Solskjaer has done enough to deserve the benefit of the doubt

Be warned: this is an unashamedly biased and optimistic viewpoint on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. After all, the baby-faced assassin is responsible for the most glorious footballing moment of my childhood.

Like millions of other Manchester United fans, I remember that moment in Barcelona with the utmost clarity. The eight-year-old me sat in growing frustration as the minutes ticked by. My dad - not a football man - finally gave up his feigned interest to wander to the pub for a few pints. By the time he arrived the game was on its head and, much to my chagrin, I’d screamed the house down twice in quick succession, waking my baby brother both times. The highlights of that game can cheer me up on even the glummest of days.

When he was announced as Jose Mourinho’s successor in December 2018 I was both excited and dubious. On the one hand there was a direct link back to the glory days at the helm. A manager who truly loves the club, who took the city of Manchester to his heart right down to his charming hybrid Manc-Norwegian accent.

On the other hand, he got Cardiff relegated in his one season in Premier League management before returning to Norway for an unspectacular spell with Molde.

Above all, I didn’t want my childhood hero beaten into the dirt by the demands of one of the most pressured jobs in football. The magic of childhood is whittled away more than enough by the rest of the world without football getting in on the act.

Then came the wins. He piled them up in quick succession, losing just one of his first 17 games in charge and overseeing a dramatic Champions League comeback against PSG. Marcus Rashford’s last-gasp penalty at the Parc des Princes sent me into raptures but it was also the catalyst to the most defining moment of Solskjaer’s managerial career, and he wasn’t even involved in it.

“Ole’s at the wheel, man. He’s doing his thing. Man United are back!”

I may have had to Google the exact quote, but everyone remembers the gist of Rio Ferdinand’s proclamation after the miracle in Paris. The fans, myself included, were in agreement. He needed to put pen to paper and sign a permanent deal.

It was also the end of the honeymoon period. Solskjaer was given his contract after losing the next two games and United went on to win just two of their final 12 matches after Rio’s excited outburst.

The collapse spawned an endless carousel of memes. Twitter was awash with humorous images of Ole at the wheel of a burning bus or driving off a cliff or some other witty play on the phrase. Thanks Rio.

Maybe it’s confirmation-bias speaking, but that collapse seems to have had a lasting legacy and made Solskjaer one of the most heavily, and perhaps unfairly, scrutinised managers in the top flight. He’s always just a couple of defeats from a wave of satirical #OlesAtTheWheel tweets. A third defeat and he’s leading the sack race again.

It’s easy to forget that he led United to just their third top-four finish in the post-Ferguson era in his first full season in charge, and the chances are the naysayers will forget all about the admittedly brief title challenge of 2020-21.

These naysayers remain adamant that Solskjaer isn’t up to the job. They say he doesn’t have the right temperament to be a top level manager. The amount of times this season alone that the players have trudged down the tunnel after a first-half performance reminiscent of a hungover Sunday league team only to return as world-beaters suggests the softly-spoken Norwegian has a different side to him.

They say he doesn’t have the pedigree, yet there weren’t many raised eyebrows when Mikel Arteta was handed the Arsenal job after a stint sitting next to Guardiola, or when Frank Lampard landed the Chelsea job after a single season at Derby.

Am I saying he’s up there with the best? Of course not. That prestige belongs to the frustratingly brilliant Spaniard across Manchester or the infuriatingly likeable German bloke down the M62.

But you don’t take this squad to second in the Premier League without having at least a smattering of talent, even with Bruno Fernandes at your disposal. Nobody can look at Manchester United’s current flock and claim they should even be close to challenging the top dogs.

Victor Lindelof could be outmuscled by a stiff breeze and the only alternative, Eric Bailly, is in danger of rupturing a ligament walking to the fridge. Fred is the epitome of bang-average and Nemanja Matic as agile as a cargo ship. Anthony Martial thinks being an aloof Frenchman is enough to become an Old Trafford legend and Edinson Cavani, while excellent, is knocking on retirement’s door. This is not a title challenging squad.

Bruno withstanding, how many members of this squad would get into Manchester City or Liverpool’s starting lineup?

It’s been the most bizarre of seasons but Soskjaer has weathered it better than most and he’s got United playing positive, exciting football after years of boring negativity. He’s done enough to deserve a little respite from the constant speculation that hounds him.

As I’m writing this Solskjaer is out to 80-1 in the sack race and it has just been announced that crowds could return to stadiums for the end of the season. There might not be a title challenge to anticipate but, for the first time since Ferguson retired, I am genuinely excited about the football waiting for me when I return to Old Trafford.

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