A boy from Norway wanted to be yet another footballer to be remembered. His dream of being a footballer started at a young age. Ole Gunnar Solskjær is the name of this boy from Norway. Ole started to turn his dream into reality at the age of seven.
Ole Gunnar’s First Club
He played for Clausenengen’s youth team. He played for their youth team for 10 years. The little boy from Norway had now grown up and had bigger responsibilities. He signed his first professional contract at the age of 17 years of age. He signed the professional contract with Clausenengen itself. He stayed there for another four years and had a really good spell with them. He scored 115 goals in 109 matches. The average of that is more than one goal a game. He was seen as a generational talent. He was 21 years of age when his life at Clausenengen’s came to an end.
Ole Gunnar’s Second Club
He then moved to yet another native club, Molde. He joined them in the year 1994. He didn’t stay there for that long. He stayed for two years with them. He managed to score 42 goals in 31 matches. His stats were impressive for a Scottish Manager in the Premier League.
Sir Alex Ferguson was appointed to manage Manchester United in the year 1986. But, didn’t he take the appointment well? He won 38 trophies in his 26 years of managing career. He managed to lift 13 Premier League Trophies, 5 FA Cups, 2 Champions League titles, 4 League Cups, 10 Community Shields, 1 Club World Cup, 1 Super Cup and 1 Cup winner Cup. His managing Career was sure unreal. A man of caliber wanted a striker and he called a striker playing in Norway to see if he would be interested in playing for Manchester United. It wasn’t just him that made it hard to deny the offer. It was the players that he built the team with.
The team had likes of David Beckham, Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs, Steve Bruce and many more. Anyone had an offer to go and play with these players under Sir Alex Ferguson, he would.
It was no different when it comes to Ole Gunnar Solskjær. He completed his move to Manchester United from Molde.
He had a brilliant breakthrough season in the year 1996-97. Manchester United won the title that year with Newcastle United finishing below them. Manchester United managed to secure 75 points in that season. Ole managed to score 19 goals in that season. They also reached semi-finals in the European Competitions. The team was an absolute joy to watch.
Few years down the line, they did something unthinkable. They managed to win a European Treble. They are the only English team to have won that. They lost only five times that season entirely. After losing the previous season to Arsenal by just one point, they went onto to win the 1998-1999 Premier Season. Their season did not stop there. They also managed to win the UEFA Champions League and English FA Cup. They had a dramatic UEFA Champions League final against Bayern Munich. They were trailing 1-0 at half time. The half time team talk from Alex Ferguson changed Manchester United approach to the game. The team had a never-say-die attitude. They were trailing till second-half injury time only to see Teddy and Ole grab a goal each to see them lifting an unbelievable title.
In the same season, when Manchester United played Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. Manchester United were trailing even beyond half time. In the 71st minute, Dwight Yorke scored the equalizer. Ole was on the bench. He was asked to come on in the 78th minute. He managed to score four goals in the twelve minutes that he got. This ensured that Ole won his second title in three years. This time a treble. Fergie used him as a super-sub because of his ability to analyze the game without taking his eye off it. He was truly a Manchester United Legend. He played his testimonial game in 2008. With his retirement, he made sure his jersey no was an iconic number. To show their continuing support, fans added a banner to the collection that lines the Stretford End reading “20 LEGEND”. His love for Manchester did not end over there.
He managed the Manchester United reserve team for three years from 2008-2011. He went back to his homeland in 2011 to manage Molde and get better in his managerial career. When he was managing Manchester United reserves. He had a chance to manage Norway Coach. He declined the offer saying he still has a lot to learn.
The Norwegian striker who promised to return to Old Trafford fulfilled his promise. All the negative energy present in Old Trafford, all of it vanished away. With the Sack of Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjær took charge of Manchester United as Interim Coach. He came in with a belief that he will change fortunes for Manchester United.
With a lot of lessons learnt when he was managing Molde and Cardiff City, he had an idea on the expectations that are set for him. He promised the fans that Manchester United would be back playing the “United Way”.
With one of their legend taking things under control, they could sense the hope that the club is only going in the right direction from here on. He had a splendid start to Interim managerial career at Manchester United. He played against the team who he had managed earlier.
Manchester United opened their Campaign playing against Cardiff City. They put on an outstanding display by winning 5-1. The last time they scored 5 goals before this was under Fergie. It had been a while. Ole got back the voices in the stadium, he got back passion shown by the fans and the players. He got back the hope which was lost. It was thoroughly an emotional moment for every Manchester United fan ever.
Players like Pogba who weren’t performing to their potential started to tiptoe their way past defenders, play through balls which they were bought in the first place to do. Things could not have been any better for Manchester United. It felt like Red Devil has finally woken up. He surely looked unstoppable. He didn’t take time to settle down. He got things ticking for Manchester United right from the start. They managed to go on a six-match winning streak. It was the first time a Manchester United manager won his first five games since Matt Bubsy.
He won 8 games in all competitions with wins against Reading and Arsenal in the FA Cup. It was a while since a Manchester United manager won manager of the month. It was time that things don’t stay that way for long enough. Ole Gunnar Solskjær won the manager of the month. It was the first time Manchester United manager won the manager of the month since the Fergie days.
