The Independent: " Why did such a Sensible Young Manager? "
Tue Apr 08, 2014 7:36 am
Very interesting article.
The Independent.
Sport > Football > News
Watching Ole Gunnar Solskjaer struggle at Cardiff City has been painful - why did such a sensible young manager rush into the job?
by SAM WALLACE
Tuesday April 2014
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had that knack as a footballer of being in the right place at the right time even if his luck was rotten. When he finally nailed down a place in Sir Alex Ferguson’s team seven years after joining, David Beckham’s as it happened, he injured his knee in an innocuous Champions League game against Panathinaikos in September 2004 and his career at Manchester United was never the same again.
When he finally quit in 2007, the club gave him a testimonial that attracted a bigger crowd than those for Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville and he left the place with a speech to the supporters. “A sweet-natured boy, who was never looking to be confrontational with me,” was Ferguson’s take on Solskjaer, like a description of a treasured grandson, in his most recent autobiography.
What Ferguson loved about Solskjaer, apart from him being low-maintenance, was his ability to analyse matches from the bench, where he would assiduously take notes during play to give himself the optimum opportunity to score when he was called upon. “The game was laid out for him like a diagram,” Ferguson wrote, “and he knew where to go and when.”
It does make you wonder, when assessing Solskjaer’s detached, peculiarly Scandinavian level-headedness, how the hell he ended up taking the Cardiff City job. He comes from a country that once broadcast a 12-hour television discussion show on the different types of firewood. The Norwegian psyche could hardly be described as impetuous. And yet Solskjaer, patience personified as a player, jumped at Cardiff.
' OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER '
His reputation as a player, and Ferguson’s unstinting endorsement, would have got him a Premier League job eventually. His was a long apprenticeship, including three years as the United reserve-team manager, and another three years as the manager of Molde where he won two Norwegian titles, turning down Aston Villa in May 2012. On balance he would have been better off with Villa.
Leaving aside the arguments over Malky Mackay’s dismissal, Solskjaer’s time at Cardiff has been a disaster and much of it of his own making. The defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday leaves Cardiff six points short of 17th with five games to play, of which three are away from home. In his 13 league games in charge he has averaged a wretched 0.61 points a game and overseen a drop from 17th place to 19th.
Up against Tony Pulis on Saturday, Solskjaer looked like the graduate trainee falling for every trick that the shop-floor veteran in the opposing dugout knew. Pulis has had 20 games in charge of Palace and averaged 1.35 points-per-game, double that of the Cardiff manager.
Three months into the job, it does not yet look like Solskjaer has made his mind up what represents his best team. Wilfried Zaha came back into the starting line-up on Saturday, to face his old team. Craig Bellamy went back out again. The teenager Mats Daehli, signed from Molde in January, made his first Premier League start. It must be difficult to resist the temptation to change a losing team, but the results – and certainly the side’s defending – get no better.
Kenwyne Jones has scored one goal for him, albeit the winner against Norwich City. Jo Inge Berget, another one of the three Molde signings, has played 11 minutes in the league, the last 11 minutes of the 4-0 home defeat to Hull City. Zaha is yet to score in his loan spell.
Contrast that to the effect of Jason Puncheon at Palace, a loan signing last summer who Pulis acquired on a permanent deal in January. He has scored the goals in 1-0 wins over Stoke and Hull for his new manager and got two against Cardiff on Saturday. Whatever promise the likes of Berget and Daehli have, it is looking ever more likely that they will have to learn English football in the Championship.
From the end of his playing career, Solskjaer looked like a sensible manager who would take his time over his coaching career, rather than trade on his stellar name as a player to land him a plum job. Now he just looks out of his depth.
It cannot be easy with such levels of friction between the supporters and the owner Vincent Tan, and there was another blue-scarf protest during Saturday’s game. But it is not as if Solskjaer came into the job unaware of the problems and he is now, for better or worse, allied with one of the most unpopular owners in Premier League history.
Solskjaer was one of those rare United players who enjoyed a popularity beyond his own club: the boyish smile, the loyal service, the steadfast refusal to compromise and, say, sign for Tottenham who tried to buy him every summer. He was a decent sort. Watching him ally himself with Tan has been a bit like the dismay one would feel were Ronnie Corbett to announce a one-man state-sponsored tour of North Korea.
' Even worse now is that Solskjaer is at the mercy of the Cardiff owner.'
For the time being he retains that unrelenting cheerfulness in his voice, that it’s-only-football perspective that is admirable in every struggling manager unless he happens to be the one in charge of your team. But it is fading and even he is starting to assume that thousand-yard stare of a man who knows he has to describe his club’s remaining league fixtures, once again, as so many “cup finals”, but can barely bring himself to do so.
