Man Utd wronged Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but can now make amends in wake of Ruben Amorim sacking

Solskjaer had arrived in December 2018 as the antidote to the poisonous Jose Mourinho era.

Mourinho won two trophies at Old Trafford, with both coming in 2017, but lost the support of many figures both inside and outside of the dressing room due to his combative, abrasive, no-nonsense manner.

While he was previously a man known for bringing players together, that didn't quite happen in Manchester. Paul Pogba, Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford were just a few of the players he clashed with and, in the end, a 3-1 defeat away at Liverpool saw him axed - with few mourning his departure.

United, that year, decided to go down the interim route. After links to Laurent Blanc, their former defender who won the Premier League title, they ultimately opted to bring Solskjaer in.

It was a decision that, initially at least, was a masterstroke. As caretaker, the Norwegian coaxed the best from his players and lifted the mood from the floor to the roof. Big victories away at Arsenal, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League gave the Red Devils momentum and, just three months later, he was handed the keys to Old Trafford on a permanent basis.

Ultimately, they ended the season on a low. United ran out of steam, players downed tools and Solskjaer found himself facing scrutiny. In the eyes of many, he was out of his depth.

However, the Red Devils bounced back. Of course, they were never as consistent as City, never blessed with the same luxury of riches as Pep Guardiola and their millions in the bank.

Yet, slowly but surely, United started to build something.

The arrival of Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020 completely transformed the Red Devils. Solskjaer oversaw a project that placed emphasis on youth, attacking football and squad harmony - much like his idol and former manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.

In 2021, they came close to winning the Europa League, only to end up losing to Villarreal on penalties. A waning David de Gea was ultimately responsible for that loss, with the Spaniard failing to save a single spot-kick - before fluffing his own lines from 12 yards.

Still, United went into the new season widely expected to push City all the way. They recruited Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund, a player tipped for superstardom. Raphael Varane, a Real Madrid stalwart and key cog in their winning machine, was brought in as well.

But everything went wrong when the fallen giants allowed sentiment, and fear, to influence their decision-making.

A Hollywood homecoming for Cristiano Ronaldo had fans ecstastic. The Portugal international, who became a club legend during his first spell at Old Trafford, had been on the verge of joining City when United swooped in to hijack. After calls from Sir Alex Ferguson, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra, Ronaldo was swayed into a remarkable return.

But it went against everything Solskjaer was building. Suddenly, young players found themselves playing second fiddle to a 36-year-old who, though blessed with unparallelled powers, was still a shadow of the player who first electrified these shores.

Solskjaer had wanted Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland. Instead, he was saddled with Ronaldo.

He later confirmed that he was forced to tear up his style of play in order to accomodate the Portugal international.

In March 2024, he said: "Without him [pressing], we had to change a little bit the different roles we’d gotten used to. We were one of the highest pressing teams before [Ronaldo joined]."

He also claimed: "It was the right decision to make for me – it didn’t turn out to be the right one.”

Ultimately, Solskjaer lasted just nine games with Ronaldo before being cut loose. He was sacked in November 2021, less than 24 hours after a dreadful 4-1 defeat away at Watford, with Ralf Rangnick then installed as his temporary successor.

In the years since, Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim have now come and gone. Ten Hag won two trophies, like Mourinho, but there was never a genuine sense of anything special being built. The same can be said for Amorim, whose disastrous 14-month spell in the dugout ended on Monday after he opted to call out his superiors publicly.

Now, United are looking for somebody to steady the ship and bring the feel-good mood back to Old Trafford.

Solskjaer is believed to be under consideration, along with Michael Carrick.

The difference is, however, that Solskjaer has the credentials that his former coach doesn't.

He stablilised them once before. He put foundations in place for the club to be successful in the long-term, not the short-term, which were then ripped apart by Ten Hag.

Years on from his exit, there is an appreciation for the work he did. United fans have missed his direct, exciting style of play. They have also missed young players being at the forefront of their operation, too.

Solskjaer was the antidote once before. There's no reason he can't be again.