Manchester United on Thursday appointed Norwegian Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as their permanent manager on a three-year deal. The Norwegian had been in charge on an interim basis after the club sacked Jose Mourinho earlier this season. The former United striker oversaw a dramatic turnaround in the club’s fortunes after taking over from the Portuguese in December last year. The club won the 46-year-old’s first eight matches in charge after managing just one win in five at the end of Mourinho’s reign. “From the first day I arrived, I felt at home at this special club,” said Solskjaer. “It was an honour to be a Manchester United player, and then to start my coaching career here. The last few months have been a fantastic experience and I want to thank all of the coaches, players and staff for the work we’ve done so far. Yessss Ole is officially at The Wheel... Signed, Sealed, Delivered! Manager of @ManUtd ! I hope my Thank You is in post Ole ️ #MUFC #Ole pic.twitter.com/Edv6JncRtD — Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) March 28, 2019 <!--//--><![CDATA[// ><!-- //--><!]]> “This is the job that I always dreamed of doing and I’m beyond excited to have the chance to lead the club long-term and hopefully deliver the continued success that our amazing fans deserve.” Ironically, the announcement by United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward comes shortly after the teams’ first blip under Solskjaer with fans reeling after being knocked out of the FA Cup by Wolverhampton Wanderers just a week after suffering their first defeat in the league since mid-December. 5 - Managers with the most points from their opening 13 Premier League games at a single club: Hiddink (Chelsea) - 34 Ancelotti (Chelsea) - 33 Scolari (Chelsea) - 32 Solskjaer (Manchester United) - 32 Mourinho (Chelsea) - 32 Revitalised. pic.twitter.com/HUMMKLKCZH — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 28, 2019 <!--//--><![CDATA[// ><!-- //--><!]]> “Since coming in as caretaker manager in December, the results Ole has delivered speak for themselves,” Woodward said. “More than just performances and results, Ole brings a wealth of experience, both as a player and as a coach, coupled with a desire to give young players their chance and a deep understanding of the culture of the club.” The former Cardiff City manager has won 14 of his 19 games at the helm so far, and his immediate aim will be to guide United back into the top four of the Premier League. They currently sit two points behind Arsenal, who handed Solskjaer his first league loss earlier this month. Manchester United play the first leg of their Uefa Champions League quarter-final tie against Barcelona at Old Trafford on April 11.
