How Solskjaer has already bettered Mourinho

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made a dream start to his Manchester United reign and has already achieved something his predecessor Jose Mourinho never did.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer celebrates Source: Getty Images

The former striker and club favourite was appointed interim manager until the end of the season after Mourinho was sacked in mid-December.

Since then, the Red Devils have scored 12 goals in wins over Cardiff, Huddersfield Town and Bournemouth - more than they ever managed in a three-game Premier League stretch under Mourinho.

In his two-and-a-half seasons in charge, the Portuguese never saw his side score more than 10 in three league games.

Their best run occurred when they opened the 2017-18 season with back-to-back 4-0 wins over West Ham United and Swansea City, and added a 2-0 success against Leicester City - having also wrapped up 2016-17 by beating Crystal Palace 2-0.

Another indication of United's improvement is the form of Paul Pogba, whose relationship with Mourinho regularly came under scrutiny.

The France star scored twice in both the 3-1 win over Huddersfield and the 4-1 success against Bournemouth.

Those two games have therefore brought him more goals than his 14 appearances under Mourinho this season - despite being the former manager's designated penalty taker.

Jesse Lingard took on spot-kick duties for Solskjaer against Cardiff.

Pogba also set up goals for Lingard and Ander Herrera in the 5-1 rout of Cardiff and Romelu Lukaku against Bournemouth - doubling his season's assist tally - as he revels in a more attacking role ahead of Herrera and Nemanja Matic.