Man U's resurgent form: Interim Manager Solskjaer making Pogba, other players happy again - Ex-defender Rafael says

Manchester United Interim Manager Ole Gunner Solskjaer and Midfielder Paul Pogba - Getty

Former Manchester United defender, Rafael da Silva, who is currently playing for French Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais as defender, has said that the resurgent form of the Red Devils is as a result of Interim
Manager Ole Gunner Solskjaer making Paul Pogba and other players happy again.

Mourinho’s time at Manchester United was blighted by poor relationship with some of key players, and Pogba was the most disenchanted of the lot.

Pogba was already scheming a premature move away from Man Utd before the Chiefs at Old Trafford intervened by sacking Jose Mourinho and replacing him with Solskjaer as Interim Manager in December.

Since Solskjaer took over, Pogba's return to form has seen him net eight times thereby boosting Man Utd's fortunes hugely.

Rafael told Omnisport, “I wasn’t surprised, not at all, because I know Ole very well.”

Solskjaer poses with his Barclays Manager Of The Month award - Getty

“He’s the one who bought my brother (Fabio) at Cardiff City, and I was training with him in the reserves (at United), I played some games with him.

“He’s very strong mentally, he’s smiling, he’s making the players play for him. In today’s football, this is very, very important. Many players have the skills, but they need a coach who’s going to make them play for him.

“This is what happened to Pogba. He wasn’t happy, he wasn’t smiling. A player like Pogba, if he doesn’t smile, if he doesn’t want to play, it’s hard. Now, they all want to play.

“Mourinho, in truth, it seems like this is the opposite, the players were not happy, they were thinking about defending too much all the time."