“I’m on a ferry now,” says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, speaking on the telephone in his first in-depth media interview since being sacked as Manchester United supervisor in 2021.
“We’re going to Surnadal for our under-16s’ second team. I’ve driven from my home in Kristiansund. The team minibus is next to me with 14 boys aged 15 enjoying themselves.
“This is how I remember growing up as a footballer. It’s lovely being with my youngest son Elijah, just as it was when I coached our eldest son Noah after I was sacked at Cardiff — and our daughter Karna just before I joined Man United.
“To be able to turn offers down that I didn’t feel 100 per cent about to spend time with my family is a privilege. When you manage Manchester United, you sacrifice all of that.”
It is nearly two years since Solskjaer was sacked, the membership legend dismissed six months after taking the crew to the Europa League ultimate, the place they had been overwhelmed by Villarreal on penalties.
He has not spoken totally about his experiences at Old Trafford. I’ve usually requested him to speak, however the time has by no means been proper. A textual content on Monday morning confirmed he was now prepared to talk — and no subjects had been off the desk.
Solskjaer took United to the Europa League ultimate (UEFA – Handout/UEFA)
During a one-hour dialog, it turns into clear he is able to return to skilled soccer. On Wednesday, he begins a brand new function as a UEFA technical observer however he is considering administration once more.
In this wide-ranging interview, he discusses:
- How signing Ronaldo “felt right but turned out wrong”
- Telling gamers at half-time of his ultimate match that he anticipated to lose his job
- Views that a few of his gamers “weren’t as good as their perception of themselves”
- How some gamers turned down the prospect to be captain
- Filming gamers singing “Ole’s at the wheel” after well-known PSG win
- Why he needed to movie farewell video
- Missing out on Harry Kane, Erling Haaland and different stars
- His view of the Glazers
“I’m doing a lot of coaching, four times per week, and we have three teams,” he says en path to the junior recreation 300 miles north west of Oslo. “I’m helping the kids, who enjoy it. You see a different side to football, the grassroots – except it’s all plastic pitches here. You see the brightness in their eyes, they listen to you, they want to learn.
“But you start to miss it (professional football) when you see the games, either in person or on television. Since I left United, I’ve travelled around as a fan with my kids, going to places like Napoli, Milan and Dortmund to experience games. We loved it.
“My role with UEFA means watching Champions League matches in person. I can watch teams from a different perspective than being a manager: analyse them, solve problems, see how both teams will try to hurt each other.
“Then I’m going to the east coast of the United States in a few weeks to see Wayne Rooney and David Beckham, see a few games and see what’s what.”
Do you wish to handle once more?
Yes, and I’ve had gives. Most not too long ago, two from Saudi Arabia. My greatest mate, who can be my agent, sifts by them. If you’ve managed Man United, you place your individual standards about what you wish to work with.
I really like England and the Premier League. Even the Championship feels stronger than ever, however I don’t really feel certain to England. Maybe a special problem the place I must expertise a brand new tradition and be taught a brand new language.
The DNA and identification of the membership are necessary, a membership the place I may be the very best me. It must be a match. Maybe I made the unsuitable determination to go to Cardiff, for instance, the place there was a conflict of identities and types.
What I miss most is working with good individuals, coming in daily, discussing soccer and placing a plan collectively for the subsequent recreation. It’s not nearly formations, however making a tradition the place the workers get pleasure from their job and constructing a crew collectively.
Nearly two years after leaving, how do really feel about your time managing United now?
Well, there’s one thing lacking: a trophy. One penalty might have modified that (within the shootout defeat to Villarreal within the Europa League ultimate) and my time there can be considered otherwise.
Trophies are necessary, but it surely was additionally necessary to put the muse of fine performances. We managed to do this for a very long time, persistently. Ultimately, that’s not ok, however the remit I used to be given was to get followers smiling once more and we had one thing going. We had been prime of the league in September 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo got here in, and Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho joined.
And?
And we’d gone robust by signing these gamers. It was about taking the subsequent step to problem for the title. And, sadly, it simply didn’t work out.
Solskjaer helped carry Sancho to United (Adrian Dennis through Getty Images)
There’s a notion amongst followers and some media that Ronaldo ruined your crew, that he was an arrogance purchase by Ed Woodward. What’s the reality about his arrival and the way you discovered him to work with?
It was a choice that was very troublesome to show down and I felt we needed to take it, but it surely turned out unsuitable. It felt so proper when he signed and the followers felt that at that Newcastle recreation, when Old Trafford was rocking (after Ronaldo scored twice in a 4-1 win). He was nonetheless top-of-the-line goalscorers on the earth, he was wanting robust.
When I regarded on the fixtures it was going to be a deciding interval: Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham, and Leicester away. Then Chelsea and Arsenal, plus Champions League video games. Things went in opposition to us. It began with Aston Villa at dwelling (a 1-0 defeat) and a late penalty miss.
