the reserves and knows what kind of a player I am. When I am on the right wing he likes me to to come inside and make things happen.

“He gave me my reserve team debut. He was always there on hand to give advice and help the youngsters out. I learned a lot from him. He’s very special to this club and for this club. He knows where Man United has to be and that is at the very top and putting in the sort of performances we have just been doing.”

The most notably improved individual has been French World Cup-winner Paul Pogba, a moody and inconsistent presence under Mourinho. The 25-year-old, who was instantly restored to the starting line-up by Solskjaer, has also responded positively to the change of attitude and style.

He said: “We won games with the old manager but what’s changed is a different style of playing. We’re more offensive and create more chances. That’s how we want to play, we want to attack and the manager wants to attack. We are Manchester United and we need to be at the top of the league. A team need to enjoy playing football. That’s what it’s about.”

Solskjaer has made only minor adjustments in team selection. One has been showing faith in England striker Marcus Rashford who has proved he can replace misfiring Romelu Lukaku in the centre-forward role.

The manager said: “It isn’t possible to make huge, sweeping changes in a short space of time. I want my team to play in a certain way, a way that has been shaped a lot by my time here as a player, and I’ve given the lads pointers based on those experiences. But we are still very much a work in progress.”

Solskjaer refuses to talk about his prospects of being handed the job permanently at the season’s end. But he will play a role in whatever the future brings because it will be up to Solskjaer to advise on the futures of up to eight players.

Defenders Antonio Valencia and Phil Jones, Spanish midfielders Juan Mata and Ander Herrera and Brazilian prospect Andreas Pereira are all out of contract at the season’s end. They are playing for their own future – and for Solskjaer’s.

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