Farewell Ole

By AM Thursday, November 25, 2021

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Caoimhin O’Muraile ⚽ On Sunday 21st November 2021 the Board (essentially the Glazers) at Old Trafford parted company with their manager and “United legend, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer” after a series of disappointing results and, indeed, overall performances by the team.

Ole will always remain a legend at Manchester United and, along with the immortal Busby Babes of the fifties who, I firmly believe but for the Munich tragedy would have stopped Real Madrid in their tracks. The Holy Trinity of Best, Charlton and Law, he should go into United’s hall of fame. 

In a statement the same day Manchester United Supporters Trust – MUST – said; ‘We send our heartfelt thanks to to Manchester United “legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer” for his tireless efforts over the past three years. However difficult this season has been he has embodied the true spirit of the club, restoring its pride and reminding us that there is nothing on earth like being a Red. We wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavours’. 

As a member of MUST I endorse these sentiments to the letter. Ole took over from the sacked ignoramus, Jose Mourinho, on an interim basis before being offered the job permanently in 2018. Initially things were looking rosy, and we got to the final of the UEFA Cup (some call it the Europa League, not me) in 2020 losing on penalties to Villareal. This was unlucky for Ole though, it could be argued, we should have had the game won but didn’t. 

Ole will best be remembered for his playing style and goal scoring abilities and often is referred to as Man United’s “Super Sub”. Liverpool had a similar player, their “Super Sub” David Fairclough back in the seventies and eighties. Like many great players Ole did not cut it as a manager in the same cloth as he did as a player. He is not alone here, certainly at Man Utd, as one of the all-time greats, Bobby Charlton, did not make it as a manager at Preston North End. Good players do not necessarily make good managers and Ole is perhaps the latest to prove this. The final straw for Ole was the humiliating defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road 4-1 on Saturday 20th November. This came on the back of defeats to hated rivals, Liverpool, at Old Trafford and shortly afterwards the equally detested Man City again at home.

We should remember Ole Gunnar for his playing days, not least that great night on May 26th (what would have been Matt Busby’s ninetieth birthday) when he came on as a substitute to score the winning goal against Bayern Munich, bringing the European Cup back to its English birthplace, Manchester. Bayern had led 1-0 for most of the game, then on came Teddy Sheringham to score the equaliser and Ole to net the winner. A European Cup Final to remember, if a little bit of a bowel opener for most of the game. The ball just would not go in for Man Utd until the dying seconds of the match. As the song goes: who put the ball in the Germans net, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Ole started his career at Clausenengen making 109 appearances and scoring 113 goals, a good ratio by anybody’s standards. He played there between 1990 and 1995 moving onto Molde where he made 42 appearances scoring 31 goals. From there he moved to Manchester United playing between 1996 and 2007 making 366 appearances and scoring 126 goals. Most of his appearances were as a “Super Sub”. Ole won 67 caps for Norway scoring 23 goals. He went on, after retiring from playing to manage Manchester United reserves between 2008 and 20011, 20011-2014 he managed Molde, from there he went on to manage Cardiff City then back to Molde before coming back to Old Trafford in 2018 to manage United at the top level.

He was often nicknamed “the baby-faced Assassin” in his playing days because of his youthful looks and ruthlessness at catching the opposition defenders half asleep to bang the ball in the net. He retired from playing in 2007 due to a knee injury, but again, without fear of becoming repetitive, his finest hour was at Barcelona in the European Cup Final of 1999 scoring the wining goal, bringing the cup back to its English birthplace. I say this because Manchester United were the first English team to enter the competition, back in 1956. This was despite Chelsea being the English League Champions but did not enter as it would have upset the league who disapproved of European competition. 

Matt Busby had no such qualms and United entered as runners up that year. They then became the first English club to win the coveted trophy in 1968, that great night at Wembley defeating Benfica by 4-1, goals from Bobby Charlton, George Best, Brian Kidd (on his nineteenth birthday) and a fourth from Charlton. Graca scored for Benfica. We also beat Real Madrid in the semi-final ten years after the Munich Air Disaster when, I believe, the babes would have taken Real Madrid then. As the song went back in 1968: we got rid, of Real Madrid, hallelujah, we got rid of Real Madrid hallelu-u-ja. This is why when Ole scored the winner, ironically against Bayern Munich (the site of the disaster), he brought the European Cup back to its English birthplace and ancestral home. Once again Good luck and thank you Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The task now for Manchester United is finding a replacement which is not going to be easy. There are not many good managers available (good that is by today's standards) and they must get it right. Since Alex Ferguson retired back in 2013 they have made a mess of the quest. They sacked David Moyes after just nine months in the job which was ridiculous. Imagine if today’s rules had applied to Alex Ferguson who won nothing for four years, then bingo we won the lot, “knocking Liverpool off their perch” to quote Ferguson. 

Then we brought in louis Van Gall, who I never rated. After watching Holland in the World Cup, who he was manager of, and saw how boring they played there was no way he was a Manchester United manager. Then again, the clubs owners, the Glazers, are not Man Utd people. Then, to my horror, but many peoples delight they brought in Jose Mourinho, an ignorant arrogant tosser in my book, though he did win the UEFA Cup to be fair, but he was never a United man. Chelsea yes, Man Utd no way. 

So, the search continues for Alex Ferguson's successor, not an easy task. At the moment Liverpool are still off their former perch by one league title, United having twenty to their nineteen and thankfully they do not look like succeeding this season, I hope. It comes to something when we need bloody City to stop the scousers reaching our twenty (I’m sure Peter Anderson will be more than aware of this) but this season it may just be Chelsea. Man Utd cannot, and should not, be relying on rivals to stop our Merseyside detested foes. Ultimately we have to do it ourselves, which means having the right man at the helm! Get it right this time United, remember who you are and the tradition any manager will inherit. Make sure, whoever it is, are capable no more arsing about!!

Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent 

Socialist Republican and Marxist