Ole Gunner Solskjaer - Q&A with the supporters reps

Solskjaer met around 70 fans at the Cardiff City Stadium on Wednesday evening for an hour to discuss his first three months in charge


Ole Gunnar Solskjaer spoke openly and honestly with a group of Cardiff City supporters on Wednesday evening about a range of issues from the team's precarious position in the Premier League to his relationship with Vincent Tan and the signings he made in January.

In an earlier snippet from the evening, we reported how Solskjaer revealed he had lost sleep for the first time this week following the disastrous 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend.

Solskjaer said: "For the first time this week I’ve lost a bit of sleep. For a couple of nights I was up at 4am thinking about how to galvanise everybody, players and staff."

In the full, extended version - which you can read below - Solskjaer reveals he still retains belief the Bluebirds can get out of trouble, says he has been evoking Churchill to inspire the players and hints Peter Whittingham and Mats Moller Daehli will have a big role to play between now and the end of the season...



Q: What went wrong against Crystal Palace?

Chelsea lost to Palace. They are not a bad side, but we were poor.

Our game plan was to play down the flanks and stay away from their middle where they have a real strength to counter-attack. The first 20 minutes were a dull affair, but we kept them away from our goal. It was important we did not give first goal away, but they scored the first time they got into our box because of some poor defending. That made it hard.

Q: Has the job proved harder than you thought it would be?

A: I knew it would be difficult. Clubs don’t change managers unless there is something wrong. It has been a tough task, but I am embracing that. There is real potential in the club and among players.

Q: How do you get on with Vincent Tan?

A: We get along really well. He knows the situation we are in and trusts me to deal with it. That’s important for me.

All football matters are mine to deal with. If that had not been the case I would not have come here, would not have risked my name, my reputation, my football image if you like. If I couldn’t do it my way what would be the point?

A new manager can’t come in and change everything. The foundation was here, but I have a different philosophy to football.

The day after our defeat against Palace I was watching our development team play at Cardiff City Stadium when I was asked, along with assistant manager Mark Dempsey, to attend a meeting with Vincent Tan the next morning. You think hmmmmm!

But we have a good relationship, (before I went) I was told it was a good meeting and when we got together it was about motivation, how he believes in us and wants us to continue to be positive.

Seriously, it (Palace defeat) was a bad day, a tough day and a big blow to hopes of staying in the league. We understand that and sometimes people can make a knee-jerk reaction after a result like that.

But Vincent Tan is not like that. I think back to the defeat against Hull City on the day before his birthday. We spoke at length, for an hour and a half by phone, and was the same. He is not a man to do something irrational. That’s important for me and everybody at the club. He is going to see this through.

Q: Do you really believe Cardiff City can still stay up?

A: Absolutely. Otherwise I would say let’s start preparing for the Championship. There are five matches left and we need a win on Saturday. Southampton have suffered a blow because they have lost Jay Rodriguez to an injury, while we have lost Craig Noone for the rest of this season. He took another knock against Palace and is going to the USA to see a specialist.

We have to find out exactly how serious it is and I doubt we will see him back this season, He is a player who makes things happen for us and he has been terrific, but we will have to do without him over these next few weeks.

Q: When you first took the job in January did you say to Vincent Tan it was going to be a difficult job and that it was possible Cardiff City could go down?

A: I am a realistic person. I said I thought and hoped we can stay in the Premier League, but that you never know. Vincent Tan knew then it was a possibility we would be in the Championship, but right now we fight on.

Q: You brought seven players in during the January transfer window and yet only one was in the starting line-up against West Brom. Why?

A: Fabio started, but he was injured and had to come off.

Eikrem and Berget, two of our Norwegian players, I knew would give value for money. Their contracts were running out and both deals were good business for the club.

Daehli we signed for less than £500,000 and he is one of the hottest things around among the top clubs now.

Zaha was a loan deal and I feel he has the X-factor. He really does. Wilf had not played for six months at United. but I felt we had to take a chance on the kid. He is a young player and maybe, because of the situation we are in, I have not given him the games I should have.

