' Alex Ferguson warned him of Cardiff City 'nightmare' '

I posted on here at the time that Ferguson had warned Ole about taking the job under Tan, plus half the players Ole signed were Tans signings and that I stand by.




How former Manchester United FC boss Sir Alex Ferguson warned Ole Gunnar Solskjaer of Cardiff City 'nightmare'

22 SEPTEMBER 2015


BY STEVE TUCKER


Ferguson admits he thought: "Surely he’s not thinking of taking the job. It’s bound to be a nightmare"


Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed he could not believe Ole Gunnar Solskjaer agreed to work under Vincent Tan and knew his time as Cardiff City boss would become ‘a nightmare.’

The Manchester United managerial legend outlines his views in a new book and says he warned Solskjaer to be strong with the Cardiff owner and make sure he got a watertight contract which ensured there could be no interference with the way he managed his team.

Solskjaer was a favourite of Ferguson’s during his time as a striker at United, where he most famously scored the dramatic winner in the 1999 Uefa Champions League Final against Bayern Munich.

After retiring from playing, Solskjaer was in charge of United’s title-winning reserve side before returning to his native Norway where he had further success with Molde.

‘Surely he’s not thinking of taking the job?'
However, Ferguson says Solskjaer was ‘pining’ for a return to the Premier League as a manager, and the Norwegian’s chance came when Malky Mackay controversially departed the Bluebirds halfway through their top flight campaign.

Read more: Russell Slade on 'lack of thought' that went into Bluebirds squad prior to his arrival

Solskjaer took charge in the Welsh capital the following month, but failed to keep the club up with Cardiff finishing rock bottom. He lasted just nine games of the new Championship season before he too departed, with Russell Slade eventually taking over.

Ferguson recounts how he felt about Solskjaer’s decision to agree to join Cardiff in the first place, saying in his book: “I read in the papers that he was in the finishing stages of discussions with Vincent Tan, the owner of Cardiff City who had just fired Malky Mackay.

“I thought to myself, ‘Surely he’s not thinking of taking the job, it’s bound to be a nightmare’.”

Cardiff City's owner Vincent Tan alongside Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (centre)
A concerned Ferguson, who is regarded as the most successful manager in British football history after winning 49 trophies in his distinguished career, then contacted Solskjaer urging him to ensure that if he was really determined to become Bluebirds boss, he should be firm with Tan and at least ensure the odds were stacked in his favour.

Ferguson says: “I texted Ole and gave him some very firm advice. I told him, ‘Tomorrow is the strongest you will be with the owner. So get everything, down to the smallest detail that could interfere with your management style, written into your contract.’ Nine months on, the inevitable occurred and Tan decided that he would pick a new manager.”

Managerial talent 'bound to be recognised'
After he left Cardiff, Solskjaer returned to Norway but is yet to take up another high-profile job in football. Ferguson though believes the 42-year-old still has plenty to offer in management despite his shattering experience with the Bluebirds.

Ferguson notes: “The good news for Ole was that he had a watertight contract and his talent is bound to be recognised by a more appreciative owner.”

Should have gave David Moyes that advice !!

Fergie's advice was perfect in regards to watertight contract - Ole had free reign, bought loads of players and had a fantastic payoff when he messed it all up for us. No mention from Fergie of what a terrible job Ole did, funny that.....

Ole was a nightmare! Worst manager ever, given the resources he had and wasted. He never challenged the ridiculous red rebrand either which Slade did (whatever you think of him as a manager).

More appreciative owner too! Haha He paid him bag loads of money, let him buy whoever he wanted and quite frankly gave him far too long in the job. In fairness to Tan, he couldn't have been any more supportive!

