Why Manchester United vs Watford could be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s biggest match so far?

Manchester United take on Watford this afternoon at Old Trafford in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first match after being appointed the new permanent boss of the club. For many, this match may seem just a normal contest, but really, it holds great significance for the clubs season and beyond.

Manchester United vs Watford. Nothing more than a fairly mediocre mid-season contest. Well usually, yes. However, this fixture could prove pivotal in the race for the top four. Not only that but it potentially could foreshadow how Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign as permanent manager unfolds at Old Trafford.

Prior to the international break, under Solskjaer, United had lost two consecutive games. Against Arsenal and in possibly their worst display since the Norwegian took over, Wolves in the FA Cup.

If you looked at those results amongst the rest of Solskjaer’s, then you wouldn’t have thought anything of it. But if the club hadn’t have announced on Thursday that he was the new permanent boss, and then United was to go and lose to Watford today, fans and pundits would start to question whether he is the right man.

Will fans and pundits now think the same if he loses today as the new manager of Manchester United? I very much doubt it, but, a win could be so crucial to him achieving success in his dream job.

It would also give the side a boost in the race for the top four. Chelsea come up against top six sides twice, versus United and Liverpool. Whereas the team who are currently in pole position, Arsenal, have none.

Arsenal have to slip up. Currently, if they win all their remaining fixtures they clinch the last Champions League spot. But in the hope they do drop a rare point, United and Solskjaer have to be ready to take advantage. And with games against City and Chelsea, that will be very difficult. United cannot afford to drop points against The Hornets today.

A bad result today could be a catastrophic start for Solskjaer

The majority of Manchester United fans wanted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to be given the job. Although, a lot of them were equally open-minded about the option of offering the role to Spurs’ boss Mauricio Pochettino.

He is an experienced Premier League manager who has taken Tottenham from Europa League minnows to domestic title challengers. Pochettino has also brought through a number of young English talents into the team and not been scared to provide them with opportunities on the big stage.

You can’t blame United fans for wanting Pochettino as manager. You can’t blame fans for having doubts about Solskjaer. His lack of experience in top-level management and the thought of “What if it is just manager bounce?”. These fears could all come flooding back if United do lose this afternoon.

So many times in football have we seen an interim manager perform wonders with a group of players and then when they were given the job full-time, for whatever reason, it didn’t work out.

My major doubts are not necessarily with Solskjaer, especially if he has the experienced Mike Phelan by his side, but with the players. A group of players who performed well under Jose Mourinho in the early stages of his management, but seemed to give up when the going got tough. Did they stop performing or was life under Mourinho really that bad?

These are the same group of players. However, they’ve just been given a cuddle by Ole. A loss today would send a shiver of fear down my spine. Will these players stick by Solskjaer through the good and the bad over the next three years?

A win, on the other hand, and the sky’s the limit. The players are full of confidence, playing with a smile and nothing has changed. They can still reach top four, even though they are not expected to, finish the season on a high and get ready to go again next campaign.

It really is a fickle old business!