What Sir Jim Ratcliffe really thinks of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, he once offered him manager’s job - soccerdelights.com
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What Sir Jim Ratcliffe really thinks of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, he once offered him manager’s job

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What Sir Jim Ratcliffe really thinks of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, he once offered him manager’s job

Just because the idea of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer returning to Manchester United is probably a bad idea, doesn’t mean the Red Devils supporters cannot wonder ‘what if?’

What if one of Old Trafford’s favourite sons was to make another tear-jerking return to his former stomping ground and finish what he started?

What if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could bring back the kind of free-flowing, goals-by-the-bucketload football that has gone by the wayside under his Manchester United successor Erik ten Hag?

Those are questions that have been swirling around the heads of even the most cynical and unemotional Red Devils supporters over the last 24 hours.

This week, Solskjaer admitted that ‘of course’ he’d take the Manchester United job if he was to be offered it a second time in the wake of Ten Hag’s potential departure.

And Fredrik Filtvedt, as both a Man United fan and a Norway-based football writer, is better placed than most to speak about the connection between Solskjaer and his adoring public back home in England’s north west.

Ole is, after all, the man who makes Man United fans happy even when the skies are grey, as the old saying goes.

“There is no doubt that the period Solskjaer had at Manchester United is very special for many people,” Filtvedt tells Dagbladet.

“When people experience the adversity they are experiencing now, it is very easy to dream back to the good feelings that were there, when Solskjaer delivered attacking football and goals on a conveyor belt.

“It ended as it did, but there is no doubt [Solskjaer’s comments] has awakened some old romantic feelings in many people.”

Solskjaer’s three year spell as Man United manager between 2018 and 2021 is a classic case of ‘what might have been?’.

Would United have won a Premier League title if Solskjaer was supported by Sir Jim Ratcliffe rather than the Glazers, with his dreams of Declan Rice and a young Erling Haaland going unanswered?

Would he still be in the dugout now had United not let their heart rule their head when tearing up a youthful, dynamic team to bring back Cristiano Ronaldo?

What about if David de Gea had saved a single penalty against Villarreal in that painful Europa League final, or kept out that daisy-cutting Mason Mount strike in the FA Cup semis?

“Now that there is a good structure at the club and a professionalism, could Solskjaer succeed under those conditions? It is easy to think that he could have done even better,” adds Filtvedt, insisting that the man who scored that famous winner in the 1999 Champions League final has stayed quiet on United of late largely due to his respect for an under-fire Ten Hag.

“He doesn’t want to make things difficult for ten Hag. He hasn’t tried to do anything that isn’t right.”

The reaction that has followed Solskjaer’s admission that he would be keen on a second attempt at the United job perhaps goes some way to explaining why he was so wary of speaking out publicly.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is a big Solskjaer fan

Man United’s new part-owner – the Failsworth-born Red Devils fanatic Ratcliffe – is a very big fan of the 51-year-old. Ratcliffe allegedly even offered Solskjaer the manager’s job at United’s French-based sister club OGC Nice.

“We know that Sir Jim is excited about Solskjaer. Among other things, he had offered him the job as Nice coach at an earlier time,” adds Filtvedt, albeit while insisting that another homecoming is very unlikely as things stand.

“If United are to replace Ten Hag, they must find the candidate they believe is the best. It would surprise me if Solskjær topped such a list.

“If you look at the CV of many others, I would assume that Solskjaer would not have been on a top five list once. I don’t see it as very likely.”

According to reports, there are concerns amongst the United bosses about Ten Hag.

The likes of Thomas Tuchel – still out of work following his departure from Bayern Munich – may be part of any contingency plan alongside Kieran McKenna, Ruben Amorim and potentially Julian Nagelsmann too.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United spell

Appointed in 2018 as interim boss

Solskjaer was hired until the end of the 2018/19 season in a surprise move as a stop-gap after Jose Mourinho was sacked.

Hired full-time in March 2019

After a superb Premier League run, Solskjaer defeated Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League upset win after a 2-0 first leg defeat. The momentum saw United give Solskjaer the job full-time.

An up and down 2019/20

After a terrible end to the 2018/19 season, Solskjaer began the following season poorly and the decision to hand him the job looked like a possible error. Solskjaer then rallied his team and managed to finish in third place. Along the way United lost three semi-finals.

Second place in 2020/21

United built on third the previous year and managed to finish in second. The team even topped the table in January before sliding off. United reached another semi-final, and then reached the Europa League final, losing to Villarreal on penalties.

Unable to take the next step

Solskjaer was backed in the summer and got the players he wanted. After a terrific first game against Leeds, United’s performances stuttered, gradually getting worse. The defence leaked goals and the whole team seemed to take a backwards step. A 4-1 loss to Watford was the final humiliation.

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‘I need ASSURANCE’- Zinedine Zidane reveals the only CONDITION that will make Him accept Man United job

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‘I need ASSURANCE’- Zinedine Zidane reveals the only CONDITION that will make Him accept Man United job

 

Emmanuel Petit, a France World Cup winner, has claimed that Zinedine Zidane would require a series of assurances from Sir Jim Ratcliffe before he’d even contemplate taking the reins at Manchester United.

The Real Madrid legend is “very conscious” about player quality and would need to be convinced he can tackle the issues at Old Trafford.

Petit has indicated that Zidane would only entertain an offer if he’s confident in addressing the current challenges facing the club.

Despite this, concerns over the squad’s quality and potential language barriers could hinder his potential appointment.

Amidst a flurry of speculation, Zidane has been recently linked with the managerial position at Old Trafford, as Erik ten Hag braces for Brentford amidst scrutiny following a disappointing season start.

With just three wins out of 11 in all competitions and two from seven in the Premier League, the pressure is mounting.