In an interview granted to the South Wales Echo this month, the Cardiff chairman, Mehmet Dalman, said that the club were in “better shape than we were six months ago”, although presumably he was not talking about the league position, where Cardiff were 15th after seven games. Asked about the prospect of relegation, Dalman said: “It’s not an option.”
It certainly is an option, and very likely indeed after Saturday’s defeat. Amid this mess, Tan will justifiably be the focus for the fans’ discontent, having broken one of the oldest rules in football with the switch to the red kit on a preposterously flimsy premise. As for Solskjaer, he still has a lot to prove.
The Independent.
Sport > Football > News
Watching Ole Gunnar Solskjaer struggle at Cardiff City has been painful - why did such a sensible young manager rush into the job?
by SAM WALLACE
Tuesday April 2014
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had that knack as a footballer of being in the right place at the right time even if his luck was rotten. When he finally nailed down a place in Sir Alex Ferguson’s team seven years after joining, David Beckham’s as it happened, he injured his knee in an innocuous Champions League game against Panathinaikos in September 2004 and his career at Manchester United was never the same again.
When he finally quit in 2007, the club gave him a testimonial that attracted a bigger crowd than those for Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville and he left the place with a speech to the supporters. “A sweet-natured boy, who was never looking to be confrontational with me,” was Ferguson’s take on Solskjaer, like a description of a treasured grandson, in his most recent autobiography.
What Ferguson loved about Solskjaer, apart from him being low-maintenance, was his ability to analyse matches from the bench, where he would assiduously take notes during play to give himself the optimum opportunity to score when he was called upon. “The game was laid out for him like a diagram,” Ferguson wrote, “and he knew where to go and when.”
It does make you wonder, when assessing Solskjaer’s detached, peculiarly Scandinavian level-headedness, how the hell he ended up taking the Cardiff City job. He comes from a country that once broadcast a 12-hour television discussion show on the different types of firewood. The Norwegian psyche could hardly be described as impetuous. And yet Solskjaer, patience personified as a player, jumped at Cardiff.
' OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER '
His reputation as a player, and Ferguson’s unstinting endorsement, would have got him a Premier League job eventually. His was a long apprenticeship, including three years as the United reserve-team manager, and another three years as the manager of Molde where he won two Norwegian titles, turning down Aston Villa in May 2012. On balance he would have been better off with Villa.
Leaving aside the arguments over Malky Mackay’s dismissal, Solskjaer’s time at Cardiff has been a disaster and much of it of his own making. The defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday leaves Cardiff six points short of 17th with five games to play, of which three are away from home. In his 13 league games in charge he has averaged a wretched 0.61 points a game and overseen a drop from 17th place to 19th.
Up against Tony Pulis on Saturday, Solskjaer looked like the graduate trainee falling for every trick that the shop-floor veteran in the opposing dugout knew. Pulis has had 20 games in charge of Palace and averaged 1.35 points-per-game, double that of the Cardiff manager.
Three months into the job, it does not yet look like Solskjaer has made his mind up what represents his best team. Wilfried Zaha came back into the starting line-up on Saturday, to face his old team. Craig Bellamy went back out again. The teenager Mats Daehli, signed from Molde in January, made his first Premier League start. It must be difficult to resist the temptation to change a losing team, but the results – and certainly the side’s defending – get no better.
Kenwyne Jones has scored one goal for him, albeit the winner against Norwich City. Jo Inge Berget, another one of the three Molde signings, has played 11 minutes in the league, the last 11 minutes of the 4-0 home defeat to Hull City. Zaha is yet to score in his loan spell.
Contrast that to the effect of Jason Puncheon at Palace, a loan signing last summer who Pulis acquired on a permanent deal in January. He has scored the goals in 1-0 wins over Stoke and Hull for his new manager and got two against Cardiff on Saturday. Whatever promise the likes of Berget and Daehli have, it is looking ever more likely that they will have to learn English football in the Championship.
From the end of his playing career, Solskjaer looked like a sensible manager who would take his time over his coaching career, rather than trade on his stellar name as a player to land him a plum job. Now he just looks out of his depth.
It cannot be easy with such levels of friction between the supporters and the owner Vincent Tan, and there was another blue-scarf protest during Saturday’s game. But it is not as if Solskjaer came into the job unaware of the problems and he is now, for better or worse, allied with one of the most unpopular owners in Premier League history.