Ole was Tan's puppet everyone could see that seens as he agreed with everything Tan ever said but as for Transfers being Tans transfers I don't believe so I mean would a guy that thinks David Marshall don't score enough goals really of heard of the Norwegian players we where signing I like to think I know a little about football and I hadn't heard of them before and the fact they where signed from Molde solskjaers old club makes it even more ridiculous that Furguson would make them out to be Tans signings let's face it solskjaer got the job on his name as a player with no proper professional managerial experience and everyone's eyebrows where raised when he signed the guy hadn't had a clue how to manage a club and his time with us showed the world how bad he is I don't disagree he could of chose a better owner to work under but there was and is no other owner dumb enough to offer solskjaer the job with his very little experience as a manager

More appreciative owner too! Haha He paid him bag loads of money, let him buy whoever he wanted and quite frankly gave him far too long in the job. In fairness to Tan, he couldn't have been any more supportive!

just goes to show how blinkered he was over a big name Man Utd player taking presidence over a good managerial CV

Funny how tans been very quiet, then a very old story with more holes in it than Titanic re appears! Ferguson is very selective with his comments ignoring what a untried and out of his depth manager ole was! But then guess lots of people believe every word fergy says regardless of its rubbish content?

He was crap anyway Fergie.

He was crap anyway Fergie.

He certainly never did Cardiff City FC any good; and he loaned us Zaha just to rub it in!

Beyond that, just paper talk and Fergie 'keeping his public profile up'

From FB

Mark O'Neill I was as surprised as anyone else when Ole took the job. This quote from SAF does't really surprise me.

He was crap anyway Fergie.

He certainly never did Cardiff City FC any good; and he loaned us Zaha just to rub it in!

Beyond that, just paper talk and Fergie 'keeping his public profile up'

Agree.

Ole was a nightmare! Worst manager ever, given the resources he had and wasted. He never challenged the ridiculous red rebrand either which Slade did (whatever you think of him as a manager).

Who cares what SAF thought?

Well, Solskjaer led Molde to the league title for the first time ever and Molde are now playing football in the Europa League, much thanks to what Ole built up.
Too early to say if he will end up as a good manager or not, Cardiff was clearly not the right choice for him.

I was told a couple of days before that Ole would be made manager, and he'd make Kenwyne Jones one of his signings.

http://www.cardiffcityforum.co.uk/viewt ... 2&t=131482

I was very surprised at the time, but I won't lie I thought he'd do a good job. As you can see from the link, I thought Kenwyne Jones would be a bad signing.. Got both things wrong.

He didn't fit the bill. He said the right things in the press but failed to deliver where it mattered.

Having met him quite a few times since then, he's one of the best people you'll ever meet. I can tell when people are fake and bullshitting but he was a genuinely good person. But being nice doesn't make you a good football manager.

Because of how good a person he is, I wish him well for the future and hope he does well.

As for his contract with Cardiff City, well let's just say that things were very close from that side being viewed differently now. The press nearly got a good story on it, but let's just leave it at that.

We all know how good a manager Ferguson was, but fuk me, since he's retired he hasn't shut the fuk up for one minute. Youd think he'd do a bobby Charlton, kick back, and enjoy his retirement in the background, but not this tw*t, he still has to be the centre of attention. He had the respect and admiration of everyone in football, but Since his retirement he's come across as an arrogant bitter old man who can't except he's yesterdays news

all he's doing is trying to sell his book i bet it'll be a best seller in norway

Well, Solskjaer led Molde to the league title for the first time ever and Molde are now playing football in the Europa League, much thanks to what Ole built up.
Too early to say if he will end up as a good manager or not, Cardiff was clearly not the right choice for him.

Bad choice for Cardiff more like it.

I was told a couple of days before that Ole would be made manager, and he'd make Kenwyne Jones one of his signings.

http://www.cardiffcityforum.co.uk/viewt ... 2&t=131482

I was very surprised at the time, but I won't lie I thought he'd do a good job. As you can see from the link, I thought Kenwyne Jones would be a bad signing.. Got both things wrong.

He didn't fit the bill. He said the right things in the press but failed to deliver where it mattered.

Having met him quite a few times since then, he's one of the best people you'll ever meet. I can tell when people are fake and bullshitting but he was a genuinely good person. But being nice doesn't make you a good football manager.

Because of how good a person he is, I wish him well for the future and hope he does well.As for his contract with Cardiff City, well let's just say that things were very close from that side being viewed differently now. The press nearly got a good story on it, but let's just leave it at that.

I always thought Ole was a good person.

However, the way he treated Hudson was disgraceful.

Ole has gone down in my estimation drastically after the way he treated Hudson.