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Manchester United have finally appointed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the club’s permanent manager, on a three-year contract. The Norwegian was in vibrant mood following the declaration and his love for his club was evident from his reaction:
This is the job that I always dreamed of doing and I’m beyond excited to have the chance to lead the club long-term and hopefully deliver the continued success that our amazing fans deserve.
When he took over the reins at Old Trafford on 19th December 2018, the Norwegian was expected to stay in charge until the end of the season, when a permanent manager was to be appointed. Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino was supposed to be the club’s preferred choice, however, Solskjaer managed to convince the club hierarchy that he was the right man for United.
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The decision, as expected, has been met with celebratory reactions from the fans. In this article, we look at the 5 ways how Ole Gunnar Solskjaer convinced Manchester United that he was the right man for the job.
#5 His presence in the press
Mourinho’s press conferences were entertaining at the start, but they soon took a darker turn. There came a point where his quotes and opinions were often an embarrassment to the club and its supporters. It was more of a personal battle between him and the press and sometimes it seemed like United were caught in the middle of it.
When Solskjaer sat for his first outing with the press, there was a certain freshness about him. It was a welcome change from the dark gloomy days of the Portuguese. He smiled, he was warm and listening to him was genuinely pleasing. If the world thought that Ole was just a good boy who would always be smiling, there were in for a surprise too.
The Norwegian was also strong in his assessment of his players. While he didn't publicly bash them, he has been honest in his opinion at all times. Solskjaer has impressed the world with the way he has presented himself on camera so far. It was a portrait of a perfect United Manager, presentable, charming and wise. His success in donning that role in front of the camera has helped shift the United hierarchy in his favour.
#4 His knowledge of the club legacy
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer joined Manchester United in July 1996 from Molde FC as a relatively unknown player. By the time he had retired at the end of the 2006/07 season, he had become a household name and the apple of the eye of the United faithful. The Norwegian has now admitted that he has learned much of his trade by watching Sir Alex Ferguson and after his retirement, immediately joined United as the Reserves Team Coach. He spent four years at the position, before joining Molde in 2010.
As such, the Norwegian has known United both as a player and a reserves team manager. He was associated with the club for almost 16 years and understands the requirements of being a part of the United team. The United hierarchy would have struggled to find a candidate with a better working knowledge of the club.
Perhaps his awareness of the expectations at United helped him during his tenure as the Caretaker Manager too and it was also one of the reasons why he was chosen for the job.
#3 Style of play
Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, Manchester United have struggled to entertain on the field. The David Moyes tenure was a disaster, while Louis van Gaal’s long ball and defensive approach failed to generate warmth from the supporters. Mourinho’s start was good, but the Portuguese could not resist the temptations of his ultra-defensive tactics and succumbed to his wrong decisions.
As such, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s style of play brought much-needed respite to the United faithful. He started his reign as the Caretaker Manager by scoring 5 goals; it was the first time United had done so since Sir Alex Ferguson’s last game in charge! Supporters had every right to be excited and Solskjaer continued to be true to the club’s attacking instincts in the following games.
The Norwegian did approach a counter-attacking strategy in crunch games and it yielded great results as well. The entertainment factor was back, United were scoring goals and the team had embraced a style of play that generated high hopes for the future. It was enough to convince the United Management to tie him in a long term deal.
#2 Positive Approach towards games
"Mountains are there to be climbed"
This one quote generated a lot of hype at the end of the home defeat at the hands of PSG in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie. It was met with taunts and jeers from the opposition fans, many of whom mocked United and Solskjaer. A fortnight later, every single one of them had to eat their words, as the Norwegian turn around the deficit in style. It was a testament of the strength of character of the man and it had rubbed into his players too.
The Norwegian has always maintained a positive approach towards the games, and there is a never say die attitude about him that is contagious. It has been inspirational to the club and its players, helping them attain the impossible at times. The United Management definitely want this approach to continue and as such, have rightly appointed him as the permanent manager.
#1 Performance as the Caretaker Manager
When Manchester United appointed Solskjaer as their Caretaker manager in December 2018, they were in deep waters. The club had already lost 5 and drawn 5 of their first 17 games in the league. Those included humiliating 3-1 defeats at the hands of both City and Liverpool. They had also exited the League Cup in the third round itself and the Club was dangerously sliding down the table.
The Norwegian steadied the ship, and got his superstars firing again on the field. United went on a record-setting 8 run unbeaten streak in all competitions under him and the mood at Old Trafford was suddenly sunny again. Solskjaer won 14 of his first 19 games in charge and drawing 2. His only defeats were at the hands of PSG in the Champions League, Arsenal in the Premier League and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the F. A. Cup.
With Barcelona up ahead in the Quarter Finals of the UEFA Champions League and the fight for the 4th place in the league far from over, Solskjaer has his work cut out now. However, the Norwegian has been brilliant as the Caretaker Manager so far and his recent form finally convinced the United hierarchy to give him the full-time job.
