From the combative Roy Keane to the glamorous David Beckham and the trickery of George Best, Manchester United's heroes have all come with standout traits.
But breaking the mould is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the modest Norwegian who is doing wonders at Old Trafford in an unflashy manner, without donning a cape nor being a force of personality, according to former teammate Dwight Yorke.
"Ole's one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet in football. He doesn't give you any drama, he just gets on with his job, he's totally professional in what he does," the 47-year-old ex-Trinidad and Tobago international striker said yesterday in reply to The Straits Times' question on whether Solskjaer's managerial brilliance was evident during his playing days.
"I just didn't see him at this level.
"Like everything else, you need a little luck and fortune and he got that. You got to grasp these opportunities. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him."
Yorke was speaking on the sidelines at the launch of this year's International Champions Cup (ICC) Singapore at the Incubator, near the Padang.
On July 20, the Red Devils will take on Inter Milan and a day later, Juventus will meet Tottenham Hotspur.
British media has reported that Solskjaer is set for a permanent deal at Old Trafford this week and Yorke certainly believes the former striker is the right man to take United forward.
Â
Â
Â
Â
He said: "He has done a remarkable job, there is no question about that. The doubters who think that he wasn't capable of doing a job can pretty much eat their words now.
"May he continue to take the team forward. He's looking good, he's got the players playing with the passion and desire that we expect of a Man United player. That will be the case going forward."
Since Solskjaer took over on Dec 19 after Jose Mourinho's sacking, not only had he restored the team's competitive edge and playing style, he had also done so while smashing records.
He had won 14 out of 19 games, became the first United manager to win his first eight matches, surpassing Matt Busby's five, won a club record of nine consecutive away games and, by dumping Paris Saint-Germain out of the Champions League last 16, they became the first team in the tournament's history to advance after losing the first leg at home by two goals or more.
The key to the Red Devils' surge in form has been the caretaker's perceptive man-management skills, said Yorke.
He added: "I always think we have exceptional young players but these young players were not given the licence to express themselves, and expression is a word you associate a lot with Man United.
"When you just look at the talent that we have, nothing has changed.
"Our attackers (Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial) are as good as any other in the Premier League.
"It's about expressing themselves and exposing their talent. They have managed to do that under Ole."
Come July 20, Singapore fans will get the chance to watch the Red Devils express themselves, and fittingly, hear the classic chant "ole, ole" reverberate in the National Stadium.
Soccer Football - Premier League - AFC Bournemouth v Burnley - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - April 6, 2019 Burnley's Ashley Barnes scores their third goal REUTERS/Peter Nicholls
Impressive Burnley fight back to beat Bournemouth | P.M. News
SINGAPORE, 2 MAY 2019 - The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) today unveiled Mr Joseph Palatsides as the man to guide Singapore football forward in his new role of Technical Director. The Australian, whose appointment took effect yesterday (1 May), was presented at a press conference on Thursday afternoon at Jalan Besar Stadium.
FAS appoints Australian Palatsides as technical director
Real the same team even without Ronaldo: Ramos. Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric (right) and defender Sergio Ramos in training before today's Club World Cup semi-final clash with J-League side
We're the same team even without Zizou, CR7, says Ramos
Jun 02, 2019 · Mo Salah says photo of Kyiv pain inspired him to score against Spurs • Salah: 'I looked at the picture from last year before the game' • Striker says Champions League win can start
Mohamed Salah - Wikipedia
Few can say they could've predicted the sudden rise of the squad, although The Guardian certainly had a crack in 2008 when they posted their list of England's 20 future stars - who were all under
England are ready to fulfil the growing expectations, says
Cardiff 1-5 Manchester United: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer makes dream start to reign as Red Devils run riot in the Welsh capital to register morale-boosting win He told me to make them play football
Soccer: Juve foiled by Gervinho brace after leading 3-1. 3 Min Read. MILAN (Reuters) - Parma forward Gervinho scored twice as his team hit back from 3-1 behind on Saturday to draw 3-3 at Serie A
Juve foiled by Gervinho brace after leading 3-1 - YouTube
Kane insists club rivalries will not split England camp 20/03/2019 Oman Observer LONDON: England captain Harry Kane insists the Three Lions' squad are too united to be divided by the tension of club rivalries surrounding the Premier League title race and upcoming Champions League ties.
Kane insists club rivalries will not split England camp
The goalscorer was Wu Lei, a national hero for football fans in China. And he had just become the first Chinese player to score in La Liga, in a game watched by an estimated live television
Wu Lei (footballer) - Wikipedia
Inter Milan name Antonio Conte as coach The 49-year-old former Chelsea manager has signed a three-year contract worth nine million euros ($10 million) plus bonuses, according to press reports.
Antonio Conte excited for 'new chapter' after being appointed
Incumbent Infantino sole candidate for FIFA presidency in June vote FIFA President Gianni Infantino is set to serve four more years as the leader of football's governing body as the only
Gianni Infantino sole candidate for FIFA presidency in June
Sergio Ramos concedes that Cristiano Ronaldo was "very decisive" for Real Madrid, but insists "winning is always the objective" even with a talismanic presence having departed the club.
Ramos: Winning is Real's only objective with or without Ronaldo
0 comments:
Post a Comment