Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has immediately been given the task of reuniting a broken Manchester United and ‘putting smiles back on faces.’
But the Norwegian’s appointment as interim manager is not restricted to the role of cheerleader.
That Ed Woodward was so insistent on appointing an external caretaker is evidence of his determination to salvage a torrid campaign.
This is not just about getting to the end of the season – it is about beginning the process of transforming the club.
There is no doubt Solskjaer is a populist appointment.
He holds a legendary status among United supporters by virtue of his Treble-winning goal in 1999.
They will give him a chance and hope he can establish himself as a serious contender for the permanent position – even if United have already begun the process of identifying Jose Mourinho’s long-term successor.
Mauricio Pochettino is the dream candidate for Woodward – but should Solskjaer perform miracles, it will be impossible to ignore him.
Few are expecting that – and his arrival from Molde is strictly on the understanding that he will return to Norway in May.
The first item in his in-tray is to lift the atmosphere around Carrington.
Mourinho’s departure, alone, will have gone a long way to doing that, but Solskjaer’s arrival should also brighten the mood.
A hugely popular figure among his teammates and staff at the club during his playing days, he is seen as the perfect character to unite the squad after such a turbulent end to Mourinho’s reign.
How he handles Paul Pogba will be fascinating.
Woodward made it very clear just how important the Frenchman is to the club by insisting he would not be sold despite tensions with Mourinho.
While his crass Instagram post in response to Mourinho’s sacking on Tuesday could not be further removed from the actions someone like Solskjaer, it is vital the new manager gets the best out of the club’s record signing.
Having been schooled by Sir Alex Ferguson, Solskjaer’s commitment to attacking football is sure to appeal to Pogba – indeed the entire squad.
He is likely to stick to Mourinho’s 4-3-3 formation – largely due to the players at his disposal at United - or a 4-2-3-1. He has deployed both at Molde in recent times.
How United could line up at Cardiff
Man Utd XI: De Gea; Dalot, Bailly, Lindelof, Young; Matic, Lingard, Pogba; Rashford, Lukaku, Martial
While his willingness to give youth a chance in Norway has also been highlighted – his six months at United will not be an opportunity for him to experiment. He is under the same pressure as any United manager to get results and will look to do that by harnessing the talent of an expensively assembled and under-performing squad.
The big beneficiaries may well be United’s misfiring forwards.
Romelu Lukaku was desperate to soak up information from Thierry Henry and Didier Drogba with Belgium and Chelsea respectively. Now he has a top class striker to learn from at United.
Mourinho tried to get to the root of the £75m forward’s floundering form this season – even seeking the counsel of Belgium coach Roberto Martinez – but couldn’t come up with a solution.
A fresh pair of eyes from Solskjaer may be precisely what’s required.
Likewise Marcus Rashford and the injured Alexis Sanchez need their fortunes in front of goal to be transformed.
In the case of Rashford, his development has slowed over the past six months, while it is hard to imagine Solskjaer asking Sanchez to play as deep as he has since arriving from Arsenal in January.
Solskjaer may also have new recruits to work with in the New Year, with United still pursuing January targets like Kalidou Koulibaly – but it is unlikely he will get any say on transfer business.
Crucially the 45-year-old is seen as a calming influence, who will immediately demand respect due to his glittering playing career at the club.
Woodward felt it was important he appointed someone who ‘gets it’ at United after finally losing patience with the style of football being played by Mourinho.
It is still a risky move with so much still to play for this season – not least the knock out stages of the Champions League.
What Woodward has done is buy himself time as he attempts to restructure the club. But as popular as Solskjaer is among fans, he will not deflect criticism from United’s executive vice chairman, who simply cannot afford to get his next move wrong