Jones I swapped with Odemwingie, like for like. We needed a big, strong striker and there weren’t many around for the money.

He was injured against Palace. I don’t know what he did to his kidney, but he was passing blood. It was really unfair on the boy because he was hurt after 25 minutes and maybe should have come off, but we needed him out there and he was willing to stay. To be fair he did everything we asked of him.

Mark Hudson was injured and we signed Cala late in the transfer window. He is a good player.

Q: How did you feel to be booed at the end of the Palace match?

A: I understood how they felt. Football is a really, really passionate game, I do understand. It’s human reaction. I have done things myself in emotion and passion and thought two minutes later ‘Why did I do that’.

I believe I am cool, laid-back and sensible, but football does that. Results and performances like that must have shocked a few, disappointed a few. It certainly shocked me, disappointed me.


Huw Evans Picture Agency

Q: How do you prepare the team for each match?

A: During the week leading up to our match against Palace I did things differently. We usually have a video presentation on Fridays, seven or eight minute video clips of our opposition, analysing what they are good at and any weaknesses. We talk through our game plan.

For the Palace match I wanted the players to understand, better than ever, their own tasks and what was expected. I showed separate 45-minute video clips to three different groups - goalkeeper plus defenders, midfield players and strikers.

Each group then had to nominate two players from their group to do a presentation to the whole squad on what they had learned and what was needed against Southampton. It was great and the lads grasped every single thing I would have said to them. We went into the game feeling good, but for some reason it didn’t work.

All the players knew exactly what they had to do and I was so disappointed for the players as well as supporters.

Q: Gary Medel seemed to have his worst performance of the season. Was there a reason?

A: It was his worst game and that boils down to a virus, Gary was ill all week and only trained on Friday. But he is that important to us I couldn’t leave him out. The virus affected him more than I thought. He came off against West Brom because he was really tired and just about on his knees. He was in bed for a few days after that and wasn’t able to recover quickly.

Thankfully, he’s okay now, in full training and back to his best. He was everywhere in training, a terrier. Nobody could get past him.

Craig Bellamy suffered from a similar virus before the Tottenham game, was in bed for 10 days and has still not fully recovered. He was flat out. But these are things I often have to keep in-house at the time.

Q: You worked under Sir Alex Ferguson, who used the ‘hairdryer’ when needed. What is your approach to motivation?

A: When I am disappointed I can be the same as the gaffer (Sir Alex). I have handed out a few hairdryers! You probably won’t believe it.

But in the right circumstances I lose it and the players know how I feel.

Mind you, after the Crystal Palace match there was no reason to scream and shout. They all knew. At West Brom when we went in at half-time it was the same. There was no need because they all knew.

After the Palace match it was the first time I have not done a team talk. I shook the hand of each player and left. The players sat on their own for 10 minutes and then started discussing it between themselves. I want that interaction. It can’t always come from me.

We have had a few Churchillian words this week and the players have been extremely good. They know and understand what is needed.

Q: Do the players truly believe they can still stay in the Premier League?

Every player who starts Southampton will believe because I will have players out there I believe are the right types. A lot has been said about me changing the team and, yes, I have changed things a lot. But my team at Southampton will have played together before, Mats (Daehli) will make his second start. He has to start.

Q: You have changed the team formation a fair bit, but what are you plans for the last five matches this season?

A: It will be more or less the same group involved and the same tactics for the rest of this season. Whitts, for instance, can give us goals from set pieces and he will play all of them. He’s as cool as Franz Beckenbauer. I made decision not to have him on bench against Palace, right or wrong, and spoke to him about that.

I hold my hand up, but Whitts is a top, top professional and will be starting in our last five matches.


Peter Whittingham

Daehli will be there - and so will Mutch.

I know my best XI, but when you play, say, Liverpool at home it’s important to look at their tactics and plan ahead. We had to set up with three at the back because of Suarez and Sturridge running down the sides of us. That was also the tactic at Tottenham because they play those long diagonal balls towards Adebayor.

I could do that at Southampton because they play in a similar style to Tottenham using Rickie Lambert.

We analyse things before every match, watching our opposition six, seven or eight times.

