Who inspires Ole? Which of his team-mates did he think would become managers? How does he switch off?
Monday 17 February 2020 21:02, UK
In 'Being the Boss', Ole Gunnar Solskjaer talks through his Old Trafford return, who inspired him as a manager - and it's not just Sir Alex Ferguson - and who in the current crop of Manchester United players he reckons will turn their hand to coaching.
Can you remember day one, coming back to Manchester United?
Definitely. I remember vividly walking in, seeing everyone again I've played with, some I've worked under, the staff, the canteen, everyone in and around the place I knew. It was great, meeting the players, the first meeting, training session, that'll stay with me for a long time.
I've been in these facilities once since I left; that says everything about how I felt the club had gone. Many players want to come back, we are part of this family. I was working, but I had some time off as well, I did one soccer school session here and that was the one time I was here. It was great to be back, I missed it.
It was poetic to play against Cardiff in the first game.
What are the three words that sum you up as the Manchester United manager?
Three words? That's hard! I like to think I'm a club man. That's two words, that makes it easier for me! I work for the club, to build the club and make it better, it's never going to be about me.
I like to delegate, I don't micromanage, I don't have to have the final decision on everything, I delegate a lot to the experts in their fields, a delegator I suppose, and I like to think I'm open and honest with the players, they can get straight feedback, honest feedback, but also come and ask me honest questions about football and life.
They know I have to manage for the club, not for them. I manage them, but I manage for Manchester United.
Did we get to three words?
I would like to think any player who's played for me, it would be easier for them to describe me. I've had a couple of words in front of a few so that's for behind the scenes, and I wouldn't ever tell anyone about that!
Was there anyone other than Sir Alex Ferguson who you took things from?
I've always been a student of the game. As a player, I would think 'What can Giggsy (Ryan Giggs) do that I can't?' Can I take a little bit from all the players? The same as all the coaches I've had, fantastic coaches. Carlos Queiroz, Steve McClaren, Age Hareide - a fantastic coach as manager - Egil Olsen, the way he coached me and managed me, I've learned from all of them.
But of course, the main influence is the boss - I worked under him for so many years and he's the best. I would be daft not to learn off him, but all of these are different personalities and I've got to be the best at being the best me.
Of course, the main influence is [Sir Alex Ferguson] - I worked under him for so many years and he's the best. I would be daft not to learn off him, but all of these are different personalities and I've got to be the best at being the best me
We had a reunion game where the gaffer spoke to us before the game, and the stories he told, the way he makes you want to do everything for him, and realise what kind of man you've got in front of you, and how he cares about you is special.
Putting teams together, signing players, I was never one to play the real game, I played football and thought I wanted to get away from the headlines, and when I got my injury, I decided I wanted to stay in the game because I loved it so much so I did my coaching.
In that dressing room, did you think everyone was going to become a manager?
Roy Keane, definitely. He was the best. I would've said he's the best captain, the best leader of a team - I speak to him now and then.
Scholesy (Paul Scholes), he tried it for a little while, but Giggsy, you knew it with him. Me and him and Gary [Neville] went to the pro licences together. You knew they were going to give it a go - I didn't know Gary's [managerial career] would be so short, but there you go!
Who in this squad could be a manager?
There's different personalities, some of them will be coaches, some will be managers. It's difficult to predict, but you've got Nemanja Matic, I can see him. Juan Mata will be a coach or something similar, Harry Maguire probably, but it's difficult to say overall. Bruno Fernandes, already, you can see he wants to stay in football… Let's wait and see!
Nemanja Matic, I can see him, Juan Mata will be a coach or something similar, Harry Maguire probably, but it's difficult to say overall
It was a special group I was in, you could see so many of Sir Alex Ferguson's players becoming managers. That's the kind of people, and players, he wanted, as well. That's one of the things I'm building towards. We've got players here who love football.
Do you prefer managing to playing?
I'd play every day of the week. I miss playing every day, because my knee's bad. It's the cameraderie, the banter with the lads, sitting with the dressing room, the competition of being part of a team. Being in charge is a different way of that adrenaline, but they're the two best ones.
When you love football as much as we do to be a player and a manager, you want to give back to this game.
Is there anyone you're particularly close to in the Premier League?
I have a good relationship with most of them. With [Jurgen] Klopp and Pep [Guardiola], two fantastic managers, Carlo Ancelotti, I've been following them for years now, some managers you think they've earned the right to be there, so you want to start winning trophies yourself.
Are we going to see your style next season, with the personnel and players fit?
You need time to gel a group together, pick your team, when I came in here the players have had Sir Alex, David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, and the same for me - we've got players signed by different managers.
You need time, Rome wasn't built in a day, but we'd like to speed it up.
What do you do to switch off?
I've got a family, you love the time with the kids, and my wife. But what did we do without Netflix, HBO, Sky and all those things? You've got to watch football though, so you can't really switch off from it, but if you get 45 minutes or an hour to watch an episode of something that's the most you can do.
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