Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | W15 D2 L4

Is Ole a good appointment?

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mariachi-19 said:
Great post but something you have failed to account for. What separates a good manager from the best managers is not how well they perform when everything is running smoothly. It's what happens when the teams fall off the rails a little and you have successive defeats or a poor season (admittedly a poor season under SAF was usually 3rd or 2nd), players start moaning to the press or contract negotiations break down (see SAF v Rooney 2010). This is where its going to be difficult to measure somebody like Ole because he's walked into a side that is on a high after losing a negative approaching Manager.

Ole has done a great job at Molde and its not "irrelevant experience" but he's not under the spotlight. When things go wrong, he's still won trophies and developed strong teams for that league, but the pressure is not the same. I look at Pochettino (and by no means do I claim he's any better or worse than Ole because we simply cannot judge) and see a Manager who has worked in the spotlight and to financial constraints, player issues and board pressures and still remains strong in his seat and has his teams playing attractive football.

Its why I actually dont think much of Guardiola because for his coaching career, he's walked into teams that are either the best in the league or very close to it. He's never grafted with a lower performing team. He's never demonstrated that his style of football works with a lesser bunch of players. He's credited with developing a great Barcelona outfit, but Frank Rijkaard took a lesser Barcelona team to a CL win which says enough (also the non-performance of his teams in the champions league without Messi).



In saying all of the above, while the Scottish league may have been stronger years ago (I wouldnt know), Sir Alex also grafted in a lesser league and look how that panned out. Maybe you're right about Ole and that we have a seriously good manager on our hands. Its just very much a case of the unknown at this stage and alot of fans are worried given the last few managers, about the direction of the club.

What I will say is that I love what he's currently doing. Its refreshing having a positive Manager with a clear ideology of how he wants his teams play that doesn't revert to sideways or backwards passing and loves to see us score goals.
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I agree with you on Ole but I feel the same goes for Poch. The pressure he will face at United is unlike anything he has faced. Currently he's David fighting Goliath. Lose the PL title and well you're not suppose to win it, lose in the CL and again same excuse, regardless the pressure doesn't increase. At United every win/loss and decision will be under a microscope. External and internal pressure grows with every win or loss. He's now suppose to win the PL and CL. Realistically after a honeymoon first season, not doing so will be considered failure. That's not including the fact that if Ole continues to do well and isn't appointed, the comparisons will never stop.
 
I have to say that I am extremely seduced by the idea of Ole managing the team permanently. It's great to see that while the overall performances have improved there is still a lot of room from improvement in terms of personnel and tactically. I would love to see if he can spot and fix those issues this summer, so if possible we should offer him a 24 months contract in May.
 
I think we'll get a much better idea of Ole over the next month or so. We've got Spurs coming up and it remains to be seen 1) whether we bring any new players in 2) how Ole bloods Garner, Gomes, Chong and Greenwood.

(Felt good to write "how" Ole brings in the youth rather than "whether".)
 
If OGS is going to be the head coach, then I want to know who he's going to working with on his coaching staff as well as football director staff.

If we give OGS the role that Moyes, LVG and Jose had... which is Sir Alex's huge role, then he'll fail long term like the others did. That huge role has to be delegated out as there's simply no-one who can do that job. Sir Alex was essentially first team head coach AND director of football in his role as manager.

He's riding on a short-term boost at the moment by the looks of it, but is he going to be able to get them set for pre-season as a full time manager?, how he'll deal with outgoings and incomings regarding playing staff? etc.

The players are probably happy because a certain guy isn't there anymore. How long before that burns off? Who do the players want to play for long-term?
 
It's one thing coming into a broken dressing room and getting everybody at it because you're not the other guy. It's very much another being the permanent manager at a club and stamping your authority around the place. Just saying.
 
I personally think Solskjaer will be a fantastic manager for us. And I`m a little bit disappointed tbh when I see a lot of people here say he got little experience as a manager from before.

As a manager for Molde he did a lot of impressive stuff. Remember Molde is a very small "city" in Norway with only 26 900 inhabitans.
They won the league title x 2, a league Rosenborg have been dominating for many years.
Ole took them to Europa League, in league 2015/16 they won their group, with strong opponents like Celtic, Ajax and Fenerbache.
From a small city in Norway his results in Europe are extraordinary!!

