Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may be at the wheel on a permanent basis, but are there already signs of wear and tear at Manchester United?
That statement might be slightly reactionary, but the top level of football does not allow bad runs of form and if anything, this is the Norwegian’s first real test as manager.
The club have lost four of their last five matches in all competitions and after a disappointing home showing against Barcelona in midweek, the focus now switches back to domestic action and the visit of West Ham this Saturday evening.
The race for the top four is one that is intensifying and although United find themselves lying sixth in the table at present, they will be boosted by the fact that Tottenham will most likely have Harry Kane absent for the rest of the season.
An absence that is set to add another twist in the battle to earn a Champions League berth and offer United the opportunity to make up the small amount of ground which will decide whether their European football is played on either Wednesday’s or Thursday’s next time around.
A win for United will see them enter the top four once again and if that is the case it will apply pressure to both Chelsea and Arsenal, who themselves take to the field later on in this extended weekend of Premier League action.
While the Red Devils will no doubt be confident of earning maximum points on Saturday, especially as they go up against a West Ham side who are largely indifferent away from the London Stadium and it is that form which has seen them sink into the bottom half of the table.
The Hammers have been plagued by inconsistency all season and although Manuel Pellegrini’s men look better than they did at the start of the campaign, it is fair to say that they are still very much a work in progress.
Their last outing was on Monday night and it was one where they were undone by the genius of Chelsea’s Eden Hazard at Stamford Bridge, especially when the Belgian weaved his way through five West Ham defenders before slotting home.
It was a contest that the visitors were never really in and if anything, it just highlighted the issues that they have when away from home and you do get the feeling that those same issues will rear their ugly heads come Saturday.
Not only is this a must win game for United, but they will also be looking to exact revenge for the defeat they suffered in the reverse fixture earlier in the season. However, one must not forget the fact the loss came during the reign of former boss Jose Mourinho.
Now with a new man at the helm, don’t expect lightning to strike twice this weekend and with that in mind, it should turn out to be a routine win for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men. If this does prove to be the case, then the race for the top four will only get even more interesting.