sport news Bold selections pay off for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as pace and energy thrive ...

Another win for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, another display of youthful vigour from Manchester United.

The change of mood in the month since Solskjaer's smile replaced Jose Mourinho's scowl at Old Trafford is palpable all around the club.

Victory No.7 against Brighton ended nervously as United hung on to a 2-1 lead, but it was built on first-half goals from Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford, and the kind of enterprising performance we have come to expect from Solskjaer's United in a surprisingly short space of time.

Marcus Rashford has thrived since being handed the role of main striker for Manchester United

Marcus Rashford has thrived since being handed the role of main striker for Manchester United

It was easy to forget that sat on the bench waiting their turn were Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez.

For all that has been said about the positivity surrounding Solskjaer's return to United as caretaker manager, it's been overlooked that he has made some rather bold decisions about the squad he inherited.

Lukaku is, after all, a £75million striker, and Sanchez the club's highest earner. But Solskjaer made it clear pretty much from the get-go how he wants to set up in attack, and reputations obviously count for very little.

This was the fourth time in six Premier League games under Solskjaer that Rashford, Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard have started as the front three - and Martial only missed the Boxing Day win over Huddersfield because he missed his flight back from Paris after spending Christmas at home in France.

The new manager wants pace and energy up front, and is not afraid to trust in youth to get what he wants. If two of his three forwards - Rashford and Lingard - are products of United's youth system, then all the better.

Jesse Lingard is firmly established as one of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's preferred attackers

Jesse Lingard is firmly established as one of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's preferred attackers

Solskjaer admitted for the first time on the eve of this game that his first-choice attack is now established, paving the way for his decision to start Lukaku, Sanchez and Juan Mata on the bench against Brighton.

'There are the three who play the most but then you've got Rom, you've got Juan and you've got Alexis, so I've got a front six I can rotate,' he said. 

'I used to be one of four strikers when we played with two. Now we have

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