Quick Read
- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked from Manchester United in November 2021 after a poor run and a heavy defeat to Watford.
- United have not matched Solskjaer’s best league finishes since his departure, with the club now facing significant challenges.
- Solskjaer struggled with flawed transfer policies and lack of key signings during his tenure.
- He recently managed Besiktas but was let go after eight months and is now open to Championship roles, including Southampton.
- Solskjaer emphasizes the importance of understanding player wellbeing, citing Marcus Rashford’s resurgence at Barcelona.
Solskjaer’s Farewell: A Turning Point for Manchester United
Four years ago, the image of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer leaving Manchester United—tears in his eyes, gratitude in his words—marked the end of a chapter filled with hope and disappointment. The Norwegian, once hailed for reviving United’s spirit, was let go after a crushing defeat to Watford in November 2021. As he reflected on his departure in a recent interview for The Overlap, Solskjaer confessed, “Of course that was a kick. I thought we had something going.” It was a sentiment many fans shared; the sense that, despite the setbacks, a foundation for future success might have been laid.
Highs and Lows: Results That Raised Expectations
Solskjaer’s two full seasons brought a third and a second place Premier League finish—results not seen since. In those years, United supporters dared to dream of a title challenge, a feeling that had faded in the post-Ferguson era. Yet, these achievements came with unintended consequences. Elevated expectations meant that anything less than a trophy felt inadequate. The bitter Europa League final loss in 2021, decided by penalties, was a moment that might have changed the narrative of his tenure had it gone differently.
Context matters. Since Solskjaer’s exit, Manchester United have struggled to reach even those heights, finishing 15th in the 2024/25 season. Under new manager Ruben Amorim, the club’s performance after ten games mirrored the point tally Solskjaer had before his dismissal. The climb back to those former standards has proven steeper than many anticipated.
Transfer Troubles: The Ed Woodward Era and Its Fallout
A manager’s vision can only go so far without the right support, and Solskjaer’s reign was often at odds with Manchester United’s transfer policy under Ed Woodward. The club’s reluctance to invest in midfield reinforcements, instead signing Jadon Sancho when a midfielder was needed, left Solskjaer with gaps he struggled to fill. Donny van de Beek was the sole midfield addition, and even he found himself sidelined.
Solskjaer’s desire to recruit rising stars like Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland was thwarted by boardroom indecision. The signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, though celebrated, raised expectations to unsustainable levels and arguably accelerated the manager’s exit. By the end of the 2021/22 season, United had offloaded several key players for free—Jesse Lingard, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba—missing opportunities to reinvest in the squad.
The backdrop of fan unrest with the Glazer ownership and frequent protests further complicated Solskjaer’s job. It’s a distraction his successors, like Amorim, have largely avoided, but the legacy of flawed recruitment lingers.
Managing Talent: Rashford, Sancho, and the Human Side of Football
Solskjaer’s tenure was also defined by his relationships with players, for better and worse. His recent comments on Marcus Rashford’s struggles under Ruben Amorim shed light on the complexities managers face. Rashford, who scored prolifically under Solskjaer, found himself dropped and loaned out after Amorim cited poor application in training. Now, on loan at Barcelona, Rashford appears rejuvenated—a transformation Solskjaer attributes to renewed enjoyment and better circumstances.
“I don’t know what’s happened in Marcus’s life, but you can see he’s enjoying himself now in Barcelona. It looked like he didn’t enjoy himself [at Manchester United] at the end,” Solskjaer told Stick to Football. He emphasized that it’s the manager’s responsibility to understand a player’s mindset, to ask, ‘What’s up?’ rather than making issues public. The fallout between Jadon Sancho and Erik ten Hag was another example of how public disputes can derail promising careers. Sancho, signed by Solskjaer, struggled with health issues upon arrival and never fully found his rhythm before the manager’s departure.
After United: Searching for the Next Chapter
Since leaving Manchester United, Solskjaer’s career has been a mix of reflection and brief ventures. He chose not to jump back into management immediately, eventually joining Besiktas in Turkey. His stint there was short-lived, ending after just eight months following a disappointing run in European competition. Besiktas, notorious for frequent managerial changes, offered little stability—making it hard to judge Solskjaer’s performance on its own merits.
Despite this setback, Solskjaer remains open to new opportunities. Recently, he expressed interest in managing in England’s Championship, even naming Southampton as a potential destination. “I love living here… Of course, mid-Championship and up. I’m a football man. It’s about working with people. I love just trying to make the most, or make them, be the best of themselves,” he said on the Stick to Football podcast.
His earlier success in Norway, where he won league titles and the national cup, still stands as a testament to his ability to build and nurture teams. Whether these qualities translate to success in English football’s second tier remains to be seen.
The Trophy Paradox: Measuring Progress Beyond Silverware
Solskjaer’s view on success—arguing that trophies aren’t the sole measure of progress—was controversial at the time. He suggested that winning a cup can sometimes be more about ego than genuine improvement. While Erik ten Hag ended United’s trophy drought with the Carabao Cup and later the FA Cup, those triumphs did not immediately herald lasting progress. The club’s subsequent humiliations and managerial changes have proven that the path to stability is rarely linear.
Solskjaer’s argument, once ridiculed, now seems prescient. Sustainable progress in football is more than just adding silverware to the cabinet; it’s about building a resilient team and a positive environment—something United have struggled to maintain since his departure.
Four years on, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s legacy at Manchester United is one of unfulfilled promise and hard-learned lessons. His tenure exposed deep-rooted issues in recruitment, player management, and expectations. As the club continues its search for stability and Solskjaer eyes his next opportunity, both stories remain unfinished—reminding us that in football, progress is often measured by more than just wins and losses.