Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: success or failure?

Before his departure this November, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had been head coach at Manchester United longer than anyone else in the post-Ferguson era. Despite his club legend status, expectations were high when he first took charge as United looked to get back on top. And for a while, he lived up to those expectations. It is clear to see the former striker has laid down the foundations for Manchester United to get back to winning ways and for that reason his time in the dugout cannot be seen as a total failure. However, looking back on his three years at Old Trafford, it is difficult to say that Solskjaer was a runaway success.

When Solskjaer took the reins back in December 2018, United were a team in disarray both on and off the pitch, playing lacklustre football that was incredibly defensive for a side with so much attacking talent. However, his first game against Cardiff City saw United score five for the first time since Ferguson’s last match, and it got fans excited. Solskjaer had laid down a marker of the progressive style he wanted to play and had shown how a team that looked so disjointed could actually work together so effectively. United went on a winning streak and this initial success is perfectly encapsulated in United’s win over PSG in the Champions League. 2-0 down after the first leg, a supposedly naïve Ole simply stated that “mountains are there to be climbed”. There was little belief from anyone in the football community that he would do it, but sure enough, Solksjaer’s United became the first team in Champions League history to overcome a two-goal deficit away from home. That night in Paris will go down as Ole’s finest hour.

Inconsistency seemed to plague Solskjaer following the victory against PSG, but the signing of Bruno Fernandes in January 2020 seemed to revitalise United. Solskjaer has to be given major credit for bringing in the Portuguese playmaker. In fact, the Norwegian has to be given plaudits for many of the signings he made during his time at Old Trafford. From young talents like Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jadon Sancho to world class talents such as Edinson Cavani and Raphael Varane, the majority of those he has brought to the club have fit in perfectly. He has created a balanced squad that is both exciting and experienced which another manager should easily be able to develop and succeed with.

United fans should look favourably at Solskjaer’s time at the club

It is not simply the players Solskjaer has brought to the club that should be celebrated; he has reintegrated one of the most important philosophies of Manchester United – ‘if they’re good enough, they’re old enough’. Solskjaer handed 16 academy graduates their first-team debut, but it is Mason Greenwood who has become the true star. Now seen as a staple of the first team, it is hard to remember the young 17-year-old that came on as a substitute at the Parc des Princes. Greenwood has the potential to become one of Old Trafford’s greats, and that is, in part, thanks to Solskjaer.

It was not all plain sailing for Ole though, and he was regularly criticised for not bringing any trophies back to Old Trafford. Despite the numerous semi-finals he reached, he never seemed able to cross the finish line. It seemed that when it came down to it, Solskjaer lacked the experience to guide his teams all the way, but the excuse was made that United were still in a phase of rebuild, and once he had his players these issues would be fixed. Serial winners in Varane and Ronaldo were brought to the club in the hopes of aiding United’s inability to win trophies, and at the start of the 2021-22 season, it seemed certain that Solskjaer finally had all the parts he needed to succeed. Things quickly headed in the wrong direction, though.

The dismal run of results for United this season has highlighted Solksjaer’s flaws that have always been lingering; he was tactically inexperienced and when United started to crumble, he didn’t have the qualities needed to fix them. Poor performances presented United as a team that lacked identity and guidance, and individuals were not playing anywhere near the level fans knew they were capable of. It became difficult to watch and there was an acceptance from fans that a loss each game was inevitable. Even the rare victory against Tottenham in October was not partnered with a strong performance.

I think the writing was on the wall for Solskjaer, and he had to go in order for United to go the next level. However, his time at the club cannot be looked on as a total failure – he brought the feel-good factor back to Old Trafford and has slowly rebuilt the team with his signings and promotion of youth. It feels like he has reinjected the Manchester United ethos back into the club, and you can tell United runs through his veins. Despite his passion, he is tactically flawed, and his final few games have left a bitter taste in the mouth of the club’s supporters. Yet, with the introduction of Ralf Rangnick and hopefully better times to come, United fans should look favourably at Solskjaer’s time at the club, and he should be appreciated for what he did in his time at Old Trafford.