Cardiff City are new in this league and playing teams who have better quality than us. Sometimes you have to take measures to counter their tactics. I will get to the position where we have only ourselves to think about and play our way no matter what, but that will take time.

We know what we are doing and we’ll get there.

Q: What are your thoughts on the players out on loan?

A: Brilliant. Absolutely fantastic. Maynard, Ralls, Mason, Deji (Adedeji Oshilaja) and more are out on loan to give them matches. Maybe I could have used them once or twice, but that’s not good for their development. Mason has done really well (at Bolton). He’ll come back to us a better player.

Brayford is the talk of the town for Sheffield United. He would not have played for us and he deserves to play. They are our players and they all need the chance to develop and improve.

Q: What are your thoughts on Declan John?

A: He is terrific, a bit like Luke Shaw. Declan used to be a forward and is still learning the defensive part of football. He is a teenager and inexperienced, but I have all time in the World for kid. He will, without doubt, be a top player.

Q: How are you adjusting to life in Wales?

A: It’s been tough being away from my family. I have three kids. My youngest boys will be six this summer, my eldest 14, also in June. My daughter is 11-years-old. I have always been a dad who is there because in football you have time.

We have, as a family, been in Norway for three years and they really love it back home. They will finish school and come over in the summer. I can’t wait for that. For the first three to five months as a club manager the work takes up 12 hours-plus a day.

I sometimes go home for a couple of days and Mark Dempsey takes training, while they have been here to visit and watch games. They will come back here for the Easter holidays.

Right now I live next door to the training ground which is great for me, but I am looking to buy a family home as soon as possible. I am not a city guy, I like peaceful surroundings and maybe a walk around a lake.

When I came to the Trust meeting I maybe expected to be booed again. I know the frustration everybody has and I am the same. We are in transition and this is a difficult period. But I am a football guy, I love football and I love this club already.

I would rather sit and talk to supporters in times like this. When you are winning 5-0 things come easily for players, but when you are struggling for results you need leaders. It’s the same as a manager. I can’t hide until we start winning and then come out and speak to press. If we are relegated, and we truly believe we can survive, we will go down fighting.

If that happens we will go straight back up.

Sack him! His out of his depth, right?

I think he explains himself fairly well , i feel we just gotta support him till the end of the season and evaluate at the end of the season.
Pleased to hear whitts will be back,a midfield with him, mutch and daehli sounds really promising

Sounds like a genuinely nice guy. It's such a shame that the West Brom and Palace performances were so dire as I thought Ole's philosophy was starting to shine through and come together against Spurs, Everton & Liverpool. I believe we're already down (though I would love to be proven wrong!) but if we can start playing like we were for those three games then I think we can beat Southampton, Stoke, Sunderland & maybe Newcastle...wishful thinking considering we've won 2 in 9 or something like that!

I think more has happened off the field this season than on it, we were bound to struggle with all the goings on.

Whatever happens from now til the end of the season we need stability, so if the worst happens stick with Ole to see if he can get us back up.

Ole can only be judged fairly next season

Speaks very well does our Ole and so do our players the problem is it hasn't transferred on to the pitch. Fingers Crossed they pull their socks up and at least show a bit of fight ! C'mon the City

wiping this season off but give him next season atleast

The video presentation for the Palace game obviously did not work, do players feel comfortable doing that sort of thing ? splitting the squad up ? but he his learning, which begs the question why is he learning at the top end with no obvious experienced premier league other than himself as a player around him.

But I would give him a year no matter where we finish this year

I think ole is the type of manager were if they score 1 wel score 2 an so on. If our team sticks with us wel come straight back up hope javi guerra will come two love us in the championship an build on our team from there

Malky was defensive setting up his team to play that way and bought players in to suit that system.
Ole is attack attack and to come here at that point in the season and change the whole philosophy of the team was always never gonna work.

Anyone who knows football would have the same concerns and to be fair to ole he was up against it from the start.

Tan would of been better staying with malky or if he wanted malky out for what ever reason pulis would av fitted us like a glove.

Tan dalaman made a massive cock up changing the philosophy of the way we play .if tan wanted us to stay up ole was the wrong choice right now.

