Ole - I wasn’t ready for Cardiff City relegation fight.

[the other bob wilson]

But he thinks he was ready for the Premier League.

https://strettynews.com/2019/02/05/s...egation-fight/

The writer of this piece from a Man United site thinks Ole shouldn't be held solely responsible for what went wrong at City that season. I agree with that and Ole may be right when he infers that he gave the City players too much freedom - fans couldn't work out how we were trying to play under him and maybe the players couldn't either? However, I definitely believe that Ole turned us into a worse team than we were when he took over.

[Mr Soul '68]

Bob, Ole is the worst manager City have had in my lifetime of supporting the club, from 68/69 season onwards. I may be hugely cynical here, but I do believe any half wit could get the current Man Utd team, with the players they have at their disposal, playing well, so long as they are positively man managed. Mourinho definitely couldn't do that. Plus I'm pretty sure, again being cynical here, that Mike Phelan pulls the strings at Old Trafford. Ole is just the front man, uniting the fans and the media behind the team.

[Croesy Blue]

We looked clueless when he was year and by the end of his tenure we had gone completely backwards. We wasted so much money on players we didn’t need and didn’t know what to do with. Signed Le Fondre and played him on the right wing.

I’ve never seen a City team look less like they knew what the game plan was than when we played under Ole.

But I think it’s a bit harsh to say anyone could have gone in and done what he’s done. How many other managers win 9 or their first 10 games and go unbeaten? Even if the team is very good?

[Mr Soul '68]

Croesy, how many of those 9 wins were against other top 6 sides? Ole seems a positive upbeat kind of guy, so I'm sure that would have rubbed off on the players after the dour, miserable, downbeat Mourinho. Plus, as mentioned above, and I am only guessing, that it's Mike Phelan who really is in charge at Old Trafford.

[Croesy Blue]

Yeah he hasn’t had a bad run but spurs, arsenal and Leicester away aren’t gimmies.

I think Phealan probably does make a difference but he was shite on his own so I don’t think you can completely write of Ole’s input.

I do think it was easier than the media are making out the players needed someone to go in and put an arm round their shoulder and get them enjoying football again. But I don’t think many would have been able to do that.

Be interesting how well he would do given a whole season.

[life on mars]

He's spot on , fish out of water moment with us .

He lived his life in a highly skilled environment with players you don't really need to tell how to play, as they are naturally gifted.

Clubs like us have player's that need that extra coaching that's why Warnock's of this world are the best fit in the Championship or fighting relegation .

Ole has so much more background support, and squad strength is bewldering.

Were not measuring the same tasks.

He genuinely sounds a tidy humane lad , in a world of arses and egos, like Jose.

[Delbert]

Ole does admit he got it wrong at Cardiff and its also fair to say the club was in a mess when he arrived. But the fact remains his management of Cardiff was a disaster not least due to his bizarre belief that recruiting players of the standard of Berget, Eikrem et al were going to improve the squad and help us survive.

I would guess Sir Alex Ferguson had a big say in what to do after the Mourinho fiasco hence the appointment of his former right hand man Phelan in addition to Ole. There is no way Man Utd would risk trusting their club to Ole with his record so I think Phelan, Carrick and Fergie himself must be having a big say in the decisions at the club.

[Joe Gillis]

Ole - I wasn’t ready for Cardiff City relegation fight.

You're telling me!!!

[Former Labour leader]

Bob, Ole is the worst manager City have had in my lifetime of supporting the club, from 68/69 season onwards. I may be hugely cynical here, but I do believe any half wit could get the current Man Utd team, with the players they have at their disposal, playing well, so long as they are positively man managed. Mourinho definitely couldn't do that. Plus I'm pretty sure, again being cynical here, that Mike Phelan pulls the strings at Old Trafford. Ole is just the front man, uniting the fans and the media behind the team.

Worst manager? Have you forgotten Alan Durban? I reckon he beats OGS hands down.

[Trigger]

Just bad circumstances. His management wasn't good but I think 99% of managers would have struggled under the circumstances, club was a circus.

Doesn't make him a bad manager. For as much as you can point at the quality of the squad he now has, the run they have had has been superb. Happy for the guy.

[Wales-Bales]

I really like Ole a lot, but he was a crap manager.

[Wales-Bales]

I would guess Sir Alex Ferguson had a big say in what to do after the Mourinho fiasco hence the appointment of his former right hand man Phelan in addition to Ole. There is no way Man Utd would risk trusting their club to Ole with his record so I think Phelan, Carrick and Fergie himself must be having a big say in the decisions at the club.

I'm a big fan of Ole's infectious enthusiasm, but the recent transformation at MU has SAF's fingerprints all over it, even down to the style of play.

[Sloop_Jon_Bee]

Bob, Ole is the worst manager City have had in my lifetime of supporting the club, from 68/69 season onwards. I may be hugely cynical here, but I do believe any half wit could get the current Man Utd team, with the players they have at their disposal, playing well, so long as they are positively man managed. Mourinho definitely couldn't do that. Plus I'm pretty sure, again being cynical here, that Mike Phelan pulls the strings at Old Trafford. Ole is just the front man, uniting the fans and the media behind the team.

Agreed.
Spedger

[WJ99mobile]

Worse than Slade? Possibly. Maybe he’s learnt since his time here.

Give him the Man Utd job permenantly and find out.

[Mr Soul '68]

Worst manager? Have you forgotten Alan Durban? I reckon he beats OGS hands down.

I think our record under Ole was worse than during Durban's tenure

[A Quiet Monkfish]

Bob, Ole is the worst manager City have had in my lifetime of supporting the club, from 68/69 season onwards. I may be hugely cynical here, but I do believe any half wit could get the current Man Utd team, with the players they have at their disposal, playing well, so long as they are positively man managed. Mourinho definitely couldn't do that. Plus I'm pretty sure, again being cynical here, that Mike Phelan pulls the strings at Old Trafford. Ole is just the front man, uniting the fans and the media behind the team.

