It says everything about Manchester United at present that as he discussed the search for consistency with journalists in the build-up to his side’s trip to Everton, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had to stop and offer clarification: “Consistently doing well is what I mean, not the other way.”
After a week of increasing pressure and mounting uncertainty about his future either side of an embarrassing defeat at Istanbul Basaksehir, Solskjaer and United have every reason to be delighted with a 3-1 win at Goodison Park.
It is only the fourth time they have returned from the blue half of Merseyside with maximum points since 2008. They have lost at Everton five times in that same period, when the backdrop was substantially more positive than the one that framed Saturday’s game.
Between international breaks, United picked up seven points from four tricky fixtures, plus two wins from three in a really difficult Champions League group.
Had this return been offered in the wake of that 6-1 horror show against Tottenham on 4 October, it is fair to assume it would have been accepted.
Yet nothing about a period where United have secured two excellent away wins in the league – but collected just one point from six at home – and beaten two of last season’s Champions League semi-finalists – while also losing to a side who have never previously won a game in the competition – will convince anyone Solskjaer has suddenly found the right blend to turn the club back into a major force.
There are many faults with Solskjaer’s United, but one thing both the manager and his players seem to have in abundance is character.
It is open to debate whether the Norwegian’s job was on the line at Everton. Club sources said not but a heavy defeat would have created enormous pressure on them to make a change.
What is beyond doubt is the external noise around Old Trafford was loud. It was the same last month after the Tottenham debacle.
And it is a recurring theme of Solskjaer’s reign. Last season, a 2-0 home defeat by Burnley put him in the firing line, given his side had collected three points from four games and had cup trips to Manchester City and Chelsea on the horizon.
A month before that, a disappointing draw with Aston Villa meant they had 10 points from nine games – and had beaten only Norwich and Brighton. Tottenham and City were their next Premier League opponents.
On every one of these occasions, Solskjaer’s team has delivered. He beat Pep Guardiola’s City side three times last season.
At Newcastle on 17 October, and again at Goodison Park on Saturday, United fought back after going behind. This is not the response of a team that lacks guts or is not playing for the manager.
However, it does beg the question: why do they need to be peering over a cliff edge before they can perform to the levels they are so obviously capable of?
“We want more consistency, to kick on and go on a run, climb the table and qualify for the Champions League,” said Solskjaer after Saturday’s victory.
“No-one likes to be criticised. My players don’t. So, of course they are going to come out and show what they are about and show their quality.
“My job now is to make sure that guard is up every time and doesn’t drop, and we don’t go into any game with a sense of: ‘We don’t have to work, that it will be easy and we can out-play teams.’
“We have to out-fight teams and out-run teams as well, and today was an exceptional performance for a long time after a difficult week for the boys.”
There are many faults with Solskjaer’s United, but one thing both the manager and his players seem to have in abundance is character.
It is open to debate whether the Norwegian’s job was on the line at Everton. Club sources said not but a heavy defeat would have created enormous pressure on them to make a change.
What is beyond doubt is the external noise around Old Trafford was loud. It was the same last month after the Tottenham debacle.
And it is a recurring theme of Solskjaer’s reign. Last season, a 2-0 home defeat by Burnley put him in the firing line, given his side had collected three points from four games and had cup trips to Manchester City and Chelsea on the horizon.
A month before that, a disappointing draw with Aston Villa meant they had 10 points from nine games – and had beaten only Norwich and Brighton. Tottenham and City were their next Premier League opponents.
On every one of these occasions, Solskjaer’s team has delivered. He beat Pep Guardiola’s City side three times last season.
At Newcastle on 17 October, and again at Goodison Park on Saturday, United fought back after going behind. This is not the response of a team that lacks guts or is not playing for the manager.
However, it does beg the question: why do they need to be peering over a cliff edge before they can perform to the levels they are so obviously capable of?
“We want more consistency, to kick on and go on a run, climb the table and qualify for the Champions League,” said Solskjaer after Saturday’s victory.
“No-one likes to be criticised. My players don’t. So, of course they are going to come out and show what they are about and show their quality.
“My job now is to make sure that guard is up every time and doesn’t drop, and we don’t go into any game with a sense of: ‘We don’t have to work, that it will be easy and we can out-play teams.’