Solskjaer was one of those rare United players who enjoyed a popularity beyond his own club: the boyish smile, the loyal service, the steadfast refusal to compromise and, say, sign for Tottenham who tried to buy him every summer. He was a decent sort. Watching him ally himself with Tan has been a bit like the dismay one would feel were Ronnie Corbett to announce a one-man state-sponsored tour of North Korea.
' Even worse now is that Solskjaer is at the mercy of the Cardiff owner.'
For the time being he retains that unrelenting cheerfulness in his voice, that it’s-only-football perspective that is admirable in every struggling manager unless he happens to be the one in charge of your team. But it is fading and even he is starting to assume that thousand-yard stare of a man who knows he has to describe his club’s remaining league fixtures, once again, as so many “cup finals”, but can barely bring himself to do so.
In an interview granted to the South Wales Echo this month, the Cardiff chairman, Mehmet Dalman, said that the club were in “better shape than we were six months ago”, although presumably he was not talking about the league position, where Cardiff were 15th after seven games. Asked about the prospect of relegation, Dalman said: “It’s not an option.”
It certainly is an option, and very likely indeed after Saturday’s defeat. Amid this mess, Tan will justifiably be the focus for the fans’ discontent, having broken one of the oldest rules in football with the switch to the red kit on a preposterously flimsy premise. As for Solskjaer, he still has a lot to prove.
Re: The Independent: " Why did such a Sensible Young Manage
Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:07 am
OGS has been given an easy time of it by the press in my opinion. Everyone said when he joined Cardiff he was silly to join us and we were a poisoned chalice for him. The results haven't come since he's taken over and it's been largely down to the fact he's been here 3 months and still has no idea what his best XI is. Don't see how we can change our back 4 every week and expect consistency from them. If we get relegated you can guarantee the press will blame Tan and co before OGS gets the finger pointed at him. Everyone seems to be wondering why he took such a tough job but in reality it was one of the best he could have taken. He came in to a club with a passionate fanbase, willing to give the manager time, with a decent squad and a bit of cash to strengthen the team in areas he deemed necessary. His signings have mostly fallen flat on their arse since joining and he's struggled to get the best out of the players he did have. IF we go down I feel the brunt of the responsibility must fall to OGS, with Tan's ownership style a close second.
Re: The Independent: " Why did such a Sensible Young Manage
Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:25 am
willing to give the manager time (not if threads on this board are anything to go by) 
Re: The Independent: " Why did such a Sensible Young Manage
Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:28 am
I've said from the beginning I thought whoever joined us was mad to do so with the position we were in and how we are run
Re: The Independent: " Why did such a Sensible Young Manage
Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:30 am
MyNameIsAled wrote: He came in to a club with a passionate fanbase, willing to give the manager time, with a decent squad and a bit of cash to strengthen the team in areas he deemed necessary. .
Re: The Independent: " Why did such a Sensible Young Manage
Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:31 am
Do you blame Tan for appointing him or do you blame Solskjaer for not being able to manage a football team?
The answer is both.
Did Tan take advice on Solskjaer's appointment? I assume he didn't as surely anyone with half a football brain would have said that appointing a novice with no English league experience to take on a team where they were and at this stage of the season would be preposterous.
The answer is both.
Did Tan take advice on Solskjaer's appointment? I assume he didn't as surely anyone with half a football brain would have said that appointing a novice with no English league experience to take on a team where they were and at this stage of the season would be preposterous.
Re: The Independent: " Why did such a Sensible Young Manage
Tue Apr 08, 2014 8:36 am
I don't think he jumped into anything... He's declined other Managerial roles (Norwegian International) and stopped talks prematurely with some EPL clubs. He chose to come and it was never going to be easy. It wouldn't have been easy for Malky had things not gone down the way they had. Relegation was always a very real possibility prior to the season for any club freshly promoted.
Personally I had higher hopes for him coming here than what has transpired, but there are still games left for redemption. We'll see who he really favors in the club this next game after the last questionable performance of a few players and the comments he's made about some loyalties in the group. Interesting weeks coming up for sure
Personally I had higher hopes for him coming here than what has transpired, but there are still games left for redemption. We'll see who he really favors in the club this next game after the last questionable performance of a few players and the comments he's made about some loyalties in the group. Interesting weeks coming up for sure
Re: The Independent: " Why did such a Sensible Young Manage
Tue Apr 08, 2014 9:07 am
To me it feels like we are being used.
I just cant get the image out of my head of Tan standing behind Alex Ferguson since the arrival of Ole. I just get this idea Tans answer to it all is getting to know the high profiles with their contacts so he can use them. Well Tan it might work in your world of business but it does not in football and this is going to burn you big time if it has not.