It's not the Ole factor, it's the Mourinho-has-gone factor...

[Wales-Bales]

It's not the Ole factor, it's the Mourinho-has-gone factor...

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer rewarded for positivity, says Jordi Cruyff

Caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revived Manchester United by "unblocking the minds of the players", says his former team-mate Jordi Cruyff.

United have picked up 22 points in eight games under Solskjaer after earning 26 in 17 under Jose Mourinho.

"After two or three days there was a huge turnaround without any training," Cruyff told BBC Sport.

"His work has been more mental, talking to the players and pressing the right buttons to get the best out of them."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/47127451

[Enoch Mort]

Bob, Ole is the worst manager City have had in my lifetime of supporting the club, from 68/69 season onwards. I may be hugely cynical here, but I do believe any half wit could get the current Man Utd team, with the players they have at their disposal, playing well, so long as they are positively man managed. Mourinho definitely couldn't do that. Plus I'm pretty sure, again being cynical here, that Mike Phelan pulls the strings at Old Trafford. Ole is just the front man, uniting the fans and the media behind the team.

Agreed. I thought Durban was the worst but, in comparison with OGS, he had no money at all to do the job. OGS was provided with loads and acquired some pretty inadequate players leaving us with medium term financial problems. Didn’t we end up having to pay some of them off to get rid of them ?

[thehumblegringo]

Just bad circumstances. His management wasn't good but I think 99% of managers would have struggled under the circumstances, club was a circus.

Doesn't make him a bad manager. For as much as you can point at the quality of the squad he now has, the run they have had has been superb. Happy for the guy.

I'm more aligned to this train of thought to be honest.

The club was a rats nest when he arrived and add to that the fact that Malkys style wasn't exactly flat out entertainment and his squad reflected that, Ole was exactly coming to a place ripe for him.

One thing I will say that some of his signings and tactics given this were bizarre.

I was amazed that with all his signings he never added pace to the squad. Macheda, Berget, Kenwynne, Eikrem etc wouldn't have finished the 100 metres now if they started when they played for us.

I wanted him to succeed more than perhaps any manager I've ever seen here but unfortunately it wasn't to be.

Perhaps in hindsight he should have been given longer (especially when you consider who replaced him) but it does concern me that will we ever have the patience as a club and a fan base to transition to a more progressive style of football?

[Mr Soul '68]

Agreed. I thought Durban was the worst but, in comparison with OGS, he had no money at all to do the job. OGS was provided with loads and acquired some pretty inadequate players leaving us with medium term financial problems. Didn’t we end up having to pay some of them off to get rid of them ?

Spot on

[Eric the Half a Bee]

I think our record under Ole was worse than during Durban's tenure

Nope, it wasn't.

Converting a win to 3 points, Solskjaer enjoyed a higher points average and win percentage than Durban.

In fact, Solskjaer had a better record than Phil Neal, Bartley Wilson, Jimmy Goodfellow, Alan Durban, Graham Williams, Terry Yorath and Paul Trollope. Trollope, for all City managers in charge for 10 or more games, has the worst record of the lot.

Our top 10 managers in terms of points per game are as follows:

Billy McCandless 1.80
Neil Warnock 1.74
Alan Cork 1.72
Malky Mackay 1.59
Lennie Lawrence 1.53
Dave Jones 1.52
Len Ashurst 1.52
Cyril Spiers 1.49
Russell Slade 1.47
Frank Burrows (first spell) 1.45

[valleys caveman]

Nope, it wasn't.

Converting a win to 3 points, Solskjaer enjoyed a higher points average and win percentage than Durban.

In fact, Solskjaer had a better record than Phil Neal, Bartley Wilson, Jimmy Goodfellow, Alan Durban, Graham Williams, Terry Yorath and Paul Trollope. Trollope, for all City managers in charge for 10 or more games, has the worst record of the lot.

Our top 10 managers in terms of points per game are as follows:

Billy McCandless 1.80
Neil Warnock 1.74
Alan Cork 1.72
Malky Mackay 1.59
Lennie Lawrence 1.53
Dave Jones 1.52
Len Ashurst 1.52
Cyril Spiers 1.49
Russell Slade 1.47
Frank Burrows (first spell) 1.45

Would have thought Eddie May would have made the list. Any idea of his record?

[splott parker]

Solksjaer’s plan was to get us back to blue, it worked, thanks Ole, you were shite but you set the ball rolling for the bitterness & apathy of the fans that eventually led to the ridiculous rebrand being reversed👍

[splott parker]

Nope, it wasn't.

Converting a win to 3 points, Solskjaer enjoyed a higher points average and win percentage than Durban.

In fact, Solskjaer had a better record than Phil Neal, Bartley Wilson, Jimmy Goodfellow, Alan Durban, Graham Williams, Terry Yorath and Paul Trollope. Trollope, for all City managers in charge for 10 or more games, has the worst record of the lot.

Our top 10 managers in terms of points per game are as follows:

Billy McCandless 1.80
Neil Warnock 1.74
Alan Cork 1.72
Malky Mackay 1.59
Lennie Lawrence 1.53
Dave Jones 1.52
Len Ashurst 1.52
Cyril Spiers 1.49
Russell Slade 1.47
Frank Burrows (first spell) 1.45

Fred Stewart’s must have been decent through our Southern League days and 1920s Football League days, obviously tailed off late 20s.

[splott parker]

Just checked on Fred Stewart, managed for 39 years but only managed 2 clubs, Stockport for 17 & us for 22, longest manager for either club. 40.33% win rate for us over 605 games, not too shabby that.