Manchester United have confirmed on their official website that they have appointed Ole Gunnar Solskjær as their new interim manager following the departure of Jose Mourinho yesterday. The Norwegian will take charge of the Red Devils for the first time against his former club Cardiff City this weekend. He had previously earned some valuable experience as the reserve team manager of Man United before making a switch back to his homeland to manage FC Molde.
The Reds of Manchester have also stated that Mike Phelan will join Solskjær as the first-team coach. The Man United legend will work alongside Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna as part of the club’s backroom staff. Speaking to the club’s official website, the new United boss expressed his delight and said,
“Manchester United is in my heart and it’s brilliant to be coming back in this role. I’m really looking forward to working with the very talented squad we have, the staff and everyone at the club.”
The 45-year-old could prove to be a shrewd short-term appointment for United as he is quite highly regarded and well-respected at the red half of Manchester. The Kristiansund born manager scored 126 goals in 366 matches during his time at Old Trafford as a player.
He was one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s secret weapons off the bench and played a monumental part in their 1999 UEFA Champions League triumph when United beat Bayern Munich in the final through Solskjær’s goal in injury-time to lift the prestigious trophy for the second time in their history.
Many consider the “baby-faced assassin” a legend at the Theatre of Dreams due to his remarkable contributions as a player. However, the jury is still out on whether he can prove his worth as a manager of his beloved club.
Solskjær’s last managerial spell in England was a disaster as he was sacked within months after being appointed as the manager of Cardiff City. He took charge of just 30 matches for the Bluebirds before getting the sack as he only managed to win 9 and draw 5 of those 30 matches.
The Norwegian will now have a mammoth task in his hands as he attempts to get some favourable results on the pitch in the coming weeks with a run of winnable matches coming up in the Premier League for United. There is no doubt about the fact that the Red Devils have taken a risk in appointing Solskjær as their interim boss but it’s a risk that might pay off in the short-term.