When you’ve got a bunch you want everybody to tug in the identical course. When issues didn’t go proper, you may see sure gamers and egos got here out. We beat Tottenham convincingly 3-0 away, however then we misplaced two video games…
Ronaldo scored usually on his return to Old Trafford however there have been questions on his general impression (Marco Bertorello through Getty Images)
You misplaced 5 league video games from seven that autumn. Did you’re feeling you had been going to lose your job?
Nobody informed me, however I knew at half-time in opposition to Watford (a 4-1 defeat in November 2021). We didn’t appear to be a Man United crew; the gamers weren’t operating for one another. At half-time, I informed the gamers it was in all probability going to be the final time we labored collectively and to play with delight. We nearly turned it round, till Harry Maguire obtained despatched off.
And then?
I obtained a textual content message the subsequent morning from Ed Woodward saying he wanted to see me in his workplace at Carrington. That was fairly exhausting if you’ve been on the membership for 18 years with all these good and unhealthy instances.
I’d had a lot of backing and good instances with Ed. He’d given me the prospect and for that, I’ll all the time be grateful. I dropped my household on the airport earlier than the textual content arrived. After the textual content, I informed my spouse that I is perhaps again in Norway earlier than her.
It was an emotional day. Very emotional. I didn’t suppose it will be, but it surely was like leaving your loved ones. I needed to talk to all of the gamers and say goodbye. I spoke to the coaches and the workers. Then I went again to an empty home.
You did a farewell video. Was that your concept?
I didn’t need to not say goodbye to followers who’d handled me so nicely, followers who felt like household. Doing the video felt like the correct factor to do.
Were you offended? Did you’re feeling let down by your gamers?
Not offended. Not bitter. Disappointed. I’d not managed to do my dream job as I’d hoped. I’d gone in to do a job for six months and get pleasure from it. I actually did, particularly that win at Paris Saint-Germain (a shocking 3-1 away win within the Champions League final 16 in March 2019 to succeed in the quarter-finals).
And there have been some nice moments once I obtained the job completely. The wins at City away, beating City at dwelling with Scott McTominay scoring with the final kick earlier than the lockdown. I’ve by no means felt Old Trafford rocking like that. The followers stayed behind for ages.
As it occurs, that was the final time they’d be within the stadium for a lot of months. Another win at PSG. Staying unbeaten away from dwelling for therefore lengthy. It’s not straightforward to go 29 away league video games unbeaten.
Victory at PSG a spotlight of Solskjaer’s time in cost (Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)
Empty stadiums really helped us in some methods as we might coach in the course of the matches.
Those City and Liverpool groups had been the very best that their golf equipment, with incredible managers, have ever had. I do know that’s a daring assertion as a result of Liverpool had been so good within the ’80s, however they had been a incredible aspect beneath Jurgen Klopp.
In my final season, we performed Liverpool at dwelling. I felt the gamers had been prepared for it, similar to I’d felt they had been prepared once we’d gone to City and gained. We might have sat again and countered however my determination was to go for it. We misplaced 5-0. It was 50/50, kind of, in possession and possibilities at half-time, but we had been 4-0 down.
I made the unsuitable determination and that was my lowest level as United supervisor by a mile. Roberto Firmino was in all probability the opposition participant who brought on me essentially the most issues as a supervisor. The 6-1 defeat at dwelling to Spurs was totally different and affected by a sending-off.
Is the United job unimaginable?
No, but it surely’s troublesome, particularly for managers following top-of-the-line managers ever. The expectations are very excessive however we will’t dwell in the identical period as once I performed. We had Arsenal and Chelsea as rivals in direction of the top. Now, most groups have cash or even when they don’t, they don’t must promote.
Back then, Wayne and Cristiano had been the very best younger gamers and we signed them. Now, United can’t simply go and purchase Evan Ferguson. We couldn’t purchase the gamers I discussed to the membership.
Players like?
Erling Haaland, earlier than he made his Salzburg debut. Declan Rice, who wouldn’t have value what he did in the summertime. We mentioned Moises Caicedo, however we felt we wanted gamers prepared for there and then. Brighton are superb at letting gamers come from overseas and discover their ft for a 12 months and a half. At United, you don’t have that luxurious and that has value the membership a great deal of gamers.
We needed Jude Bellingham badly — he’s a Man United participant, however I respect he selected Dortmund. That was in all probability wise. But it’s why I respect Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Dan James and Jadon. Young gamers ready to come back right into a crew that wasn’t 100 per cent there prefer it was once I arrived.
I might have signed Kane daily of the week and my understanding was that he needed to come back. But the membership didn’t have the funds with the monetary constraints from Covid-19, there was no bottomless pit.