As a new user here I am not allowed to upload images yet, but google: "molde europa league 2015 tabel"

Molde Celtic 3-1 :
Celtic- Molde 1-2
Molde- Fenerbachce 2-0
Fenerbache - Molde 1-0
Ajax-Molde 1-1
Molde- Ajax 1-1

18th final: Molde- Sevilla 1-0. Exit Molde when they lost 0-3 in Sevilla.

This year they also beat Zenit 2-1 in 2018..

Solskjaer always loves to play attacking football, and he is extraordinary with young talents.
Erlin Braut Håland is a wonderkid, and a result of Molde and Ole. He just signed now for Redbull Salzburg:
Search him up on youtub! Hopefully he will sign for Man Utd one day!

He is already hardly missed here in Molde... Wish him all the best in Man Utd
 
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pondus said:
He is already hardly missed here in Molde... Wish him all the best in Man Utd
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Maybe edit this line, "hardly" means "neppe" ;)
I assume it's autocorrect or something, always fecks up my English when i'm on the phone.
 
I'm wondering what happens if he's given the job fulltime, will they keep Carrick, McKenna and Phelan?
Or will Ole put together his own team? I assume he'll want to Keep Phelan anyway.
 
Grylte said:
I'm wondering what happens if he's given the job fulltime, will they keep Carrick, McKenna and Phelan?
Or will Ole put together his own team? I assume he'll want to Keep Phelan anyway.
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Incidentally, I think it's the other way round.
 
Adisa said:
Incidentally, I think it's the other way round.
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To keep everyone but Ole?

Anyway, my question was what IF we keep Ole, will we also keep all of the coaches/assistants?
 
mariachi-19 said:
That is the best :lol::lol::lol:


I just hope he walks into that dressing room before the Spurs game Sir Alex style.... "its spurs" and walks out.. feckem, we Manchester United, we do what we want.
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Pretty sure that’s what the last few managers have said, which is why we’ve been comfortably smashed. They’re not that Tottenham anymore. Maybe once Poch/Kane/eriksen leave normality can resume.
 
there is a good chance Phelan's influence is much higher then Ole's for the moment. We play just like in SAF days but with a shitier defence. Even id we get a new manager, i hope Phelan stays involved either as a first/secondary assistant or first team coach.
 
Adisa said:
Doubt the board will consider what the players want.
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With Jardim went to China, Rose moving to another German club and Poch saying he'd rather retire at Tottenham, I think Solskjaer is the most eligible candidate.
 
meamth said:
With Jardim went to China, Rose moving to another German club and Poch saying he'd rather retire at Tottenham, I think Solskjaer is the most eligible candidate.
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Poch didn't say that.
 
Adisa said:
Doubt the board will consider what the players want.
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It would be wise to at least take it into consideration. There's loads of knowledgeable people within the club whom they should hear out as well. That way when they pick a new manager they have a better chance of picking someone who is a good fit with United as a whole. The alternative is they don't listen to anyone at the club and we end up with someone who is the 'best' according to 'the numbers'. That would be Mourinho all over again.
 
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Snafu17 said:
Isn't that the same bloke who claimed that Mourinho will be sacked after the Newcastle game no matter what?
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He doesn't seem to have been entirely wrong. There was clearly a negative mood surrounding the club regarding Mourinho and it seems like Ed had been deliberating a sack for awhile.

But anyway, I doubt the players have a say in the next managerial appointment.
 
IronCroos37 said:
there is a good chance Phelan's influence is much higher then Ole's for the moment. We play just like in SAF days but with a shitier defence. Even id we get a new manager, i hope Phelan stays involved either as a first/secondary assistant or first team coach.
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I think tactics and set up have Phelan's influence while Ole is working with the players individually specially the attacking side of things, positioning movement finishing as so on.
 
Tom Cato said:
Hi there! New forum member (lifetime Manchester United fan) chiming in!

I'm Norwegian so my opinion is wildly biased, but nevertheless:

I think Ole would make a fantastic manager for Manchester United. He is the very embodiment of what Manchester United is. A club legend who enjoys the very fact that he gets to have Old Trafford as his workplace.

Some of the key factors for why I personally think Ole is the man for the job (and a couple questionmarks).

1) Ole Gunnar is a low maintenance manager. What I mean by that is that his demeanor makes him extremely comfortable to be around, and his way of leadership does not wear and tear at anyones morale. Unlike Mourinho who favors an agressive leadershipstyle that punishes players by public shaming and repeated benching, Ole runs a "I got your back" type of leadership, where he is the one who is responsible for the hardships, and the players are the ones who gets the credit for the win.