Maybe over time with players ole wants he could change things around to his own style that will take time and money.

Ole deserves time to put his own stamp on the club but at this moment he seems to be in over his head.

What it does show is tan yet again got it wrong.i think we'll need to take two steps back before we start going forward.

Malky was defensive setting up his team to play that way and bought players in to suit that system.
Ole is attack attack and to come here at that point in the season and change the whole philosophy of the team was always never gonna work.

Anyone who knows football would have the same concerns and to be fair to ole he was up against it from the start.

Tan would of been better staying with malky or if he wanted malky out for what ever reason pulis would av fitted us like a glove.

Tan dalaman made a massive cock up changing the philosophy of the way we play .if tan wanted us to stay up ole was the wrong choice right now.

Maybe over time with players ole wants he could change things around to his own style that will take time and money.

Ole deserves time to put his own stamp on the club but at this moment he seems to be in over his head.

What it does show is tan yet again got it wrong.i think we'll need to take two steps back before we start going forward.

Quote.

I sometimes go home for a couple of days and leave mark Dempsey to do the training????? Is this not alarming?

Quote.

I sometimes go home for a couple of days and leave mark Dempsey to do the training????? Is this not alarming?

Why?

Quote.

I sometimes go home for a couple of days and leave mark Dempsey to do the training????? Is this not alarming?

Why?

Because he is not giving his full attention to the team and assessing the players days before a game..

Quote.

I sometimes go home for a couple of days and leave mark Dempsey to do the training????? Is this not alarming?

Why?

Because he is not giving his full attention to the team and assessing the players days before a game..

So if ole travel home after a game saturday and return monday he neglect his duty? Im sure Mark keeps him updated on how Noone is doing on his Zelda games on sundays, and even manage the monday morning workout. After all they have been working together for a while

Quote.

I sometimes go home for a couple of days and leave mark Dempsey to do the training????? Is this not alarming?

Why?

Because he is not giving his full attention to the team and assessing the players days before a game..

So if ole travel home after a game saturday and return monday he neglect his duty? Im sure Mark keeps him updated on how Noone is doing on his Zelda games on sundays, and even manage the monday morning workout. After all they have been working together for a while

They wouldn't have a training session on a Sunday, and if in every business the manager popped away for a couple of days leaving the assistant in charge my personal opinion would be that yes it is a neglect in duties.

Your opinion is welcome and taken on board no real need for the sarcasm!

My main concern is that Ole thinks that Tan 'is not a man to do something irrational'!

Apart from that, a very good and interesting interview. Read in the Echo today that Ole declined TV work at the Bayern Munich v Manchester United game to fulfil this engagement.

To be honest, I've changed my mind about Ole. He deserves next season, at least.

Well done to Ole and the Trust Credit where it's due

Quote.

I sometimes go home for a couple of days and leave mark Dempsey to do the training????? Is this not alarming?

Why?

Because he is not giving his full attention to the team and assessing the players days before a game..

So if ole travel home after a game saturday and return monday he neglect his duty? Im sure Mark keeps him updated on how Noone is doing on his Zelda games on sundays, and even manage the monday morning workout. After all they have been working together for a while

They wouldn't have a training session on a Sunday, and if in every business the manager popped away for a couple of days leaving the assistant in charge my personal opinion would be that yes it is a neglect in duties.

Your opinion is welcome and taken on board no real need for the sarcasm!

No sarcasm here mate! Exactly, thats why Noone play Zelda on sundays glad his not neglecting his family, and i think you are a bit off.

Quote.

I sometimes go home for a couple of days and leave mark Dempsey to do the training????? Is this not alarming?

Why?

Because he is not giving his full attention to the team and assessing the players days before a game..

So if ole travel home after a game saturday and return monday he neglect his duty? Im sure Mark keeps him updated on how Noone is doing on his Zelda games on sundays, and even manage the monday morning workout. After all they have been working together for a while

They wouldn't have a training session on a Sunday, and if in every business the manager popped away for a couple of days leaving the assistant in charge my personal opinion would be that yes it is a neglect in duties.