You got here from overseas and wanted every week and a half as a participant…
I used to be a scorer and scored with my first kick. I got here into an ideal scenario. I had Eric Cantona as the very best second striker, Andy Cole was injured. I took my probability, I used to be prepared. The Premier League may be very totally different now, it’s troublesome.
Ralf Rangnick got here in after you had been sacked and was essential of the membership he discovered. Was {that a} slight in opposition to you?
The membership he present in November 2021 was totally different from September 2021. I informed him once I gave my opinion on each participant. Things had soured, the collective had been misplaced and that’s not Man United, the place groups are constructed on the collective.
Some gamers felt they need to’ve performed extra and weren’t constructive to the setting. That’s an enormous sin for me. When I didn’t begin video games I needed to show to the supervisor he’d made the unsuitable determination.
Now, numerous gamers aren’t like that. Agents and members of the family get into their heads and inform them they’re higher than they’re as a result of they’ve a vested curiosity. It’s a illness of recent soccer.
We had an excellent group to work with by the top of the 2020-21 season. We obtained to the FA Cup semi-final in 2020 and the Europa League ultimate in 2021.
Would you’ve got finished something otherwise in that Europa League ultimate, or that FA Cup semi-final in opposition to Chelsea?
Villarreal beneath Unai Emery had been exhausting to interrupt down. I’ve not watched it again.
David de Gea missed the decisive penalty within the 2021 Europa League shootout (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
But you informed me you’ve watched each United recreation you’d managed…
Not that one. Or Liverpool, Spurs or Watford. No probability. I watched the remaining, we had been an honest aspect. But I ought to have began or at the very least introduced on Nemanja Matic in opposition to Villarreal. That recreation was for him. I didn’t select him as a result of I felt others deserved it.
It’s troublesome to go away gamers out however it’s a must to take dangers. I risked youngsters for the ultimate recreation of 2020-21 at Wolves, risked an unbeaten away file. I used to be pleased with how these youngsters reacted (in a 2-1 win).
You had been criticised — on-line primarily, but it surely grew to become a story — for not having tactical plans and being only a counter-attacking crew. Can you speak to us about your philosophy and how necessary the coaches had been in that?
I really like Kieran McKenna and Michael Carrick to bits. Top coaches and they’ll show it. Mick Phelan had expertise, Martyn Pert had labored around the globe. We felt you wanted to defend nicely to assault nicely. We all the time needed to press our opponents, even at Anfield or the Etihad, even with accidents. And we normally did nicely.
I needed us to get ahead rapidly and it’s bodily demanding. It seems like counter-attacking, however at our greatest, we’d go to locations like Spurs, Brighton and Everton beneath Carlo Ancelotti and we’d management the sport. Or Leeds at dwelling, once we gained 6-2 and 5-1 in opposition to Marcelo Bielsa’s aspect.
We didn’t all the time get recognition for our organised assaults and defending, although different managers and coaches complimented us on our tactical approaches with and with out the ball.
Football has modified even since I left as a supervisor. It’s so totally different to once I performed and we centered on tempo, energy, persona and people who’d win a recreation. Now, groups are extra comfy enjoying in their very own field, sucking opponents in and exploiting the area they soar from.
You want gamers who’re comfy and able to doing that. If you performed a move throughout your objective within the ’80s or ’90s you’d be taken off. Now, it’s regular and when you can beat that first and second press, you’re in.
Which of your signings had been your greatest?
Bruno Fernandes got here straight in and lifted the crew. Harry Maguire – it’s a shame that he’s getting a lot abuse. I really feel sorry for him, however he’s a robust lad and I hope it turns for him. He raised our defence large time when he arrived and lifted the temper across the place. I can’t bear in mind each signing I made, however I ought to as a result of there was a cap on three essential ones each season.
Solskjaer appreciates the best way Maguire improved his defence (Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images)
Who put the cap on? Does the construction of United work?
I signed up for it once I arrived. I understood my remit and agreed to it. I can’t complain now and I’m not the sort to moan after shedding my job, however United have spent much more within the two summer time switch home windows since I used to be there.
How does that make you’re feeling?
That they’ve seen what the membership wants.
Does that not frustrate you?
It’s not about me or how a lot I obtained each summer time, however how a lot cash the membership needed to spend. I would like United to be on prime once more, to beat City and Liverpool.
I made one egocentric determination — to maintain Scott McTominay when he might have gone on mortgage to Derby in 2019 to play extra soccer. We stored him, we performed him and after beating PSG away when he and Fred performed nicely on the base of midfield, I believe we did the correct factor. Scott’s a Man United participant by and by.
We watched Ajax beat Real Madrid the evening earlier than and that gave us hope that one other younger crew might play with no concern in opposition to the very best. We didn’t even have time to work on the techniques correctly and performed a 4-4-2, with the strikers dropping deep. Fred was to play like he performed at Shakhtar Donetsk.