I cannot think of any valid reason why Ole was given the job and when I say valid I mean logical. It seems to me he was given the job because of his name and the stigma that goes with it. Aka Alan Shearer all again. Perhaps my anger is getting the better of me on my next statement but I also believe Tan was persuaded by the likes of Ferguson to give Ole the chance. A chance they knew had risks but what does it matter because it is only Cardiff City. If I right I say bollocks to the Fergies of this world. If I'm wrong I still say bollock to him.
Why such a sensible young manager the title says. Indeed why and my God this is going to cost us.
I just cant get the image out of my head of Tan standing behind Alex Ferguson since the arrival of Ole. I just get this idea Tans answer to it all is getting to know the high profiles with their contacts so he can use them. Well Tan it might work in your world of business but it does not in football and this is going to burn you big time if it has not.
I cannot think of any valid reason why Ole was given the job and when I say valid I mean logical. It seems to me he was given the job because of his name and the stigma that goes with it. Aka Alan Shearer all again. Perhaps my anger is getting the better of me on my next statement but I also believe Tan was persuaded by the likes of Ferguson to give Ole the chance. A chance they knew had risks but what does it matter because it is only Cardiff City. If I right I say bollocks to the Fergies of this world. If I'm wrong I still say bollock to him.
Why such a sensible young manager the title says. Indeed why and my God this is going to cost us.
Re: The Independent: " Why did such a Sensible Young Manage
Tue Apr 08, 2014 9:29 am
MyNameIsAled wrote:OGS has been given an easy time of it by the press in my opinion. Everyone said when he joined Cardiff he was silly to join us and we were a poisoned chalice for him. The results haven't come since he's taken over and it's been largely down to the fact he's been here 3 months and still has no idea what his best XI is. Don't see how we can change our back 4 every week and expect consistency from them. If we get relegated you can guarantee the press will blame Tan and co before OGS gets the finger pointed at him. Everyone seems to be wondering why he took such a tough job but in reality it was one of the best he could have taken. He came in to a club with a passionate fanbase, willing to give the manager time, with a decent squad and a bit of cash to strengthen the team in areas he deemed necessary. His signings have mostly fallen flat on their arse since joining and he's struggled to get the best out of the players he did have. IF we go down I feel the brunt of the responsibility must fall to OGS, with Tan's ownership style a close second.
He wasn't given any cash, he spent almost nothing in the january window.
Re: The Independent: " Why did such a Sensible Young Manage
Tue Apr 08, 2014 10:02 am
LonCar wrote:MyNameIsAled wrote:OGS has been given an easy time of it by the press in my opinion. Everyone said when he joined Cardiff he was silly to join us and we were a poisoned chalice for him. The results haven't come since he's taken over and it's been largely down to the fact he's been here 3 months and still has no idea what his best XI is. Don't see how we can change our back 4 every week and expect consistency from them. If we get relegated you can guarantee the press will blame Tan and co before OGS gets the finger pointed at him. Everyone seems to be wondering why he took such a tough job but in reality it was one of the best he could have taken. He came in to a club with a passionate fanbase, willing to give the manager time, with a decent squad and a bit of cash to strengthen the team in areas he deemed necessary. His signings have mostly fallen flat on their arse since joining and he's struggled to get the best out of the players he did have. IF we go down I feel the brunt of the responsibility must fall to OGS, with Tan's ownership style a close second.
He wasn't given any cash, he spent almost nothing in the january window.
Its a toss up between decent squad and fans willing to give the manager time which was my favourite bit
Re: The Independent: " Why did such a Sensible Young Manage
Tue Apr 08, 2014 11:00 am
LonCar wrote:MyNameIsAled wrote:OGS has been given an easy time of it by the press in my opinion. Everyone said when he joined Cardiff he was silly to join us and we were a poisoned chalice for him. The results haven't come since he's taken over and it's been largely down to the fact he's been here 3 months and still has no idea what his best XI is. Don't see how we can change our back 4 every week and expect consistency from them. If we get relegated you can guarantee the press will blame Tan and co before OGS gets the finger pointed at him. Everyone seems to be wondering why he took such a tough job but in reality it was one of the best he could have taken. He came in to a club with a passionate fanbase, willing to give the manager time, with a decent squad and a bit of cash to strengthen the team in areas he deemed necessary. His signings have mostly fallen flat on their arse since joining and he's struggled to get the best out of the players he did have. IF we go down I feel the brunt of the responsibility must fall to OGS, with Tan's ownership style a close second.
