Manchester United: 3 changes Solskjaer should make

After Manchester United’s disappointing start to the season, many have questioned Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his future as the club’s manager. The Red Devils have decided to stick with the Norwegian till now though and it does appear that he will continue on in the role following the international break.

While there might not be a change in the managerial hot seat, Solskjaer definitely needs to make changes on the pitch because things are not working at the moment.

Despite their recent difficulties, there is no question that Manchester United have one of the most talented squads in world football right now and are very capable of turning their season around.

For that to happen though, Solskjaer will have to make some adjustments moving forward and hope that they work out.

Manchester United: 3 changes that Solskjaer should make

Here are three changes that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should make after the international break, as he aims to get Manchester United’s season back on track:

Go back to a flat back four instead of continuing with the back three

The back three was a good idea and it worked like a treat against Tottenham Hotspur as Manchester United registered a 3-0 victory in what was most probably their best performance of the season.

Raphael Varane would get injured in the very next game though. And right now, Solskjaer simply does not appear to have the players to make a back three work.

As a result, it might be good idea to go back to a flat back four instead. While that would mean less protection at the back, it would allow Solskjaer to play more of the attacking players and one can only hope that they can make a difference.

Simply put, with Varane out of action, a flat back four might be the way to go forward for Solskjaer, at least until the Frenchman is back.

Play Edinson Cavani more often

Following the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo over the summer, one man who has struggled for regular playing time is Edinson Cavani.

The Uruguayan enjoyed a tremendous second half to the 2020/21 campaign and while coming into this season, many expected him to be the club’s first-choice starter.

Manchester United would pull off a late surprise move for Ronaldo though and since then, Cavani has been very much behind the Portuguese superstar in the striker pecking order at the Theatre of Dreams.

As we have already seen though, he still has a tremendous amount to offer and in the second half of last season, he was playing like one of the best strikers in the world for a considerable length of time.

Thus, Solskjaer needs to find a way to give Cavani more minutes on the pitch because he surely has a lot of goals left in him.

Give Donny van de Beek his chance

Talking about giving somebody more playing time, when Donny van de Beek arrived at Manchester United from Ajax in the summer of 2020, many would have expected him to be a regular part of this team for years to come.

Instead, he has struggled to make his impact at Old Trafford and has found himself sitting on the bench for the majority of his time.

Many believe though that he deserves to play more football than he has recently. And to be honest, he looks more ready for English football now than he did last season.

He has undergone a bit of a physical transformation over the summer and looked impressive whenever he has been on the pitch this season as well. Unfortunately, that has not been very often. And one can only hope that he gets a run in the first-team moving forward, especially considering the fact that the midfield combination does not seem to be working at the moment.