London, March 28
Manchester United appointed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the club’s permanent manager on a three-year contract today following a highly successful caretaker spell in charge. The Norwegian, 46, has inspired a dramatic revival of United’s fortunes since taking over from the sacked Jose Mourinho in December, winning 14 of his 19 games and leading the Red Devils to the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
Solskjaer, who scored 126 goals in 366 appearances for United, was already a hero to fans as the man who scored the stoppage-time winner in the 1999 Champions League final to complete the treble.
Astute Ole made himself the only candidate for the job
At a time when many are wondering what happened to Britain’s political and diplomatic skills, Solskjaer showed a full understanding of the “art of the possible”.
Solskjaer was a surprise choice as caretaker manager, and at the time, few imagined he would end up the man in charge for the long-term. The club made it clear that they were going to take their time to find the right man for the task of restoring the club to what they feel is their rightful place at the pinnacle of English football. Would it be Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino? Would it be then free-agent Zinedine Zidane now with Real Madrid? Given their status and resources, United remained an attractive proposition for any ambitious manager.
But the Norwegian, an opportunist striker in the club’s glory years under Alex Ferguson, took full advantage of the chance that fell his way. He combined impressive results with a charm offensive off the field which would be the envy of any politician to make himself the inevitable choice.
He has been relentlessly “on message” from his very first press conference, constantly referencing the club’s culture, the ‘United way’ and the Ferguson legacy.
Of course, crucially, he backed up the ‘populist’ rhetoric with results on the field — they have won 10 of their 13 Premier League games since he was appointed and beaten Paris St Germain to reach the Champions League quarterfinals. Solskjaer has shown he has the tactical nous and motivational abilities to make adjustments to the roles of key players, such as Paul Pogba, and being able to get the best out of several players who were under-performing under Mourinho.
He avoided the trap of behaving like a temporary stop-gap, someone who lacked the authority to make major decisions. As a player he was known as the ‘baby faced assassin’ and the infectious smile disguising a ruthless professionalism has been evident in his new role.
By restoring the club’s confidence and by making improvements to performance and results, Solskjaer made himself the only candidate for the job. — Agencies
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2JNOY12
via Today’s News Headlines
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