Manchester United vs Manchester City: Too early to tell if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side are a team transformed

There are plenty of positive signs but we must wait to see whether United have made real progress

After days like Sunday, you realise why the top brass at Old Trafford found it difficult not to appoint a manager whose most recent major honour is a Tippeligaen title eight years ago. There is something powerfully appealing about the idea of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer managing Manchester United when they win and win in this way: in his way and a way that is unmistakably ‘United’.

Solskjaer has received plenty of criticism, not least on these pages, but even those of us who doubt whether he is the right man to restore United to the summit of English football cannot deny that he possesses a rare talent for producing these types of results. They may often come against the run of play but a mounting body of evidence in Solskjaer’s favour proves that they are no flukes.

This was his third Manchester derby win of the season, more than either David Moyes, Louis van Gaal or Jose Mourinho during their entire tenures. Solskjaer has now beaten the same number of top-six opponents as Van Gaal and Mourinho managed, despite not being in the role as long as either predecessor. Victory away to Tottenham Hotspur next Sunday would see him surpass both on that particular measure.

The thrill of wins like Sunday’s – or the victory at the Etihad back in December, or beating Paris Saint-Germain a year ago last Friday – is so powerful that it almost excuses the disappointing and often dismal performances that come in between. But once the dust has settled on Solskjaer’s most convincing win over an immediate rival, it is worth taking stock and asking just how far United have come.

Solskjaer has undeniably turned United’s fortunes around since losing to Burnley at Old Trafford towards the end of January. It would have been easy for United’s season to tailspin out of control that night. Instead, they can boast an unbeaten run that has extended into double figures. Solskjaer’s side have scored 24 goals and kept eight clean sheets in the last 10 games, conceding just twice. The arrival of Bruno Fernandes has given them the creative thrust they have so sorely lacked in Paul Pogba’s long absence.

And there are signs that Solskjaer is slowly solving his greatest problem. This unbeaten run includes good results against less illustrious opponents – a 6-0 win over Tranmere, a 5-0 against Club Brugge, the 3-0 swatting of Derby. That would normally take some shine off such a streak. But there have been two sides to United this season: the team that wins against all odds, and the team that unexpectedly loses a few days later. United could easily have lost to the likes of Tranmere, Brugge and Derby earlier this season. There is now some evidence that this is changing.

But it is worth noting that only one of these wins against a less ambitious opponent came in the Premier League: the 3-0 cakewalk against Watford. United’s other two league victories were against Chelsea and City. On both occasions, they had significantly less possession than their opponents and revelled in the opportunity to sit back, soak up pressure and counter-attack.

When invited to take the initiative in league matches, they played out a goalless draw with Wolves and were fortunate to share the points with Everton. It was, in many ways, a familiar story. The Watford game should not be ignored, as United were genuinely incisive despite dominating possession that day, and Fernandes’s imagination and invention with the ball is making a significant difference to their build-up play. There are plenty of positive signs, but it is still too early to tell whether this is a team transformed.

Once next weekend’s trip to Tottenham is out of the way, United will only return to league action at the start of April, away to relegation-threatened Brighton. Home games against Bournemouth, Southampton, West Ham and Sheffield United follow, as well as trips to Aston Villa and Crystal Palace before meeting Leicester at the King Power on the final day of the season.

Of those eight opponents, six have taken points from United this season. Three have already beaten them. It is this run of games against more reactive opponents, rather than the win over City or the result at Tottenham next weekend, which will dictate whether they finish high enough in the table to play Champions League football next season. United are undoubtedly in good form and playing their best football of the season under Solskjaer but we must wait a bit longer for them to prove they have made real progress.