He wasn't given any cash, he spent almost nothing in the january window.
Oh okay, my bad. Was unaware we aren't paying Daehli, Eikrem, Jones, Fabio, Cala, Berget and Zaha a wage. Silly me for thinking we pay players money. He may not have spent that much with cash upfront but money was made available for him to bring player in otherwise 7 players wouldn't have joined.
LonCar wrote:Its a toss up between decent squad and fans willing to give the manager time which was my favourite bit
Was unaware all fans wanted OGS out as soon as he arrived. Not sure about others but I wasn't in a rush to judge him until it became clear the results just weren't going to happen. Here's a thread of people saying how they'd like him in the Championship next year if you require further reading: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=139470
And sorry for thinking our squad is good enough to stay in the Premier League. Not implying that we were going to battle for top 4 but I thought in Jan our team was good enough to stay up. So many cynics on this board.
Re: The Independent: " Why did such a Sensible Young Manage
Tue Apr 08, 2014 11:21 am
Easy answer
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Re: The Independent: " Why did such a Sensible Young Manage
Tue Apr 08, 2014 11:34 am
Roath_Magic_ wrote:Easy answer
Is that Malky's bung for signing Cornelius?
Re: The Independent: " Why did such a Sensible Young Manage
Tue Apr 08, 2014 11:54 am
I have changed my view on football this season....
You can't compete in the premier league with championship players- wow anyone can say that ! But I thought you could through team spirit, organisation and luck.
You need to play a dumbed down version of premier league football to get out and survive the next season or better still play championship football get promoted and change 75% of your team and start again in the premier league.
Ole wants to play premier league footballer with players incapable of that, he is knackered. He needs to build a side over the summer. I believe he does not want it on a plate, and wants to build a team from scratch. This has always been his apprenticeship for the Man U job, he is here because if you can do something at Cardiff City you are ready for the big boys, as we are a mad house.
I think OGS is a wealthy man, so i doubt he is concerned over tan sacking him, being sacked from us nowadays is a badge of honour and no way affects your reputation !!!!!
You can't compete in the premier league with championship players- wow anyone can say that ! But I thought you could through team spirit, organisation and luck.
You need to play a dumbed down version of premier league football to get out and survive the next season or better still play championship football get promoted and change 75% of your team and start again in the premier league.
Ole wants to play premier league footballer with players incapable of that, he is knackered. He needs to build a side over the summer. I believe he does not want it on a plate, and wants to build a team from scratch. This has always been his apprenticeship for the Man U job, he is here because if you can do something at Cardiff City you are ready for the big boys, as we are a mad house.
I think OGS is a wealthy man, so i doubt he is concerned over tan sacking him, being sacked from us nowadays is a badge of honour and no way affects your reputation !!!!!
Re: The Independent: " Why did such a Sensible Young Manage
Tue Apr 08, 2014 11:58 am
llan bluebird wrote:
You need to play a dumbed down version of premier league football to get out and survive the next season or better still play championship football get promoted and change 75% of your team and start again in the premier league.
Not sure about that.
We came up in 3rd place and from our promotion team
Rangel
Williams
Monk
Taylor
Britton
Dyer
Sinclair
Allen
All played regular football for us (80% of our side) and helped us achieve 11th place, 9th place and a major trophy in the bank.
Re: The Independent: " Why did such a Sensible Young Manage
Tue Apr 08, 2014 4:29 pm
' A sweet natured boy who was never looking to be confrontational with me' That's quite a revealing statement and explains a lot.
Re: The Independent: " Why did such a Sensible Young Manage
Tue Apr 08, 2014 4:33 pm
Roath_Magic_ wrote:llan bluebird wrote:
You need to play a dumbed down version of premier league football to get out and survive the next season or better still play championship football get promoted and change 75% of your team and start again in the premier league.
Not sure about that.
We came up in 3rd place and from our promotion team
Rangel
Williams
Monk
Taylor
Britton
Dyer
Sinclair
Allen
All played regular football for us (80% of our side) and helped us achieve 11th place, 9th place and a major trophy in the bank.
You were playing premier league style football in the championship. You "upgraded" with graham
Michu,Sigudsson,Bony but in essence you came up playing modern football. The dumbed down bit is the need to be able to handle the physicality of the championship.We never came 3rd, we were first by a long way.
When you were promoted, there was little difference between us in the Championship table (was it goal difference over us ?) but you succeded when we never.
IMO there is no point going back down, sacking Ole and getting another malky to do the job. We need to think about the following season and have players already equipped to handle the premier league.