We've seen examples of this in several interviews already, noteably he refuses any credit for Lukakus 0-1 goal vs Newcastle, rather talk about how well Lukaku did. He has adressed the teams issue with set pieces, and not laid blame on any single player. He's also not come across as angry or condescending, but rather adressed a fact in public with a calm rationality that will make the people that works for him more likely to adress their own struggles, and not spend enegry on what mean things the manager said. He mentioned the defense almost letting a newcastle player through with a personal mistake, "but Phil made a great recovery". Again emphasizing the player when he did someting positive, isntead of something negative.

Several times he talks about how well players are doing. Rashford, Martial, Pogba, Shaw, Lukaku, De Gea, etc. etc. Every time they do something noteable, the manager is there to let them know that he notices, and is willing to tell everyone.

Words are cheap, but words also carry a lot of meaning, especially when a key factor in personell management, is personell morale. By his conduct, Ole is a person that is going to naturally want people to make an effort for him. If you want success, this can not be understated.

2) Ole Gunnar has many years of exprience working with young players. Academy players are the very bedrock that Manchester United is founded upon. Its the teams very identity and it must be protected at all costs. Ole is a manager that is known for playing the youngsters, and knows very well the value of a young and fast team. In Norway he's worked with many talents in Molde football club, most recently and noteably he's coached Erling Braut Haaland for Molde, who in turns has been sold and will join Red Bull Salzburg at the age of 18. In 2017 Erling was ranked as one of The Guardians picks for future stars of European football from the 2000 class. He's also worked with other known United players, most noteably of course, Paul Pogba.

His focus on yougsters and getting talent up through the club makes Ole an ideal candidate for the job.

3) Attacking style football. Manchester United is not a defensive team. Its a great attacking team with a great defense. Currently the player personell in the back 4 needs improvement. In my book only Shaw and Lindelöf *currently* holds the required quality for a United defender. If Ole stays, this is what needs adressing.

When he took over Molde, the name of the game was attackminded football, when he took over Cardiff the mantra was the same, up and attack. When he took the job with United, againt he same. United is an attacking team, and this coach wants to score 1-0, 2-0, 3-0, 4-0, 5-0. Never sit on a lead, always pressure. Giving players with incredible offensive talents such as Martial, Rashford and Pogba the freedom to do what they want is a blessing for this team. Some of the plays this trio has pulled out the last 4 games have been a joy to watch.

If you want a manager that wants to score goals? This is one.

4) Ole is a experienced manager. He's currently been in charge of a football club for 8 years (2010 -> to date). In that time he has won the Norwegian league twice, the Norwegian cup once, and pershaps most relevant he has won the Lancashire Senior Cup and Manchester Senior Cup with the Manchester United reserveteam during his tenure as a coach.

Molde actually won their Europa League group ahead of Celtic, Fenerbache and Ajax. They were eventually relegated by Sevilla who beat them 3-1 over 2 matches (Molde beat Sevilla in Spain). Financially, all of these clubs are in another universe compared to Molde.

He also has experience coaching a Premier League club (but we'll get back to that in a moment).

5) After Sir Alex, 3 coaches have tried and failed to make the club great. Some good results have come, but its time to to be a hard factor again. Moyes, LvG and Mourinho all failed in their own ways, but they all failed. Moyes was a coach that was used to building his team slowly and meticilously in Everton, eventually gaining some success. LvG came and went with so so results, and Mourinho, despite winning the European League, almost burned the club to the ground in the process.

You need someone who is respected throughout the organization, by literally everyone. Everyone has a realtionship with this man, and not one of them has a bad word to say. The interim manager time and time again emphasizes hos great this club is, how great the players are, what Manchester Unitd is all about, what responsibilities the players have both to conduct, effort and morale. This is not a manger that wants to shape the club in his own philosophy, he wants to build on one that was started and left off by the greatest manager to ever set foot in a stadium. Its the United way, all the way, and every day.

6) Ole enjoys incredible respect among the players in the club, some of who he has a previous relationship, but others who have obviously warmed up to the idea that anyone else than Mourinho is in charge. You see how different everyone are acting on and off the field through their social media and various interviews. What I'm sure everyone wants to see is a coach that instills the same kind of respect that Sir Alex did. When Ole gives Paul Pogba a big hug after the win vs. Newcastle, that is not for theatrics, these are people that genuinely respect eachother. It's the little things, like the absolute glee among the coaching staff by the bench when the team scores, to Rashford posting a tweet being instructed by Solskjaer. These people are all aboard with this manager right now.