I knew Marcus would rating that decisive penalty. I regarded on the away followers; they only erupted. My younger crew had gained. Sir Alex Ferguson and Eric Cantona got here into the dressing room after the sport.
The gamers had been singing “Ole’s at the wheel”. All of them, singing and dancing on the desk. What a second. Players who couldn’t actually converse English leaping round kicking pizza packing containers and singing “Ole’s at the wheel”. It felt good. It’s the one time I obtained my telephone out and filmed my gamers.
United have signed some good gamers — Rasmus Hojlund can be thrilling and is the kind of participant United have to be signing.
Did you’re feeling the gamers threw you beneath the bus, as a few of your former team-mates have acknowledged?
No. Not actually. Some weren’t nearly as good as their very own notion of themselves. I gained’t title names, however I used to be very disillusioned when a pair turned down the prospect to be captain. I used to be additionally disillusioned when others stated they wouldn’t play or practice as a result of they needed to power their manner out.
There was stuff within the media after I left about how I handled some gamers, which had been full lies, however I had a stable, sincere relationship with most of them.
When you see what Erik ten Hag is having to cope with off the pitch, do you’ve got sympathy?
I do know what he’s going by. It’s a dream job, but it surely’s troublesome. You’re coping with people with all their issues and backgrounds — this isn’t a pc simulation. But most are good professionals who wish to do nicely. Some take into consideration No 1 first, most consider the membership.
What do you consider the Glazers proudly owning United?
In my conversations with them, they had been sincere and upfront. I needed to be affected person and mentally robust — and I used to be. And they’ve backed the supervisor now.
How did you’re feeling when the group of followers turned up on the coaching floor to protest in regards to the Glazers? What was your view of what went on that day?
It was their proper — and I went to talk to them. Security didn’t need me to, however I needed to go and converse to them. I listened and I felt we had an excellent dialog.
Speaking to followers is a part of being United supervisor. You’re inspired to have safety round you however I didn’t really feel comfy with that and normally needed to be alone.
I’ve not been again a lot because the entire household moved to Norway final 12 months. People give me the thumbs-up in Manchester, although they’re extra probably to do this in actual life. It’s simpler to say, “You’re s***” if you’re nameless behind a keyboard.
Did you’re feeling supported by United followers?
Apart from Watford away, I can’t bear in mind any negativity at video games, bar the odd remark. At Watford, I went to the away finish after and bear in mind considering, “I really don’t have the backing of all of them”. Bruno was there too, however I knew I used to be completed. The 4-1 regarded terrible, but it surely was 2-1 after 90 minutes. We conceded two extra. I perceive how followers felt — 4-1 is 4-1.
Did you wish to signal Sancho and how do you suppose he’s finished?
Yes, I needed to signal him. Manchester United won’t ever signal a participant the supervisor doesn’t need. That’s not the case all over the place. Jadon was put up because the No 1 goal for the correct wing by the scouts and if you have a look at his expertise, I might see why.
Unfortunately, it has not labored out. When he arrived, he needed to go to hospital and that was a setback as he couldn’t begin the primary video games. He’s immensely gifted and we haven’t seen the very best of him. I hope we do, however he prefers to play left wing… the place Marcus performs.
By that point, issues had turned, however you’d had such a vibrant begin if you arrived to interchange Jose Mourinho in December 2018…
Those first 15 video games, I liked it. Right from arriving and strolling into the workers occasion at Lancashire Cricket Club. The followers liked it, the media too. With the media, it was a recreation in itself. Clubs wish to management the narrative. Maybe I ought to have been extra open, I don’t know.
I by no means leaked a single piece of knowledge once I was supervisor. I would like my dignity, I would like to take a look at myself within the mirror within the morning. I’m idealistic, I nonetheless suppose it’s the attractive recreation.
Why was there a downturn in outcomes after your interim place grew to become everlasting?
Some gamers needed to go. Tiredness, since we demanded quite a bit, and that brought on accidents. The air got here out of the balloon on the finish of that first season however in my two full seasons, we completed third and second within the Premier League.
There seems to be this cycle beneath the Glazers of supervisor arrives, issues choose up, issues take a dip, then inside a few years, the supervisor will get sacked. How do you see it?
Let’s hope Erik is profitable and if there’s a cycle, that he breaks it. Someone goes to do it. It’s troublesome when nice managers go — Valeriy Lobanovskyi with Dynamo Kyiv, Rosenborg with Nils Arne Eggen. In Norway we’ve a saying, “You don’t want to jump after Wirkola” as a result of Bjorn Wirkola was top-of-the-line ski jumpers. We’re now 5 or 6 down the road. It’ll occur.
(Top picture: John Walton/PA Images through Getty Images)
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