Ole Gunnar Solskjaer disclosed that certain Manchester United players considered departing when he took over the reins at Old Trafford permanently.
After Jose Mourinho’s departure, Solskjaer stepped in as the interim manager in December 2018.
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At the time of his arrival, United was positioned sixth in the Premier League, trailing by 11 points for a top-four finish.
However, under Solskjaer’s guidance, the team’s performance significantly improved, with only one loss in 13 league matches, leading to his full-time appointment with a three-year deal.
Solskjaer sensed a shift in dynamics post his official hiring, culminating in the termination of his nearly three-year tenure in November 2021, with United in seventh place.
‘I arrived and was asked to go straight to the staff Christmas party at Lancashire Cricket Club,’ Solskjaer told FourFourTwo.
‘I walked in halfway through the night. The place was packed. I was introduced. Everyone – and United have 1,000 staff – was singing. Smiling. And we’d not even played a game.
‘We went to Cardiff, my old club, in my first game and scored five. It was just about letting the players play. Play forward, run forward, create chances, score and enjoy being a Man United player. We won our first eight games and had a great time together.
‘Then suddenly the media – I understand why, because we were playing so well – were asking, “Does he get the job permanently?”. I’d never thought about doing it permanently, I was just enjoying myself and the players were, too. I got the job and something changed.
‘Tiredness, since we demanded a lot. That caused injuries. Some players wanted to leave. I felt that the air came out of the balloon at the end of that first season, but in my two full seasons we finished third and second in the Premier League.’
A standout moment of Solskjaer’s tenure at Manchester United was the remarkable Champions League win against Paris Saint-Germain in Paris. Yet, the 51-year-old emphasized that his squad celebrated numerous other significant achievements during his time.
‘Scott McTominay’s goal in the 96th minute against City in the last league game before lockdown,’ the United treble winner added.
‘Scott’s a great player and lad. He always gives 100 per cent for the club and represents United in the best possible way. It was wonderful for everyone.
‘There was the 9-0 against Southampton. We played some nice attacking football. At our best, we’d go to places like Brighton, Spurs and Everton under Carlo Ancelotti, and we’d control the game. Or Leeds against Marcelo Bielsa’s side: we won 6-2 and 5-1 at home.
‘Beating City away wasn’t an issue. That was Man United, we had to dig in, yet run against very motivated teams. Most are against Man United.
‘And I don’t think we got the recognition for the organised attacks and defending, which we did well. Other managers and coaches complimented us on our tactical approach, with and without the ball.’
In Solskjaer’s initial season, Manchester United secured a third-place finish, followed by a runner-up position in his final full season in charge.
Post-Solskjaer, Michael Carrick briefly held the fort as caretaker manager, succeeded by Ralf Rangnick who navigated a tumultuous 2021-22 season.
Erik ten Hag made a notable first impression in his debut season, steering United to third place and a League Cup triumph. However, the team currently sits in sixth place, trailing the top four by 11 points and the league leaders, Liverpool, by 19 points.
United’s recent performance yielded a mixed 1-1 draw against Brentford, with their next challenge being a Thursday night clash with Chelsea.
