April 3rd 2024.
After spending almost three years as manager of Manchester United, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that some members of the squad were keen on leaving when he was offered the job on a permanent basis. Solskjaer returned to his former club in December 2018 as interim manager, taking over from Jose Mourinho who had been sacked. At the time, United were struggling in sixth place in the Premier League, 11 points behind the top-four spots. However, things quickly turned around under the guidance of the Norwegian, with the team only losing one out of 13 league games before he was awarded a three-year contract.
According to Solskjaer, something changed after he was appointed as the permanent manager of the club. He recalls arriving at the staff Christmas party at Lancashire Cricket Club, where he was introduced to the 1,000 staff members of Manchester United who were all singing and smiling. In his first game as manager, they faced his former club Cardiff and won 5-0. Solskjaer's approach was to let the players play, to move forward, create chances, score goals, and most importantly, enjoy being a Manchester United player. Under his leadership, they won their first eight games and had a great time together.
However, as the media began speculating about Solskjaer's permanent position, the team started to experience fatigue and injuries. Some players even wanted to leave the club. Solskjaer felt that the excitement and energy had fizzled out at the end of his first season, but they still managed to finish third and second in the Premier League in his two full seasons as manager.
One of the standout moments of Solskjaer's reign at Manchester United was their stunning Champions League victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital. However, the 51-year-old is quick to point out that there were many other memorable moments, such as Scott McTominay's last-minute winning goal against Manchester City before lockdown and their 9-0 win against Southampton. Solskjaer also mentions their impressive performances against top teams like Brighton, Tottenham, and Leeds.
Despite these achievements, Solskjaer believes that Manchester United did not receive enough recognition for their organized attacks and strong defensive tactics. Other managers and coaches even complimented them on their tactical approach with and without the ball. However, despite their successes, Solskjaer's time as manager came to an end in November 2021, with Michael Carrick briefly taking over as caretaker manager before Ralf Rangnick took charge for the 2021-22 season.
Erik ten Hag then took over as manager and had a strong first season, finishing third and winning the League Cup. However, the current season has been a struggle for Manchester United as they currently sit in sixth place, 11 points behind the top-four and 19 points behind league leaders Liverpool. Their recent 1-1 draw with Brentford was a disappointing result, and they face a tough match against Chelsea on Thursday night. Despite the challenges, Solskjaer remains proud of his time at the club and the progress they made during his tenure.
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