Former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been subject to ridicule by opposition supporters ever since United fans claimed all was well at the club with ‘Ole at the wheel’.
Sadly, for the Norweigan, his time as the Manchester United bus driver came to an end following his side’s humiliating 4-1 defeat to Watford. The club’s board called an emergency meeting not long after that result and announced his sacking within 24 hours.
Solskjaer leaves United with the club in a mess. They are now as big as 150/1 to win the league this season as they have a mountain to climb to get back into the race for the title. However, now they have dismissed their former manager, their form may pick up again, so expect to see them on the English Premier League – betting tips, sites, predictions, and fan forums. Their squad is good enough to compete with the best in the league, so it shouldn’t be too long before they turn their fortunes around – if they get the right person at the helm, that is.
Eyebrows were raised when Solskjaer was first handed the job, replacing Jose Mourinho. The returning club legend was welcomed with open arms, not just by supporters, but also the players, many of whom had clashed with their former boss. A friendly arm around their shoulders was enough to get the most out of the underperforming squad at the time. United went on an impressive run of form, with the pick of their results coming in Paris against PSG in the Champions League.
Once the honeymoon period was over, Solsjkaer struggled to replicate that form. One thing he has been able to do, impressively, was to hold on to his job by the skin of his teeth. Just when it looked as though he was one game away from the sack, he pulled a rabbit out of the hat, buying himself more time in the job.
Backed During the Summer
The pressure was always going to be on Ole this season as he was backed during the summer transfer window, with cash splashed on Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane. They also brought back Cristiano Ronaldo to Old Trafford. The latter could have been the final nail in Solskjaer’s coffin, as when you have a player of CR7’s caliber in your squad, you have to deliver.
Despite making Sancho one of his priorities in the summer, the Englishman has hardly played this season. It appears the United boss had no strategy whatsoever and was picking up as many jigsaw pieces as he could, without worrying about whether they fitted his puzzle. It remains to be seen what will be next for Solksjaer and his driving skills. It is hard to imagine another opportunity will come up in the Premier League. He does have a good record in Norwegian football, so a return to his homeland is likely.
The disastrous managerial spell aside, he will continue to be fondly remembered by United fans for what he achieved as a player for the club. He scored 126 goals for the club and was part of their treble-winning team in 1999. The one good thing about this ending for United fans is that they no longer have to listen to opposing supporters winding them up about who is at the wheel.
