Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had been linked with a return to Manchester United over the past few days following a dismal end to his first tenure in charge at Old Trafford
Norwegian head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer of Besiktas speaks to press members after the match against Petrzalka 1898 at Ergo Arena in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, on July 17, 2025.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's U-turn was the biggest mistake of his Manchester United tenure(Image: Anadolu, Anadolu via Getty Images)
View 3 Images
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had a clear vision set out when he took the reins at Manchester United.
The club's iconic former striker was initially appointed as interim manager in December 2018, before being given the job permanently three months later after a string of impressive results.
His primary aim was to clear out the team’s deadwood and replace them with eager young talents who embodied the 'Manchester United DNA', a principle that has been at the heart of the club since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson.
That wasn't an overnight process as it took several transfer windows to offload high-earning, underperforming players like Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez. In their place, promising youngsters such as Dan James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka were brought in, in the hope they would flourish at Old Trafford.
Solskjaer’s strategy also involved investing heavily in players who were ready to make an immediate impact while giving the younger squad members time to settle, with Harry Maguire's £80million transfer being an example. This approach seemed to work initially, with United finishing third in the 2019/20 season and second in 2020/21.
However, even then there were indications that Solskjaer's transitional period had reached a ceiling. Several of his younger players notably failed to progress as he would have liked.
In terms of his own managerial skill, the Norwegian's counter-attacking style worked in big games but it was clear he lacked the tactical know-how of his contemporaries, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola. That meant United didn't have a clear and modern identity when it came to breaking down supposedly lesser Premier League opposition. Solskjaer also struggled to figure out his best XI, leading to inconsistency in results.
There was a knee-jerk reaction to that in the summer of 2021, which led Solskjaer and the United hierarchy to sign ready-made superstars. Edinson Cavani was brought in on a free transfer to complement the existing attack, which was itself a shrewd decision as he proved in his first season.
But adding the injury-prone £41m Real Madrid legend Raphael Varane, along with Cristiano Ronaldo late in the window confirmed a departure from his own managerial philosophy and the foundations he had put into place. They were essentially purchased to bring overnight success with little consideration for how they would fit in at United and who they would unsettle.
Edinson Cavani of Manchester United is replaced by Cristiano Ronaldo as Manchester United Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær looks on during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Everton at Old Trafford on October 02, 2021 in Manchester, England
The summer of 2021 was the beginning of the end of Solskjaer(Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
View 3 Images
Jadon Sancho's big-money signing after a long transfer saga earlier that summer was more in line with what Solskjaer had planned for the club. Yet, the U-turn to instead bank on a veteran Ronaldo stunted his growth and he arguably later proved to be a bad fit generally for Premier League football.
Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo had a successful first season back at Old Trafford but his lack of pressing was detrimental to the team's overall performance. The arrival of the Portuguese international brought unnecessary drama to United, with players like Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood clearly regressing.
With an inflated squad full of big egos and only 11 starting spots available each week, results began to falter and players started losing faith in Solskjaer's project. A poor run of results at the start of the 2021/22 season culminated in a 4-1 defeat at Watford, with the manager well aware his time was up.
He was sacked the next morning by Ed Woodward, having strayed from his own blueprint and failed to foster the culture he desired, leaving United arguably worse off than when he took over. Ralf Rangnick was appointed as his long-term successor, offering a different plan for United, only to depart in the summer of 2022.
Michael Carrick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Carrick has been appointed instead of Solskjaer(Image: Getty Images)
View 3 Images
Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim have both been appointed since then and, in defence of Solskjaer, they too fell short in various ways when it came to the success of their signings, consistency in results and implementing an effective playing style.
However, last week, a full circle moment presented itself to Solskjaer, following Amorim’s sacking after his falling out with club bosses over tactics and player arrivals. The Norwegian was among the contenders considered for the interim manager role until the end of the 2025/26 season, alongside Michael Carrick.
Solskjaer would have been eager to take over the reins and rectify the shortcomings of his previous tenure. But it has since come to light that Carrick, his former assistant, impressed the United board with his vision and will be taking the helm instead.
It's also reported that some of the current United squad were not thrilled at the idea of his return, voicing their lack of faith in Solskjaer to club officials. Therefore, it's fair to say that the ghosts of Solskjaer’s first Old Trafford tenure crushed his biggest managerial dream once again.