Manchester United consider giving Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the manager’s gig for good

According to a story in the Sunday Mirror, Manchester United are considering appointing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as their next permanent manager.

Solskjaer was appointed on an interim basis when Jose Mourinho was sacked last year, but United have agreed a deal with his club Molde should he take over on a permanent basis in the summer.

United have won every game they’e played under Solskjaer, and kept their first clean sheet in the league with their new manager against Newcastle United before repeating the feat against Reading in the FA Cup.

That return to form after the crushing depression engendered by Mourinho has been noticed by the United hierarchy, and they are now considering giving him the job permanently.

Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino remains the favourite for the job, however. The obstacle of £40 million in compensation does not appear to be a dealbreaker, but there are obstacles in the way despite that.

The Argentine is wanted by Real Madrid, and because they actually buy players, and don’t force their managers to use Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, the feeling is that if Pochettino isn’t intent on harming his career for no good reason, then he will move to Spain instead of choosing United.

That would make Solskjaer a more reasonable choice, given no other big club is going to step in for his signature, and because he is more than four times cheaper than Pochettino.

United’s next match is against Spurs, away at Wembley, before a run of four games - Brighton, Burnley, Leicester and Fulham - that they should win before the match against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Only if Solskjaer can negotiate his way into the next stage of the Champions League, in an impressive manner, shoud he be considered for the permanent gig, but Ed Woodward is Ed Woodward, so don’t rule anything out.