Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has given his first in-depth interview as United manager and vowed to restore pride amongst the players and fans. He told MUTV:
“When I scored on my debut Eric (Cantona) was there and it was a brilliant feeling. You felt comfortable at Old Trafford and you want the players to feel at home there too. It’s about the players being proud of their performance and the fans being proud of their team.”
His lack of experience a top-tier manager has been questioned by several pundits but he was quick to compare his managerial style to one of the greatest of all time:
“I’ve had 300-400 games as a first-team manager. I’m confident. I’ve won the league, I’ve won cups, I’ve been relegated. It’s about man management. It’s about managing players, staff and it’s about getting the best out of everyone. The boss [SAF] will always be the best at that. I get my managerial style from him. He’s been the biggest influence but then again we’re different. I’m a different personality. I like to speak to people, I like to engage with people. I want to see people express themselves. That makes me happy.”
He then went on to say how proud he was to be manager of this great club and reassured fans that the focus was on United rather than the opposition heading into the Christmas period.
“I’m proud of my career as a player. I understand this club, I know the club. Being in the gaffer’s seat is very special. We’ve got a great set-up. The analysts were watching Cardiff this morning. I’ve seen the teams, I watch the Premier League. It’s about us though, not the opposition. We want to see the players express themselves. Our main focus is us, the opposition comes later.”
Solskjaer said all the right things during the interview and United fans will be right behind him as he leads the side for the rest of the season.
“I’m going to enjoy the ride. It’s six months. I’m back home. I’m going to be myself. The club is running a process to find the next manager so I’m going to be myself in the meantime with Mick, Kieran and Michael. We’ll get the players enjoying their football again.”
You can read some of his other great quotes here.
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