Your opinion is welcome and taken on board no real need for the sarcasm!

No sarcasm here mate! Exactly, thats why Noone play Zelda on sundays glad his not neglecting his family, and i think you are a bit off.

Football managers move all the time, check out joes mourinho, how may different countries have his kids lived in the last few yrs.
I doubt he jets off for a couple of days a time though...

We don't know how frequent or what days he does go, only that he said he leaves the training sessions up to mark.

Don't think I'm way off and from what I saw on Saturday our preparation and tactical execution was shocking...

Quote.

I sometimes go home for a couple of days and leave mark Dempsey to do the training????? Is this not alarming?

Why?

Because he is not giving his full attention to the team and assessing the players days before a game..

So if ole travel home after a game saturday and return monday he neglect his duty? Im sure Mark keeps him updated on how Noone is doing on his Zelda games on sundays, and even manage the monday morning workout. After all they have been working together for a while

They wouldn't have a training session on a Sunday, and if in every business the manager popped away for a couple of days leaving the assistant in charge my personal opinion would be that yes it is a neglect in duties.

Your opinion is welcome and taken on board no real need for the sarcasm!

No sarcasm here mate! Exactly, thats why Noone play Zelda on sundays glad his not neglecting his family, and i think you are a bit off.

Football managers move all the time, check out joes mourinho, how may different countries have his kids lived in the last few yrs.
I doubt he jets off for a couple of days a time though...

We don't know how frequent or what days he does go, only that he said he leaves the training sessions up to mark.

Don't think I'm way off and from what I saw on Saturday our preparation and tactical execution was shocking...

I wouldnt know, i wasnt there for the preparation. I noticed they didnt play the way they suppose to though and played awful.
But i blame myself, and not my boss after a dread day at the office. If Turner ever get a statue, make sure to raise one arm!

Quote.

I sometimes go home for a couple of days and leave mark Dempsey to do the training????? Is this not alarming?

Why?

Because he is not giving his full attention to the team and assessing the players days before a game..

So if ole travel home after a game saturday and return monday he neglect his duty? Im sure Mark keeps him updated on how Noone is doing on his Zelda games on sundays, and even manage the monday morning workout. After all they have been working together for a while

They wouldn't have a training session on a Sunday, and if in every business the manager popped away for a couple of days leaving the assistant in charge my personal opinion would be that yes it is a neglect in duties.

Your opinion is welcome and taken on board no real need for the sarcasm!

No sarcasm here mate! Exactly, thats why Noone play Zelda on sundays glad his not neglecting his family, and i think you are a bit off.

Football managers move all the time, check out joes mourinho, how may different countries have his kids lived in the last few yrs.
I doubt he jets off for a couple of days a time though...

We don't know how frequent or what days he does go, only that he said he leaves the training sessions up to mark.

Don't think I'm way off and from what I saw on Saturday our preparation and tactical execution was shocking...

I wouldnt know, i wasnt there for the preparation. I noticed they didnt play the way they suppose to though and played awful.
But i blame myself, and not my boss after a dread day at the office. If Turner ever get a statue, make sure to raise one arm!

Is it only me who thinks it's a bit bizarre how he's naming parts of the team for the rest of the season? Surely opposition can see this and gain tactics from it?

Quote.

I sometimes go home for a couple of days and leave mark Dempsey to do the training????? Is this not alarming?

Solskjaer has said that he isn't always on the training field because he doesn't want the players to get used to hearing him shout at them all the time. He wants to preserve that for the games, so the shouting will impact the players in a more significant way.

Cracking bloke, I just wish he could get the team to defend against shit teams like Swansea, Hull, WBA and Palace .............

Seems to do so much homework and research on the oppo and going through it so thoroughly. Yet come game day the players dont utilise or put it into effect the game plan. Must be so frustrating to see the weeks work thrown out of the window on the pitch. I do think he needs to find his best back 4 and build the team from there. And find an attacking midfielder or midfielder who just sits over the half way line as a link man between midfield and strikers. Medel too deep and whoever plays with him goes wandering. Maybe whitts is the man.