Has Ole Gunnar Solskjaer been appointed too early as permanent manager at Manchester United?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been appointed as permanent manager at Manchester United – but should the board have waited a little longer to make the decision?

Manchester United have announced that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been appointed as the club’s full-time manager on a three-year contract.

Solskjaer was initially brought in as caretaker manager in December and has since won 14 out of 19 games in charge – amassing more points than any other club in the Premier League in this period.

The 46-year-old, who scored the winner in the Champions League final for Manchester United as a player back in 1999, made history once again when he became the first manager in the history of the tournament to overturn a 2-0 deficit at home when his side beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 at the Parc des Princes to send them into the quarter-finals.

However, since that victory in Paris, United suffered their first defeat in the league since Solskjaer took over when they lost 2-0 to Arsenal at the Emirates.

Furthermore, United went on to lose 2-1 to Wolverhampton Wanders in the following week, crashing them out of the FA Cup.

Although the Red Devils are still in with the chance of finishing in the top four, the Champions League looks unlikely, given that they have drawn La Liga giants Barcelona in the next round.

So, have the board acted prematurely in promoting Solskjaer to a permanent post at Old Trafford?

Possibly. It remains to be seen if United can bounce back from these back-to-back defeats. Solskjaer’s men play Watford on the weekend, and although they’re playing at home, this team have struggled to beat sides like them before.

If United fail to get a result against Javi Gracia’s side, finishing outside of the top four could become a very real possibility for them, and Solskjaer’s appointment will begin to feel very premature indeed.

On the other hand, having the question of who will be managing the Red Devils next season answered now could work in the club’s favour regardless of how poorly they end the current campaign.

Uncertainty over who will be in charge in the long term at Old Trafford could have discouraged players from signing for the club in the summer, as incoming transfers would prefer to know who they will be working with at their new club.

Taking this into account, maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea announcing Solskjaer’s appointment before the end of the season, as the manager can now focus on putting together a transfer strategy in the summer which can elevate the club to new heights.