SOLSKJAER’S THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE OF JOSE
Ole’s Cardiff colleague, Gabbidon: He will build players up, not knock them down like Mourinho
STAND-IN boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will build Manchester United’s players up again – rather than knock them down like Jose Mourinho.
Danny Gabbidon, who worked with Solskjaer at Cardiff, believes United have appointed the ideal man to fix their broken squad.
Gabbidon was part of the Bluebirds’ coaching staff and took over from him when the Norwegian was sacked in 2014.
And ahead of Solskjaer’s first game in charge of United on Saturday, ironically at Cardiff, Gabbidon backed his old pal to mend the dressing-room discord left behind by Mourinho.
“Ole will treat players the way they should be treated,” said Gabbidon. “I’m not sure that was the case so much under Mourinho.
“He’s the complete opposite of Mourinho. He’s very level-headed, calm, he gives off very good energy, a positive vibe, and knows how to create a good environment.
“He treats everyone with respect. Not just the players, but everyone, right down to the tea lady, and I think that’s what’s needed more than anything else at
United. People talk about some of the big egos in the dressing room, but I don’t think someone needs to come in and start being too aggressive with the players and telling them how it is.
“That’s how it’s been under Mourinho for the past two-and-ahalf seasons.
“Ole knows the DNA of United, the principles of the club and I think with
Mike Phelan (right) also coming back, they can get the club back on track.
“I think he’ll release the shackles and give that freedom and confidence back to the players, the likes of Paul Pogba, that they maybe didn’t have under Mourinho.”
Gabbidon, 39, joined Cardiff in a player-coach capacity in the summer of 2014, following their relegation from the Premier League, and worked alongside Solskjaer until the former United striker was sacked seven games into the Championship campaign.
Although they only worked together for a short time, Gabbidon
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s managerial record team by team 9 Nov 2010 2 Jan 2014 21 Oct 2015 19 Dec 2018 2 Jan 2014 18 Sept 2014 19 Dec 2018 present
PWDsaw enough to convince him that the Norwegian (right) was going to be a success in management – despite his difficulties at Cardiff.
“In the short period I worked with him, I really enjoyed the way he went about things as a manager,” said Gabbidon, who will be at the game on Saturday working as a pundit for BT Sport.
“He was brilliant to me and the players, the way he treated them, and the knowledge he had.
“The Cardiff scenario is totally different to the one he’s going into now at United.
“The situation he’s going in to now is probably more suited to him and how he is as a person and manager.
“He’s a much more experienced manager now and he’ll have benefitted from what he went through at Cardiff.
“He had a big squad of players on a lot of money, players who wanted to leave and there was a lot of disharmony in the dressing room, so it was difficult for him.
“Ole wasn’t able to get any consistency and momentum going with results, but it’s a different situation for him at United.”
L