7) Marcus Rashford. It's been 4 games, but oh man has Marcus Rashford been an absolute monster these 4 games. Playing under Ole so far has been a godsend for Marcus. We saw it against Bournemouth when Rashford was charging balls that everyone had given up on, making plays and just using his speed every chance he got. Marcus has been 110% effort under Ole, and its absolutely incredible to watch. Marcus Rashford is goign to be an absolute beast for United in the coming seasons. He's best left with a manager that gives him what he has today.

8) Ole has been vocal about his intent to build this team around him. In fact it was reported that one of the first things Ole did when he came here was have a heart to heart with Pogba, and ask him what HE felt he needed to perform at the level everyone knows he can. Pogba went from being a scapegoat to an absolute monster overnight. This is personell management at its finest.

9) Sanchez. Boy oh boy, Sanchez. The player that came from Arsenal has still not shown up on Old Trafford. This is the perfect time to let Alexis show why he collects Messi money from the Old Trafford cashiers. Salaries aside, the man looked extremely hungry to go against Newcastle, with several hard effort runs, and one sweet pass to Rashford for 2-0. I think that Ole is the man that can finally give Alexis the confidence he needs to succeed at the club. If he does its another argument to keep him around in my eyes.

10) Alex Ferguson. It should be relatively evident that Ole is not here without some very hard input from Sir Alex. Ole refers to him as "The Boss", just like Ronaldo and Beckham does to this day. They have a very strong relationship and Sir Alex is obviously an influence to this day on both Oole and the club. The fact that he's been visiting the training field speaks to a man that is simply going to be the personification of United for the rest of his days, and his protege is currently sitting in his chair.

11) Mauricio Roberto Pochettino Trossero - "Everyones" favorite candidate to mange the club next season.

So what favors Pochettino over Ole exactly?

As players, Ole had the more impressive career, obviously.

They are both coaches that favor an attacking style of play and are known to give young players a chance at greatness in the club. Pochettino struck gold when he promoted Alli, Dier and Harry Kane from the Tottenham programs. There is a 100% chance that Ole is going to go the same route. Its the United way.

Players who have been coached by Pochettino are very favorable of his man management, and his willingness to give players the freedom they need to develop. Sound like someone we know?

Pochettino has never won anything as a manager, technically. But thats hardly a good argument against. His results with Tottenham are absolutely worthy of merit and all accolades.

In my eyes, Pochettino and Ole Gunnar are essentially the same person. The key difference to me is that Ole has the backing of *everyone*. The players, the fans, Sir Alex, and hopefully the board. The Glazer family stockvalue have increased considerably these past 4 games, something not to be underestimated.

So why not go with the man already in the chair?

_____________________

These are some of my pro reasons for keeping Ole on. Anyone wildly disagree?

I do have some "But what about..." points as well just to be fair.

1) Cardiff. Cardiff was an absolute disaster, but moreover it was a disaster of a club to manage. It was a struggling team with a chaotic owner and little resources available to do much of anything. I don't think that a lot of managers could have saved Cardiff from going down to begin with. If anything it was a disaster of a club to choose. The fact that he passed over Aston Villa before choosing Cardiff will forever be a mystery, although both clubs were struggling and were always candidates for relegation. Cardiff is absolutely something to consider when considering Ole for the job. Fortunately we have the good fortune of having half a season to evaluate this interim manager.

2) "Irrelevant experience" as a manager. True that Molde in Norway is a non-factor in a European measurement. But the local teams compete on local metrics, and there Ole was king. It also gives more creedence to the fact that he at least managed to coach a team to a European League group win.
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Nice read. We'll judge him at the end of the season thought. Only results and performances will be deciding factors. Everyone wants him to succeed here.
 
My biggest reservation with Ole, at the moment, is with him referring to Saf nearly all the time. I want him to be his own man. I want him to lay down HIS marker. Talk about what HE brings and the thoughts HE has on the team. Maybe I'm being a little harsh on him. Maybe after the Dubai break, where he has got to spend time with the squad, he may start being his own man.

But so far, so good. There are a lot of question marks, such as player acquisitions etc but that will be on the shoulders of any new DoF.
 
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