During his tenure as Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer criticized the conduct of some players, suggesting they were not as talented as they believed they were.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer criticizes some former Manchester United players during his time in command at Old Trafford.
In November 2021, after over three years in command, Solskjaer was fired.
According to his successor Erik ten Hag, there was “no good culture” at Old Trafford when he arrived in May 2022.
“Some weren’t as good as their own perception of themselves,” 50-year-old Solskjaer said to The Athletic.
“I won’t name names, but I was very disappointed when a couple turned down the chance to be captain,” the former United and Norway forward continued.
Those who claimed they wouldn’t play or exercise because they intended to force their way out disappointed me as well.
United under Solskjaer finished second in the 2020–21 campaign and fell to Villarreal in the Europa League final on penalties.
He re-signed former United forward and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo at the beginning of the ensuing season and added England forward Jadon Sancho and France defender Raphael Varane.
But after losing to Watford 4-1 after 12 games in the Premier League, he was fired.
Everyone in a group must work together to move forward, he continued. “You could see certain players and egos came out when things didn’t go right.”
“A difficult but dream job”
Jadon Sancho practising away from the first team squad and Brazilian winger Antony delaying his return to Old Trafford “to address allegations” of assault levelled against him are just two of the numerous off-the-field difficulties that Ten Hag has had to deal with this season.
Following an internal club inquiry and the dismissal of all criminal allegations against him, including attempted rape and violence, Mason Greenwood has signed a loan deal with Spanish top-flight team Getafe.
The club’s ownership is still up in the air as well, following the Glazer family’s declaration that they were considering selling while they “explore strategic alternatives” in November 2022.
Given that United has dropped three of their first five Premier League games this season, pressure is mounting on Ten Hag.
I understand what he’s going through, Solskjaer responded when asked if he felt sorry for Ten Hag. Despite being a dream job, it’s challenging.
This isn’t a computer simulation—you’re dealing with real people, complete with issues and histories.
But the majority are competent professionals who want to succeed. Some people focus on number one first, but the majority consider the club.
Although there have been fan demonstrations against the Glazers’ ownership, Solskjaer called them as “honest and upfront” in his interactions with them.
I had to have patience and mental fortitude, which I did. They now support the manager, he continued.
Ronaldo’s homecoming “went wrong,”
On August 31, 2021, 12 years after Ronaldo had left for Real Madrid, Solskjaer re-signed the Portuguese superstar to great excitement.
The return to Old Trafford, however, was marred by his criticism of the organization and his claim that he had “no respect” for manager Ten Hag. As a result, Ronaldo left for Al-Nasr in Saudi Arabia in December.
“In regards to Ronaldo’s comeback, Solskjaer remarked, “It was a decision that was very difficult to reject and I felt we had to take it, but it turned out wrong.”
The supporters at the Newcastle game, when Old Trafford was shaking [after Ronaldo scored twice in a 4-1 victory], agreed that it felt “so right” when he (Ronaldo) signed.
He still ranked among the top goal scorers in the world and appeared to be in good physical shape.
Targets were Haaland, Rice, Bellingham, and Kane.
Solskjaer also disclosed that the team was unable to purchase the players he had mentioned to them.
They included Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund this summer, Erling Haaland, who previously played for Manchester City before moving to RB Salzburg in 2019, and Declan Rice, who joined Arsenal in a £100 million deal from West Ham in July.
Solskjaer responded, “Erling Haaland, before he made his Salzburg debut, was one of the players I attempted to sign.
Declan Rice wouldn’t have been as expensive as he was that summer. Although Moises Caicedo was brought up, we felt that we needed players on hand right away.
Jude Bellingham, a Man United player, was someone we desperately coveted, but I accept his decision to join Dortmund. That probably made sense.
He continued, “I would have signed Kane every day of the week and my impression was that he wanted to come, but the club didn’t have the funds with the financial restraints from Covid-19. Kane, the captain of England, transferred from Tottenham to Bayern Munich this summer.
“There was not a bottomless pit.”
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