We’ve had false starts before. Many, in fact, since Sir Alex Ferguson retired and left Manchester United lurching from crisis to crisis with a series of incompetent or out-of-touch managers.

Despite this, and with a great degree of trepidation, I’m beginning to feel optimistic again.

It would be remiss of me not to admit that I still have a strong degree of pessimism and déjà vu after 7 long years of misery, but last night and the victory over Manchester City was the first time I can remember feeling something similar to the glory days of my younger years, where football gripped my every living moment.

It’s not to say that I’ve stopped caring … indeed, the opposite is true, but it’s hard to be so emotionally invested in something which you know will lead to disappointment.

However, the 2-0 vicory and the first double over rivals Manchester City in a decade has me thinking that we’re on the road to recovery.

This was undoubtedly the greatest moment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s permanent managerial tenure (that famous night in Paris, of course, was during his honeymoon caretaker period).

The Norwegian has been struggling as much as his side to convince the sceptics this season, as United lurked on the margins of the Premier League's top four.

Now though, with a run of 10 games unbeaten and the addition of an operator who looks a genuine class act in Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon, he now at least has the opportunity to clear away some of the doubts come season's end.

United have a favourable draw against Austrians LASK in the last 16 of the Europa League, travel to Premier League strugglers Norwich City in the FA Cup quarter-final and now stand only three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League and five behind Leicester City in third.

It all sounds rosy, but we must also be careful not to get carried away.

Solskjaer will be judged on United's final league placing and, for context, they are 37 points behind the old foe Liverpool as they run away with their first title in 30 years.

In just a few weeks, however, there has been a major shift in mood and momentum inside Old Trafford and amongst the rabid fanbase.

It is certainly a far cry from when a lame 2-0 loss at Liverpool on 19 January was followed by a 2-0 loss at home to Burnley on the following Wednesday. Doom and gloom was on the menu then.

Those of us who still remain to be fully convinced of Solskjaer's credentials must not be churlish enough to avoid giving him full credit when it is due.

He has now overcome Manchester City and manager Pep Guardiola three times this season, twice in the league and once in a losing cause in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Etihad Stadium. As previous seasons have told us, this takes some doing.

Solskjaer's cause has been helped by what appears to be two particularly smart pieces of recruitment, the lack of which has been the failing at the heart of so many of Manchester United's problems since Ferguson's departure.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka looks a superb investment for now and the future. The 22-year-old won his battle with Manchester City's Raheem Sterling hands down, hounding him into submission much to the delight of the fans who view the former Liverpool man as a pantomime villain.

And at the epicentre of it all was Fernandes, the 25-year-old creative genius who has proven what is possible once you take Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira out the team.

Fernandes provides United with a focal point, a game changer and a player whose speed of thought and action is already offering Solskjaer's team a new dimension.

Since making his Premier League debut in the goalless draw at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on February 1, Fernandes has been involved in more goals in the competition than any other player with two goals and three assists.

At the other end, Solskjaer's defence is starting to have a look of solidity, with eight clean sheets and only two goals conceded in their past 10 games in all competitions.

The final judgement is reserved for now and there is still an extremely long way to go. Who knows, with a top four finish and perhaps even a cup under his belt, it may prove that Ole is at the wheel after all.