Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a leading candidate to return to Manchester United as interim head coach.
Following the news of Ruben Amorim’s sudden dismissal at Manchester United, questions were asked about what would be Ineos’ next step as they attempt to fix a mess not helped by their decision-making.
United fans will rightly question whatever decision is made by Jason Wilcox, the football director who played a key role in hiring a back-three fundamentalist before demanding that Amorim change his tactical approach to play with four at the back.
Darren Fletcher has stepped in as interim manager for the foreseeable future, until Wilcox decides who should take control of the team for the remainder of the 2025/26 campaign.
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United are currently sitting seventh in the Premier League, after drawing their last three matches.
Fletcher was in the dugout for United’s 2-2 draw with Burnley. He will remain in charge for Brighton’s visit to the FA Cup on Sunday.
In the meantime, fans are debating whether they want Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Michael Carrick or Ruud van Nistelrooy back in charge as interim head coach.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faces difficult task to replicate previous interim record at Man Utd
There has been constant discussion about who is best suited to the interim head coach role.
Some fans want Solskjaer. Others want Carrick, Van Nistelrooy, Fletcher, or even a combination of sorts.
All four have stood in the United dugout, but only Solskjaer has done so as permanent manager. The Norwegian’s impressive record as interim manager in 2018/19 led to him getting a new contract.
If Solskjaer returns to United again, the 52-year-old faces a mammoth task to replicate his previous run at United, in an interim capacity.
The job is to lift the team and ensure United finish in the European spots. It doesn’t help that the Red Devils have thrown away points in recent games because the fixture list is looking daunting for a side currently looking for a new head coach.
Back in 2017/18, Solskjaer came in after Jose Mourinho was sacked, perhaps to the kindest run of fixtures possible that allowed him to build momentum and lift team chemistry.
Solskjaer’s first nine games as interim manager Man Utd in 2017/18
- Cardiff – relegated
- Huddersfield – relegated
- Bournemouth – finished 14th
- Newcastle – finished 13th
- Spurs – tough game
- Brighton – finished 17th
- Burnley – finished 15th
- Leicester – finished 9th (tougher game)
- Fulham – relegated
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first caretaker spell at Man Utd was UNREAL
Why do you think it went so well for Ole?
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first potential fixtures if he gets the job
- Man City – title contenders
- Arsenal – title contenders
- Fulham – top half, unbeaten in six
- Tottenham – rubbish, but still a big side who can turn up against United
- West Ham – easy game on paper
- Everton away – first trip to new stadium and they’ve beaten United already this season
- Crystal Palace – FA Cup holders, Oliver Glasner audition
- Newcastle – winnable fixture
- Aston Villa – in top form and look certain to push for Champions League places
It feels like the momentum won’t be as easy to build this time around, so Solskjaer will be up against it from the minute he steps back into the role, should Ineos give him the job.
The 1958 have launched a blistering attack on the way Sir Jim Ratcliffe is running Man Utd
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“After lurching from one disaster to another, Ratcliffe comes across as an incompetent clown turning the club into a circus. Instead of best in class we’re a laughing stock.”
The 1958
First record Ole Gunnar Solskjaer set as Man Utd interim manager
The first record achieved by Solskjaer at United came in January, just two months after he arrived.
Solskjaer had become the first United manager to win his first six matches in charge, surpassing the five-game win record that had been previously set by Sir Matt Busby.
Thanks to a scoreless draw with Liverpool in 2019, Solskjaer collected the most points of any top-flight manager in his first 10 games, with a tally of 26 points during that period.
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