NETWORK: Ruben Selles has learnt about Michael Carrick through the former England midfielder's old Manchester United colleagues Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (centre) and Kieran McKenna (right)placeholder image
NETWORK: Ruben Selles has learnt about Michael Carrick through the former England midfielder's old Manchester United colleagues Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (centre) and Kieran McKenna (right)
Man United looked set to appoint Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as manager, however, they changed direction at the last-minute.
There aren’t many approaches that Man United haven’t taken in terms of the manager’s position with the latest, possibly, being the most successful of recent years.
In terms of league position, it is undeniable, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer led United to second place in the Premier League, told fans that it wasn’t acceptable or to be celebrated and demanded that players like Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice were signed to lead the charge for the title. None of these players were bought and United’s transfer policy continued to see a series of questionable purchases being made, usually for inflated fees and on exorbitant wages.
Simon Jordan makes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claim
Solskjaer had been heavily tipped to take charge again with Simon Jordan on talkSPORT explaining why he things that Michael Carrick has been appointed instead: “It's interesting because when I was speaking to various people last week, there were various people that were finding out whether Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in a frame and Mike Phelan hadn't been contacted. So there was this thought process that Phelan and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer travelled together, as we've seen previously. So whether they have reacted to a public backlash or the perception of people criticising the fact this appointment hadn't worked previously and you're going back without any innovation or whether Carrick, because I heard that Carrick wants to be a coach, wants to be a number two, doesn't want to be a front man.
“But he clearly did a decent job at Middlesbrough, clearly he's a sensible head and it looks different. That's I think one of the criticisms about the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, not against Ole, I have my own views on whether he's a good manager or not. But because it didn't look particularly in any shape or form, like there was any thinking behind it.”
Did United make the right choice?
After years of stagnation, United fans have every right to want to move forward. Solskjaer will always be welcome at Old Trafford, however, the current squad is worse than the one he left behind. In short, he has had his chance, there is little to be learned from giving him another go behind the wheel. So to speak. Fans would have backed him, almost by default because he isn’t Ruben Amorim and would, at least, understand better what the club means to so many and how the Red Devils are supposed to play.
Next summer will see managerial heavyweights like Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti and Xabi Alonso looking for new jobs with the latter suggesting that he doesn’t want to take over a team halfway through the season after leaving Real Madrid by mutual consent. United have tried this type of manager in before, the big names, the proven winners, until then, having someone who the fans know will put United first, rather than their own ego, is as sensible an appointment as the board could have made.
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