Zidane’s name is not new in the context of a possible saviour for the Red Devils, and with Didier Deschamps showing no signs of vacating the French national team’s helm, the rumour mill is abuzz yet again

Nonetheless, speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Petit expressed scepticism about the likelihood of Zidane making such a move.

He mused over whether Zidane would be willing to leave his comfortable life in Madrid, stating: “I’m not sure that he speaks very good English as well. And communication is very important in the dressing room.”

The Red Devils’ struggle to replicate their heyday success since the departure of the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013 has been palpable, with the club clinching just five top-four finishes since then. Their alarming eighth-place finish in the previous season marks the lowest in their Premier League history.

Despite bagging five major trophies during this time, including the 2016 Europa League, United’s presence has been markedly absent beyond the Champions League quarter-finals.

For Zidane, tipped by some as a potential saviour amid United’s current slump to 14th in the table and a three-game goal drought, Old Trafford might not hold much allure, suggests former French international Emmanuel Petit.

Petit opines that ‘Zizou’, who boasts an illustrious managerial record with Real Madrid, would demand solid assurances before contemplating a switch to the Manchester side.

He added: “Honestly, I know a little bit, Zizou [Zidane], and he needs to get guarantees if he wants to sign over there in Manchester United. At the moment, the environment at Manchester United for years has not been good.”

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Man Utd hero interviewed Thomas Tuchel and is convinced he ‘fits the bill’

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Man Utd hero interviewed Thomas Tuchel and is convinced he ‘fits the bill’

Thomas Tuchel has been linked with Manchester United and one Red Devils legend thinks he would be a good fit for the club.

Manchester United icon Peter Schmeichel has thrown his weight behind Thomas Tuchelas a strong contender for the managerial hot seat at Old Trafford. Erik ten Hag has got through the international break with his job still intact, but the speculation around his position is not quietening down.

United’s 0-0 draw away to Aston Villa consigned United to their worst league start since 1989. A group of United executives gathered in London last Tuesday, but the former Ajax manager looks to have retained his role.

Nevertheless, ex-Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic has been linked with the position, while Tuchel, who has been a free agent since he left Bayern Munich, is still believed to be a candidate. Having spoken to the ex-Chelsea boss before, Schmeichel believes Tuchel would be an outstanding option for the Red Devils.

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While speaking to Arsenal legend David Seaman on the ‘Seaman Says’ podcast, via Betway, Schmeichel said: “I think with Tuchel and the last two jobs that he had at Chelsea and Bayern Munich, he’s been at those two clubs at the wrong time in their history. Chelsea was a mess when he was there and there was so much internal fighting.

“There’s new owners coming in and so many things were happening with Bayern. The same thing, they changed the whole board of directors, they changed the whole leadership of the club. They lasted for one year and that was precisely the year that he was there.

“I really like Thomas Tuchel. Being around the Champions League and interviewing him, listening to what he’s saying when he’s in the technical area, and his personality, he just looks like somebody who could be a good manager at Manchester United.

“I don’t think he had his way at Chelsea. I know for sure he didn’t have his way at Bayern. I just think he’s got such a great aura around him that he fits a bill.”

Tuchel has also been linked with the England job ever since Gareth Southgate resigned after last summer’s European Championship. United are currently languishing in 14th position and face Brentford in the Premier League next, followed by a Europa League clash away to Fenerbahce, who are managed by former United boss Jose Mourinho.

Despite his admiration for Tuchel, Schmeichel pledged to give Ten Hag his backing. He added: “Erik ten Hag is still the manager, and for as long as he’s the manager, as a fan I will support him because I want the club to do well. I don’t want Manchester United to be that football club that changes the manager all the time.

 

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I have made this bold step to drop Him,He is actually the one costing me my job,I know fans will not be happy with this Dec but this is my decision”, Erik Ten Hag has finally drop £70m player from His match day squad against Brentford

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I have made this bold step to drop Him,He is actually the one costing me my job,I know fans will not be happy with this Dec but this is my decision”, Erik Ten Hag has finally drop £70m player from His match day squad against Brentford

 

According to Football Transfers, Manchester United are keeping tabs on England and Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze.

The Palace star has caught the attention of some of the biggest Premier League clubs with his £60 million release clause seen as an attractive option for some teams in England.

The Red Devils are closely monitoring the England international who is known for his creativity and goal scoring attributes.

However, the report has mentioned that in order to make room for Eze in the team and the finances to make sense, Man United would have to let either Marcus Rashford or Bruno Fernandes leave the club.

They have become the latest players linked with an exit from the club with Christian Eriksen being the other name who is most likely coming towards the end of his time at Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, Casemiro is also being considered for sale by the Premier League giants and the transfer could take place as early as January.

Man United find Eze as an attractive option for the club due to his ability to play in a number of different positions.

The Palace star can play as an attacking midfielder as well as the left-side of the attack, making him ideal for the Red Devils who feel that the player can play in the positions currently occupied by Rashford and Fernandes.

Erik ten Hag’s team have been scouting the English midfielder, who scored 11 goals in the league last season and registered four assists in a highly successful season for the Eagles and contributed to their top half finish in the league.

Eberechi Eze would come at a huge cost for Manchester United
It would be a huge surprise to see Man United consider the sale of Rashford or Fernandes, two players who are their most prized assets and hugely important for the team and their future.

It is not a secret that the Red Devils are looking to bolster their attacking options and their interest in Eze could force them to make an unpopular decision of letting one of their star players leave the club.

Any move for Eze to join Man United depends on Ten Hag’s team selling one of their star players.

Oliver Glasner’s team have no intention of accepting any offer below the £60 million mark.

The Man United faithful would love to see Eze at Old Trafford but surely not at the cost of one of Rashford or Fernandes leaving the club.

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