In many ways, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s farewell address just hours after being sacked as Manchester United manager warmed the heart.
When an employee is dismissed by their employer, it is very rare for both parties to part on good terms.
It almost never happens in football. Often there are bitter disputes, such as when Antonio Conte departed Chelsea and it ended up in the courtroom.
But usually, there is a simple statement from the club thanking the coach for his efforts, with the manager staying silent as part of his payoff agreement.
Solskjaer, though, sat down with Manchester United’s official multimedia team for a sit-down interview.
The full transcript can be read below but Solskjaer describes getting the Man Utd job as a “dream”, a “ball”, “enjoyable” and says he is “very, very proud”. He adds that he “made some great friends”.
These are not the words of a serious manager. They are the words of a manager who could not believe he was there. A competition winner in the biggest job in football. We knew he felt like this already, of course.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer; Photo Credit – The Athletic
But the fact that this type of interview was even sanctioned shows that Man United is not a serious club right now. They are not a club that cares about winning trophies and challenging for the Premier League and Champions League.
You would not see a Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, or Chelsea release an interview like this when their manager is sacked, especially when the club is in crisis and in a disastrous run of form.
It has been well documented over the last few years just how incompetently the sporting side of Manchester United has been run since Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013.
This nice, cozy friendly video from Solskjaer is just the latest example of how the winning mentality and culture that seeped through the walls of Old Trafford has all but gone.
It is a club of yes men and company men with no idea of what it takes to create a winning football environment.
“You know what this club means to me and what I wanted to achieve here.
“For the club, for the fans, for the players, for the staff. I wanted us to take the next step to challenge for the league, to win trophies and I only think it’s right that it comes from the horse’s mouth.
This is how Ole Gunnar started his interview, he even goes ahead to say that he will leave warmheartedly and through the front door claiming to have given everything to the club he so loves.
“This club means everything to me and together we’re a good match, but unfortunately I couldn’t get the results we needed and it’s time for me to step aside.”
READ: Manchester United players react to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking
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