He surely has learnt a lot of managing skills from the best during his playing days. He, replicating the things he has learnt is surely paying off. Will he be able to get through the big games was the question asked by many. There were many debates on that topic, a lot of analysis was done but until the game is played on the football pitch the result can’t be told. It was a big game for Manchester United as they took on the dominant french club in their league. The first leg was played back in their backyard, Old Trafford.
He chocked with unable to succumb to pressure. Pundits, fans everyone started to think if Manchester United made the right decision. He as ice-cold as ever was hopeful for a comeback back in Paris. The drama, the screams and the shouts started early on in the game at Paris.
PSG with a two-goal advantage would have felt comfortable to play at their home. Ole’s men had other ideas. It started with PSG creators of their downfall. Thilo Kehrer attempted backpass to the keeper, which did not go as planned. The backpass failed to reach Buffon and helped Lukaku go through on goal, who rounded the keeper to comfortably dispatch the ball past the net to get score reading 2-1. The stadium was left in silence and Paris Saint Germain players were left in disbelief. The Manchester United were filled with confidence and the away stand was trembling with joy. It was a total roller coaster of emotions that night.
A few minutes later, PSG equalise. This brought back hope in the stadium and the PSG players. It was Bernat who dispatched Mbappe’s cross. PSG continued to dominate possession. They had 86 per cent of it. Although, PSG were creators of their downfall yet again. Rashford takes a shot from around 22 yards which goes straight to the keeper. It should have been easy picking. Buffon spilt the shot and Lukaku converted the chance. Manchester were back in the game. It was yet another moment of pin-drop silence in the stadium. It was another hope for every one part of Manchester United. The fans, the players and the coaching staff.
It was late on in the game, the entire stadium is filled with tension. Dalot wins Manchester United a penalty with his shot going off Presnel Kimpembe. The VAR decision went Manchester United way. PSG players stunned by the decision, Manchester United players filled with hope and confidence that they can go to the next round. Rashford smashed the penalty hope. It was a Champions League night to remember for everyone associated with Manchester United.
Rio Ferdinand, former Manchester United defender was screaming his lungs out when that penalty reached the back of the net. He also made a statement saying “Man United might not thank me, but get the contract out, put it on the table, let him sign it, let him write whatever numbers he wants to put on there — given what he’s done since he’s come in — and let him sign the contract and go,” he said. The fairy-tale had to come to an end.
Then came the time when managers end their money. Ole wanted to strengthen his midfield. He went for the Brazillian playing for FC Shakhtar Donetsk. Although he was not an immediate solution. He did pick himself as the games went on. Ole’s good run of form had to come to an end. This saw them struggle at the end of the season. They finished the season 6th.
On 28 March 2019, Ole Gunnar Solskjær signed a new professional three-year contract. Manchester United were impressed with the way he managed the team when he was an interim coach. He was not happy with Smalling in defence. He got in Harry Maguire. With the Club Captain calling it quits to his career at Manchester United. The void had to be filled. It was filled by Aaron Wan Bissaka.
Romelu Lukaku also decided to leave Manchester United. It was time for the 22-year-old who was born and bred at Manchester to take up the responsibility. The Welsh Winger saw his performances impress the Norweigh. Daniel James also signed for Manchester United. This saw to that the deadwood are gone away from United.
Lukaku, Young and Smalling all were deadwood although they did help United cross the line at the time of need like Lukaku performance against PSG. He was no more the same after the World Cup, he had gained weight like crazy which was found to be some issue in the body later by Inter Milan. With all of these players departing, all the eyes stood still on one player which they hoped would be sold, Alexis Sanchez.
Alexis Sanchez was brought into Manchester United by paying heavy wages. He was paid 500k a week. He managed to score 1 goal all season. His performances started to frustrate the fans, it started getting them fuming. Inter Milan agreed to take him away on loan. The condition was that Manchester United would pay a part of his wages. Manchester United agreed to this.
Ole first summer window went well with him selling all the deadwood and getting all the vital players. Although, they missed out on a player which they were interested from a long time Bruno Fernandes.
With the Season kicking off, Ole struggled this time around. He failed to get results in games which Manchester United would have won in the last season. The questions started rising yet again with few fans telling the others to trust the process and the others chanting ‘Ole out’.
The 4-0 win at the openings game of the season got the energy of the fans high. The energy level wasn’t the same after that. His results got Manchester United fans uncertain of his stay. The signing of Bruno Fernandes was the key with Pogba missing most of the season with an injury.
Along with Bruno Fernandes, Ole took a gamble of signing someone who has premier league experience but is playing China. Manchester United called it another deadwood signing. He proved to be an important signing has got already good amount goals in his locker. Since the January 29, 2020 match against their noisy neighbors Manchester City, Manchester United have stayed unbeaten before the league was called off due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ole finally seems to get hang of things. With him planning to push Lingard out in the next transfer window, it would be yet another deadwood out of the team. Manchester United fans can only hope that he would answer their prayers by getting the club back to where it was.
