Manchester United have been in terrific form over the last couple of months. The Red Devils are unbeaten in their last eleven games, keeping nine clean sheets along the way.
Their defensive record has been a significant improvement on last season, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reaping in the rewards for his side’s recent run of form.
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One man who has heavily contributed to such success is Eric Bailly, with the Ivorian quickly hitting the ground running after returning from a knee injury. In fact, the club have won all five of their games that the defender has featured in since February, not conceding a goal along the way.
It’s clear that Solskjaer is beginning to trust Bailly even more, with the two striking up a solid relationship and Bailly explaining how much it’s helped him being coached by a former player, which is certainly a contrast to previous manager Jose Mourinho.
As quoted by the Metro, Bailly has been full of praise for his manager, saying: “It’s important being able to work with someone who is a former player. Someone who understands the players’ situations, understands all the things that can happen from time to time.”
Having been on the sidelines for so long with his injury, the Ivorian is clearly grateful for Solskjaer’s man management style.
The defender has paid credit to his coach for helping him get back on track, saying: “Football is not just played on the pitch, it’s also about all the things that go on around the game, the things that people don’t see. And he is someone that gets that and it helps the team a lot. Besides being a coach, he’s just a normal person.”
Such a figure has clearly helped Bailly, who has endured a frustrating eighteen-month period at the club. The defender has clearly settled under the Norwegian though, so much so that he has even likened him to being a family member.
“I would say like an uncle,” he said. “And having someone like that in the club gives the players more strength.”
United fans have been delighted to see their defender back on the field, with the side feeling the full benefits of having a fully fit Bailly. The 25-year-old is a top-class talent on his day, so long as he maintains his fitness.