Manchester United's victory on Wednesday night over Colchester United marked the end of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first year in charge. Telegraph Sport has examined his record over the past 12 months, the issues he has tackled and the challenges he faces next year.

Are the board still behind him?

United could not have been more supportive of Solskjaer, publicly or privately. Ed Woodward, the club’s executive vice chairman, has insisted they will not allow themselves to be influenced by “short-term distractions” as they work towards a long-term strategy under the manager and the message, reinforced time and again behind the scenes, has been the same.

David Moyes, who was given a six-year contract only to be ditched 10 months after succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson, and his replacement, Louis van Gaal, who felt he had the backing of Woodward until the axe fell after 2016's FA Cup final triumph, might be the first to advise Solskjaer not to hang on his boss’s every word. But senior United sources are adamant Solskjaer will remain in place even if the club finish outside the top six, even though failure to qualify for the Champions League for a second successive season would see their annual sponsorship deal with kit supplier Adidas drop by 30 per cent.