Ole unlocks United's shackles

Caretaker boss Solskjaer gets off to stunning start

CARDIFF, Wales - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insisted having "good players" was the key to his instant impact as Manchester United caretaker manager in a 5-1 thumping of Cardiff City on Saturday.

Not since Alex Ferguson's final game in charge in 2013 had United scored five goals in a single Premier League game and the Red Devils looked a side transformed from the turgid play of Jose Mourinho's final days in charge.

"They are very good players, talented players, they've approached the game properly and worked hard. A Man Utd team should never be outworked," said Solskjaer.

The Norwegian has been put in charge until the end of the season after Mourinho was fired on Tuesday and could not have asked for a better start in the Welsh capital.

As well as getting Solskjaer off to a flying start, victory also sees United crucially close the gap on the Premier League top four to eight points thanks to Chelsea's 1-0 home defeat by Leicester earlier in the day.

"We're eight points behind, so our job is to take one game at a time," added Solskjaer.

"We always play well in the second half of the season."

Paul Pogba was forced to watch the full 90 minutes from the bench last weekend as Liverpool inflicted the final blow to Mourinho's time in charge with a 3-1 win that left United 19 points off the top after just 17 games.

The French World Cup winner started for the first time in four league games and looked far more like the player United splashed a then world-record $113 million on in 2016 than the one that clashed with his former boss off the field and disappointed on it for much of the past two seasons.

Pogba pleased

"The performance of the team was great and we are happy that the first game of the manager starts like this," said Pogba. "It's important now to carry on like that.

"We cannot play like this and win with five goals and then the next game lose."

The visiting fans chanted Solskjaer's name throughout and were enjoying their side moving the ball around with a speed and accuracy more reminiscent of his days as a player at Old Trafford when Ferguson's United dominated the English game.

"It's nothing like they have been playing," said Cardiff boss Neil Warnock. "We expected that from the teamsheet."

Pogba was at the heart of United's best work and having been fouled for the freekick leading to Marcus Rashford's opener, his intelligent pass picked out Ander Herrera, whose shot flicked off Greg Cunningham to loop over goalkeeper Neil Etheridge to make it 2-0 in the 29th minute.

Nine minutes later, a Rashford handball allowed Victor Camarasa to make it 2-1 form the penalty spot.

United responded, though, with a fantastic team goal as a quick interchange of passes between Pogba and Jesse Lingard freed Anthony Martial to score his ninth goal of the campaign.

Lingard took responsibility from the spot just before the hour mark after another penalty was awarded for a foul by Sol Bamba on the England international.

Lingard was the beneficiary of another neat through-ball from Pogba a minute from time as he rounded Etheridge and slotted into an empty net.

"I'm pleased with all of them - every single one of them - but of course it's a threat," Solskjaer said.

"When you've got Martial and Jesse Lingard down either side, Rashford up top with Paul supporting them, it's exhilarating to watch and as long as we keep that standard up we'll keep picking up points."

Agence France-Presse