Welcome to the fairytale of the manager of England’s most successful club and the executive vice-chairman who backed him with time, nerve, time, a blanking out of the social media mob-culture that bays for blood … and more time.
Welcome to an alternative football world where in the face of febrile derision and criticism there is continuous support of the man in the hotseat through lean and challenging periods.
Except this is no lost Hans Christian Andersen yarn. This is occurring now, in real life – for Ole Gunnar Solskjær at Manchester United where the boom-and-sack managerial cycle of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era is over.
From Ed Woodward, his boss, Solskjær has received the most precious commodity a manager can be afforded: patience. It is the thing that allows a man to go into a club and implement his vision, one that goes beyond the short-termism of trying to save his skin by thinking only in chunks of 90 minutes.
On Sunday the Norwegian oversaw a 10th consecutive unbeaten outing as United defeated Manchester City for a third time this season and, in the process, completed a first league double over their local rivals in a decade. Here was the latest evidence in United’s pacy, aggressive play that they have moved closer to what Solskjær wants his team to be: a high-end proposition that can challenge for a 21st title and a fourth European Cup via a similar style to that of Ferguson and Sir Matt Busby.
Solskjær might already have been sacked, something that appeared to be on the cards following United’s pitiful 2-0 home loss to Burnley at the end of January. But Woodward remained firm in his belief that the 47-year-old was the right man for United and that under him the team would eventually hit an upward trajectory.
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Except how long was needed? Two months? Six? Nine? Actually, 12: because Tuesday is the one-year anniversary since a run of two losses in Solskjær’s opening 17 matches was followed by the start of the wheels well and truly careering off.
When United lost 2-0 at Arsenal on 10 March 2019, a freefall was initiated that ended in only two wins in the final 12 matches of the season, of which eight were losses, including four of the last six. The sequence did not have a nadir. It had nadirs, in the form of a 4-0 capitulation at Everton, a dismal 1-1 draw at Huddersfield and the closing day 2-0 reverse to Cardiff before a stunned Old Trafford.
A prevailing view from outside was that Solskjær “survived” but his retention for the new season was always United’s plan. Yet after a 4-0 opening day trouncing of Chelsea only two victories from the next 11 matches followed, taking the OGS-United project to 20 October and a 1-1 draw with Liverpool.
During this time the naysayers again insisted Solskjær was under threat. Yet until Watford’s 3-0 defeat of Jürgen Klopp’s champions-elect 10 days ago, United were the only side to take points from them: a sign that in its unfashionable long-term approach the club might be on to something.
Fast-forward to 4 December and, for a constituency of commentators, Solskjær was a dead man walking. Once more. Losses at West Ham, Bournemouth and Newcastle showed on the 2019-2020 record, and against José Mourinho’s Tottenham and Pep Guardiola’s City three days later, United would surely crumble, and the manager be removed.
But no. Both were beaten, and the Solskjær-must-be-sacked show moved on to 22 January and the defeat by Burnley. United did indeed respond, but not by culling their manager.
Instead the club went out and signed his number one transfer target in Bruno Fernandes and they have not lost since, with Sunday’s shutout of City their eighth clean sheet in 10 matches.
“Back then emotions took over us too much and we didn’t maintain that,” says Luke Shaw of the plunge that followed the bright start under Solskjær. “This time we’re in a different position. We’re probably more experienced. I have no doubt that we can finish off the season really strong.
“We’re still in two cup competitions [the Europa League and FA Cup] and the top four is still very much alive. We’ve got to keep putting the pressure on. We need to just focus on us, focus on our results. The confidence is so high.”
There could, of course, be another dip. But wins against teams such as City, Chelsea, Tottenham and Leicester, the immediate impact of Fernandes, a solid defence, plus the improvement of virtually the whole squad, is evidence of what the manager declared after City were beaten. “It shows we’re on the right track,” he said.
