Ole Gunnar Solskjær shows talent is often more important than tactics | Daniel Harris

Manager’s early struggles at United were due to a lack of quality on the pitch but he solved that by signing Bruno Fernandes

It is eminently possible that there are more opinions expounded on football than on any other subject, feeding into a circle both vicious and virtuous that goes round and round until everybody dies. Consequently, attempts to seek novelty are understandable: it’s comforting to believe that what we’re seeing now is different from anything seen before. Ultimately, though, the game’s essentials don’t change and football is simple but people are complicated, which means that the finite elements of talent and mentality will always be more important than the dynamic aspects of tactics and coaching.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær plainly understands this, but he is derided for lacking acumen and expertise. Given the way his Manchester United team have progressed, this is slightly surprising – the pool of evidence is rapidly decreasing, drained by performances, style and results.

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