A defining moment awaits Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Man United in the post-Ferguson era

When Solskjaer’s predecessor Jose Mourinho finished runner-up to Guardiola in 2018, by a mammoth 19 points, he famously described it as one of his “greatest achievements” and was sacked seven months later. The Norwegian, at least, is not making the same mistake

EYES ON THE PRIZE: Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is acutely aware of the importance of tonight’s Europa League final against Villarreal and is confident his side will deliver. ‘I trust these players, as a group I’m confident we’re ready for this now,’ he said in Gdansk on Tuesday. Picture: Aleksandra Szmigiel, Pool via AP

It is somehow fitting that Ole Gunnar Solskjær sees this eventful Manchester United season end on Wednesday night in the Polish city of Gdansk, the birthplace of the Solidarity movement which proved one of the most seismic in 20th-century European history.

Solidarity is the very quality the United manager has brought to a club that has endured so many trials and tribulations, on and off the field, since his appointment in December 2018 and, particularly, in this Covid-afflicted campaign.