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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has struck upon a couple of systems that have served Manchester United well this season, but there may well be another change required to take this side to the next level.

United have thrived recently in the bigger games with a back three, but the most used system this season has been a 4-3-3 with two defensive midfielders, often Scott McTominay and Fred, with some valuable contributions from Nemanja Matic.

Until the end of January United's midfield desperately lacked creativity, but the £47million acquisition of Bruno Fernandes has fixed that.

The double-pivot in front of the back four has helped United build solid foundations under Solskjaer. In the run of 11 unbeaten games before the season was suspended amid the coronavirus pandemic, nine of them were built on clean sheets and only one goal was conceded in both of the other two games.

Goals have been flowing as well during that run, especially against lesser opposition, and that is without the contribution of top scorer Marcus Rashford.

But if Solskjaer wants to take United to the next level - which has to be a Premier League challenge - then it might require another shake-up of his midfield. Few sides in recent memory have won the title with two defensive midfielders and those who have had success with two holding players have had one who can make a difference, usually a dribbler who can take players out of the game from deep positions, helping to beat the press of the opposition.

For all the qualities of McTominay, Fred and Matic, they don't really offer that kind of attacking threat from holding midfield positions at the moment.

To take Manchester City and Liverpool as an example at the moment, and those are the standards United have to meet, both have had their success in playing one holding midfielder, in Rodri and Fabinho when both are fit. In City's case that allows them to play two attacking midfielders, while Liverpool utilise two energetic players slightly advanced of Fabinho, with the full-backs taking on the creative burden.

The lesson here is that when teams are looking to take the next step, having built a system that allows for solidity, they need to unleash more midfield options further forward. City and Liverpool control games to such an extent that they only need one defensive midfielder, the other two can scheme further up the pitch and attempt to win the ball back in high areas. That should be United's next step under Solskjaer and on the evidence of performances from the end of January until the season was suspended, it's a change that could be coming soon.

There's a variety of ways Solskjaer could alter United's midfield, thanks to the versatility of those involved. While McTominay might be an ideal holding midfielder in terms of his discipline and his energy, he played as a striker coming through in the academy and has an eye for goal too.

Fred can set the tempo in a deeper role, which may be an ideal attribute if United develop into a side who become more dominant territorially and in terms of possession, but he's also got a good enough range of passing to play further forward, although his poor record in terms of goals and assists would count against that.

While Fernandes is an obvious candidate to play a more advanced midfield role, he could be joined by Paul Pogba, if he stays at the club, or a new signing such as Jack Grealish. With one of Fred or McTominay sitting deeper, Fernandes playing further forward with Pogba or Grealish would give a new dimension to United's midfield.

In 18 months this side has shown signs of development under Solskjaer and the next stage might be to unleash a more ambitious midfield. 

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