“We have to out-fight teams and out-run teams as well, and today was an exceptional performance for a long time after a difficult week for the boys.”
It is only the fourth time they have returned from the blue half of Merseyside with maximum points since 2008. They have lost at Everton five times in that same period, when the backdrop was substantially more positive than the one that framed Saturday’s game.
Between international breaks, United picked up seven points from four tricky fixtures, plus two wins from three in a really difficult Champions League group.
Had this return been offered in the wake of that 6-1 horror show against Tottenham on 4 October, it is fair to assume it would have been accepted.
Yet nothing about a period where United have secured two excellent away wins in the league – but collected just one point from six at home – and beaten two of last season’s Champions League semi-finalists – while also losing to a side who have never previously won a game in the competition – will convince anyone Solskjaer has suddenly found the right blend to turn the club back into a major force.
There are many faults with Solskjaer’s United, but one thing both the manager and his players seem to have in abundance is character.
It is open to debate whether the Norwegian’s job was on the line at Everton. Club sources said not but a heavy defeat would have created enormous pressure on them to make a change.
What is beyond doubt is the external noise around Old Trafford was loud. It was the same last month after the Tottenham debacle.
And it is a recurring theme of Solskjaer’s reign. Last season, a 2-0 home defeat by Burnley put him in the firing line, given his side had collected three points from four games and had cup trips to Manchester City and Chelsea on the horizon.
A month before that, a disappointing draw with Aston Villa meant they had 10 points from nine games – and had beaten only Norwich and Brighton. Tottenham and City were their next Premier League opponents.
On every one of these occasions, Solskjaer’s team has delivered. He beat Pep Guardiola’s City side three times last season.
At Newcastle on 17 October, and again at Goodison Park on Saturday, United fought back after going behind. This is not the response of a team that lacks guts or is not playing for the manager.
However, it does beg the question: why do they need to be peering over a cliff edge before they can perform to the levels they are so obviously capable of?
“We want more consistency, to kick on and go on a run, climb the table and qualify for the Champions League,” said Solskjaer after Saturday’s victory.
“No-one likes to be criticised. My players don’t. So, of course they are going to come out and show what they are about and show their quality.
“My job now is to make sure that guard is up every time and doesn’t drop, and we don’t go into any game with a sense of: ‘We don’t have to work, that it will be easy and we can out-play teams.’
“We have to out-fight teams and out-run teams as well, and today was an exceptional performance for a long time after a difficult week for the boys.”
There are many faults with Solskjaer’s United, but one thing both the manager and his players seem to have in abundance is character.
It is open to debate whether the Norwegian’s job was on the line at Everton. Club sources said not but a heavy defeat would have created enormous pressure on them to make a change.
What is beyond doubt is the external noise around Old Trafford was loud. It was the same last month after the Tottenham debacle.
And it is a recurring theme of Solskjaer’s reign. Last season, a 2-0 home defeat by Burnley put him in the firing line, given his side had collected three points from four games and had cup trips to Manchester City and Chelsea on the horizon.
A month before that, a disappointing draw with Aston Villa meant they had 10 points from nine games – and had beaten only Norwich and Brighton. Tottenham and City were their next Premier League opponents.
On every one of these occasions, Solskjaer’s team has delivered. He beat Pep Guardiola’s City side three times last season.
At Newcastle on 17 October, and again at Goodison Park on Saturday, United fought back after going behind. This is not the response of a team that lacks guts or is not playing for the manager.
However, it does beg the question: why do they need to be peering over a cliff edge before they can perform to the levels they are so obviously capable of?
“We want more consistency, to kick on and go on a run, climb the table and qualify for the Champions League,” said Solskjaer after Saturday’s victory.
“No-one likes to be criticised. My players don’t. So, of course they are going to come out and show what they are about and show their quality.
“My job now is to make sure that guard is up every time and doesn’t drop, and we don’t go into any game with a sense of: ‘We don’t have to work, that it will be easy and we can out-play teams.’
“We have to out-fight teams and out-run teams as well, and today was an exceptional performance for a long time after a difficult week for the boys.”
