'When Solskjaer speaks, players listen'

A win against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday will see Ole Gunnar Solskjaer surpass the record for a winning start by any manager at Old Trafford. He currently sits level with club icon Sir Matt Busby, on five wins from five matches in charge. And former United States and Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard has praised not only the Norwegian's record at the start of his tenure, but also the manner in which he has the United players enjoying football again.

Howard is a former team mate of Solskjaer, having spent a four year spell in Manchester alongside the striker, before both called time on their United careers in 2007. The American has expressed his delight at the fleeting success enjoyed by Solskjaer in is first few weeks in the Old Trafford hot seat, and had high words of praise for the interim boss in an interview this week. 

In an appearance on 'Sky Sports News', Howard said: "He is one of the good guys, he understands the soul of the club. He is a piece of that fabric and so when he speaks to those players he is going to listen. There is nothing he hasn't done at Manchester United. I've sat back and enjoyed watching him manage the team. He does what Sir Alex Ferguson did - when I was there playing with him - and he would pick the best players and say go, play forward, play fast and go right up against them."

Howard added: "That's what Ole talks about taking the shackles off, enjoying your football and playing the Manchester United way and we all know what playing the Manchester United way is. That's what he has done he has given them freedom. Over the last few seasons they have kind of had those shackles on, they've not really played that free-flowing football and clearly that's back."