Manchester United are "getting closer" to silverware under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, according to the club's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.
United supporters are starting to dream of a return to the glory days again after seeing Solskjaer's side rise to second in the Premier League standings.
A dramatic 1-0 victory over Wolves at Old Trafford on Tuesday night saw the Red Devils move to within three points of leaders Liverpool with a game in hand, and talk of a potential title tilt is intensifying ahead of their next fixture against Aston Villa on New Year's Day.
The Manchester outfit have won six of their last eight top-flight games, scoring 22 goals in the process, having seemingly developed a steely resolve which has been lacking since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure back in 2013.
Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford have led their charge in the final third, while Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw have stood out in defence, with Solskjaer boasting a squad brimming with top talent which allows him to rotate amid an intense schedule.
The Norwegian was heavily criticised in the wake of United's early Champions League exit at the start of December, but he has since overseen a remarkable turnaround in fortunes, and is now being tipped to deliver a record-extending 21st domestic crown come May.
Woodward has been hugely impressed with the Red Devils' recent surge up the table, and has no doubt that Solskjaer is the right man to take the club forward as he looks ahead to a new year full of promise.
"There is much to be excited about on the pitch as Ole and the team head into the new year competing strongly in the Premier League and with three cups still to pursue," the Old Trafford chief wrote in his programme notes ahead of the clash with Villa.
"While this remains a difficult winter in the short-term, we can all feel more optimistic about the medium and longer-term as vaccines arrive to fight the virus. One of the many benefits from this should be the gradual return of fans to football stadiums and we can’t wait for ours to be allowed back inside Old Trafford.
"The team has coped well in challenging circumstances while playing behind closed doors. Indeed, at the time of writing, we have won more points-per-game since Project Restart last June than any other Premier League club. We also have four more wins and nine more goals than at the same time last season.
"There are many positive statistics like these showing the progress made under Ole in the past year. But they tell only part of the story. Just as important is the work we see being done behind the scenes to build a winning culture consistent with the club’s traditions of attacking football played by youthful, hard-working teams fusing homegrown talent with top-class recruits.
"We are getting closer to those objectives as the squad continues to develop following the arrivals of Bruno Fernandes, Donny van de Beek, Alex Telles and Edinson Cavani. Our ongoing investment reflects the tremendous resilience of the club and our commitment to supporting Ole, while remaining disciplined at an extremely challenging time.
"As always, our priority is to win trophies and, with the team going into the new year competing on four fronts, we are optimistic about the path ahead in 2021."