Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s real work with Man United starts now
Steve Nicol was surprised Manchester United didn’t wait till the end of the season before deciding to give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a permanent deal. (1:24)
It was 90 minutes after Saturday’s game at Old Trafford when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer got to speak to fans outside the Stretford End, the famous end where a huge, new, red flag bearing his name had passed over the heads of fans at the start of the day’s match against Watford.
Solskjaer had spoken to his players, done his media commitments with the television rights holders and the radio and the written press. He’d shaken hands with friends and officials beneath Old Trafford’s main stand — where he usually has a chat with Sir Alex Ferguson after games. There was no shortage of fans in the executive lounges at Old Trafford wanting a photo with Manchester United’s permanent manager and he’s an obliging sort, but around 1,000 fans waited outside a long time after Saturday’s win.
A roar went up when they finally saw Solskjaer. One overly enthusiastic fan was overwhelmed with emotion and ran forward muttering “Ole, Ole, Ole.” Security stopped him straightaway, escorting him back behind the security barriers. The man — more middle-aged than midteen — stood shaking. It was Beatlemania in Stretford.
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Most fans were far more orderly and Solskjaer had time for selfies. The fans who wait behind close to the dressing room are usually not locals, not fans who go to all the matches. It’s mostly infrequent visitors to Old Trafford who want to get as close as possible to their heroes, but the mood toward United’s manager is scarcely different among all the demographics of United’s vast fan base.
Fanzines saw a surge in subscriptions after he was appointed. The manager heard his name sung more than any player and still does, though a change would be nice from constant “Ole’s at the wheel” renditions. It’s a great song, but United fans have scores of others, and when traffic signs in Manchester are amusingly referencing Ole being at the wheel, it’s time for something different.
He benefits from a tremendous amount of goodwill for several reasons. One, he’s a club legend, the man who won the treble, and always will be. He also always came across well in dealings with the fans and he understood more about fan culture than most players too. Case in point, he used to go to the now-defunct Sportspages bookshop in Manchester and buy fanzines.
Two, he has won 15 of his first 20 games in charge and United have beaten Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, Leicester and PSG away. Not a single person expected such an upturn in form when he took charge on Dec. 19, after a dreadful start to the season that included a negative goal difference.
Three, he’s not named Jose Mourinho and, like all new appointments, benefits from being a fresh face. Four, fans are so desperate for him to do well that they’re investing so much hope and support into him and his massive task. This is the sixth consecutive season that United haven’t been in a title race. That they’re even in contention for a top-four finish is largely down to the Norwegian. There are seven games left, starting with Tuesday’s match at Wolves, who happen to have had the better of United in their two previous meetings this season.
The Solskjaer honeymoon continues, and on Friday night in a Manchester pub, 200 travelling Norwegian United fans sang his name over and over again. Ole’s a huge story in Norway, where demand for trips to Manchester has resulted in airlines adding extra flights.
Yet Solskjaer’s appointment as permanent boss was a time for everyone to draw breath after three thrilling months as caretaker. Saturday’s struggling performance against Watford is a sobering reminder that this United side are not that great. They may have the second-highest wage bill in world football, but they don’t look like a top-20 world side, more like one at times riding their good fortune but also realising untapped power in the collective.
There is evident room for improvement in all areas of the team. The central midfield looked average on Saturday and was outclassed by Abdoulaye Doucoure and Etienne Capoue, just as it was outclassed in both Wolves games. You might expect that against PSG or Juventus, but not from decent rather than world-beaters Wolves and Watford.
But you can counter all that by pointing out that United did beat Juventus and PSG away when it mattered. Good results override everything. They spread the scoring around too. Goals from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial on Saturday meant that for the first time since 1995-96, four players have scored 10 or more in the league.
Solskjaer maintains that getting the job permanently hasn’t altered his attitude fundamentally. He’ll likely be joined by Mike Phelan and a new sporting director.
“My mindset hasn’t changed at all,” Solskjaer said on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s Wolves game. “I’m going to enjoy this as long as it lasts. I’m not sure I will last as long as the gaffer did but I’m going to enjoy it as long as it does. That’s the reason I’m in this job, as long as I feel I can give something to the club.”
But he knows that things aren’t the same. “I have to change and I have to think a little bit more long-term,” Solskjaer said. “One week ago, it was just my advice for whoever’s going to be the manager next time. Now I’m part of that plan. But it hasn’t changed. I don’t feel under more pressure.”
Solskjaer had a free ride when he took over. Now, he’s expected to head a team that challenges for and wins trophies — while playing attractive football. His DNA for the job is perfect, if not his experience, but while he’ll be judged more sternly next season, he still has to deliver now because it’s vital that United play Champions League football next term. That can come about by a top-four finish or, against all odds, by winning the Champions League in Madrid in June. He couldn’t, could he?