CARDIFF (AFP) - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first test as Manchester United's caretaker manager will come in familiar surroundings as the Norwegian returns to Cardiff City on Saturday (Dec 22), hoping to fare better than he did during an ill-fated nine-month spell with the Welsh side in 2014.
Solskjaer's appointment was described as designed to put a smile back on the face of everyone at the club after the confrontational end to Jose Mourinho's two-and-a-half years in charge.
The new man's first act on his return to the club's Carrington training ground was reportedly to gift a bar of Norwegian chocolate to the club's long-serving receptionist - a gesture of the human qualities United know they are getting.
"The smiling assassin sums him up," former United midfielder Darren Fletcher, who played with Solskjaer, told the BBC. "He's a lovely fella but Ole will let people know if he's not happy with them." The best way for him to lighten to mood quickly will be with results on the pitch.
A 3-1 defeat by Liverpool last weekend left United 19 points off the league leaders and 11 points adrift of the top four, but Solskjaer can look forward to a relatively forgiving fixture list over the festive period.
After visiting the Cardiff City Stadium, the Red Devils host Huddersfield and Bournemouth before travelling to Newcastle on January 2.
Solskjaer's presence rekindles memories of United's golden age, but also serves as a stark reminder of how far the club have fallen since the retirement of Alex Ferguson in 2013.
Â
Â
Â
Â
In 11 seasons under Ferguson as a predatory striker, Solskjaer scored 126 goals, including the one that famously won the Champions League final in 1999 as part of a treble of major trophies.
Yet, doubts remain over whether Solskjaer's appointment as caretaker boss until the end of the season is based too strongly on sentimentality than someone with the right mix of motivational and tactical prowess to get United not only competing again in the Premier League, but who can push Paris Saint-Germain in a challenging Champions League last-16 tie.
His time at Cardiff that resulted in just three wins in 18 Premier League games, relegation and being sacked early the next season after a poor start in the Championship does not offer much cause for optimism.
But two spells in charge of Molde in his homeland have been far more successful and Solskjaer also started his managerial career working as United's reserve coach, where he oversaw Paul Pogba among others.
The French World Cup winner's frosty relationship with Mourinho was a major factor in the Portuguese's failure to build on winning the League Cup and Europa League in his first season at Old Trafford.
Pogba has started United's last three Premier League games on the bench, but is expected to return to the starting XI after Solskjaer claimed earlier this year he would "build the team around him".
Solskjaer must also find the right defence to offer David de Gea more protection. The Spaniard has conceded more goals in the Premier League this season (29) in 17 games than the whole of the previous campaign as Mourinho persistently changed his backline to no effect.
In attacking areas, Mourinho's dismissal could also provide a fresh start for Juan Mata and Anthony Martial, while £50 million (S$86.7 million) summer recruit Fred, who did not even make the bench at Anfield last weekend, may now be given the chance to flourish.
Title-chasing Rangers sign Defoe on loan AFP January 6, 2019, 10:27 PM GMT Bournemouth's English striker Jermain Defoe, pictured October 2017, has joined Rangers in an 18-month deal
Bournemouth's Jermain Defoe to join Rangers on 18-month loan
NEW YORK (REUTERS) - Few of the 24 women's World Cup teams arriving in France for next month's tournament will bear the weight of expectation quite like reigning champions the United States.. Read
Football: Holders USA shrug off weight of Women's World Cup
virginiabus.info/sports/football-holders-usa-shrug-off-weight-of-womens-world-cup-expectations/
NEW YORK (REUTERS) - Few of the 24 women's World Cup teams arriving in France for next month's tournament will bear the weight of expectation quite like reigning champions the United States. The three-time winners will be aiming not only to retain the trophy they won in 2015 but also build on their legacy as soccer's […]
Soccer: Holders U.S. shrug off weight of World Cup
Football: Neymar's father says PSG extension more likely than
Juventus, chasing an eighth successive Serie A title and still unbeaten, have 60 points from 22 games while Napoli have 51 after their 3-0 win over Sampdoria earlier on Saturday Juve went ahead in
Juve foiled by Gervinho brace after leading 3-1 - Football
37 Inspiring Quotes About Working Hard and Achieving Big Things In honor of hard workers everywhere, here are some of the most inspiring quotes about working hard and watching it pay off. By Bill
Former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has earned a world fortune from being sacked as a manager. The Portuguese's time at Old Trafford came to a halt on Tuesday morning after two and a half
Jose Mourinho told Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich: 'Pay me
Tampines Rovers FC is currently on the 4 place in the S.League table. Last game played with Young Lions, which ended with result: Win Tampines Rovers FC 4:0.Players Tampines Rovers FC in all leagues with the highest number of goals: Jordan Webb 4 goals, Zehrudin Mehmedovic 4 goals, Khairul Amri 3 goals, Irwan Shah 2 goals, Shahdan Sulaiman 2 goals, Taufik Suparno 2 goals, Yasir Hanapi 1 goals
Singapore table S.League league results fixtures 2019, top
I told them to play the best football they could and they did. Champions League final - Kane starts for Tottenham, Firmino in Liverpool XI Live; From the section European Football; Read
Harry Kane: Tottenham striker 'ready' for Champions League
Cardiff dealt major blow in survival bid (1:18) Ryan Babel's screamer for Fulham left Neil Warnock's Cardiff teetering on the brink of relegation from the Premier League.
Babel strike leaves Cardiff on brink of relegation - Sports
sportsnewsboom.com/2019/04/27/babel-strike-leaves-cardiff-on-brink-of-relegation/
12:09 PM ET * Cardiff on brink of relegation after 1-0 defeat at Fulham * Ryan Babel scored winner with ferocious 25-yard shot * Fulham's third win in a row equalled their Premier League best * Game delayed after Fulham's Odoi knocked out by team mate * Fulham striker Mitrovic blazed over bar from 12
Babel strike leaves Cardiff on brink of relegation
Vigil van Dijk could not vote for a team mate. (Reuters picture) BANGALORE: Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk says he voted for Manchester City's Raheem Sterling to be named PFA player of the year.
Sterling gets van Dijk's vote for PFA award - theworldnews.net
The new licenses have a gold star in the upper right hand corner indicating it is a federally accepted "Real ID." Real ID is set to be coming to Rhode Island near the end of this year or January 2019.
Thom Yorke - Wikipedia
Arsenal beaten in Belarus. Arsenal face an uphill battle to progress after a 1-0 defeat by BATE in a game which saw Alexandre Lacazette sent off for elbowing Aleksandar Filipovic with five minutes
Alexandre Lacazette sent off as sloppy Arsenal see Bate
0 comments:
Post a Comment