Give Ole time and he can lead United back to glory
Premier League football is set to return on 17 June, and to get you even more excited for it, Soccer Laduma caught up with former Premier League winner Mark Bosnich recently. The Australian spent part of his career at Manchester United, being trained by Sir Alex Ferguson alongside many great players, including Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. In this exclusive interview with Soccer Laduma’s David Kappel, the retired goalkeeper explains why he is a fan of the current United coach, why he would never sell Paul Pogba, his views on the return of Premier League football, and what made Ferguson so successful.
David Kappel: Mark, thanks for taking time to chat to Soccer Laduma and our African football fans. Right now, the coronavirus has stopped football around the world. How has the pandemic influenced you and Australia?
Mark Bosnich:
Well it has affected everything, as you know. In terms of football, it was the last sport here to shut down. And we’ve got just four games, some teams has five games left to play before we have a final series over here which includes the top six teams. Obviously all internationals have been called off. I mean Australia would have played in their first ever Copa America, which would have been fantastic for the national team and Australian football but obviously that’s been called off as well. So hopefully, fingers crossed, everything goes well with relaxer restrictions that we’ll be able to finish the season. Because normally, this is around the time we finish the season and then we start up again in October.
DK: We were reading up a bit before the interview that you are doing some work for good cause during this coronavirus crisis?
MB:
The Football Federation in Australia and Australian Red Cross picked up to help the vulnerable and people who do not have a lot of money. So the last three Fridays, I was part of a thing called COVID Connect, where you go on the computer and you pick people out to ring them up and talk to them to make sure they’re okay. To help them as much as possible,
DK: Great stuff. What do you do these days when you are not helping to fight COVID-19?
MB:
Well I work for Fox Sports Australia. Up until about three years ago we had the Premier League rights but then we lost them. So I’ve been working prominently on TV, mainly on football. I also had a show on all types of sports which is really good to see you know what goes on and other types of sports at this moment in time. The only thing I’m doing right now (with many sports on break) is normally we have Matchday Saturday, but I’ve changed it around to Chatday Saturday. I’m calling some old friends from football, I did Robbie Fowler last week, Dwight Yorke will be on tomorrow. And I’ll get some special guests, just to keep people spirits up as we go along.
DK: What are your views on football returning in the middle of this health crisis? The Premier League will be back on 17 June…
MB:
Well, you know I love the Premier League. I’ve made my living in the Premier League. There is no on in the league that wants it more to return. I just think that when people are dying in such numbers which they are in the UK, I just think that they’ve got to be careful, the way that they approach it. It’s completely understandable, with what’s going on, that sports want to return but every country is at different levels. We know the Bundesliga started already, the Korean league as well. There are obviously stringent rules that are in place to make sure everything’s okay. But I mean England’s numbers are the second highest in the world at the moment. And as we stand I just think you’ve got to be very, very careful. If they go about it in the right way, I’m looking forward to the restart again and I think, three quarters of the world are.
DK: You yourself you have had quite an interesting career. You played alongside many great names. One of the bigger ones was Ole Gunner Solskjaer who is now in charge
of Manchester United. What do you make of his reign as coach so far?
MB:
I think he’s done a really good job. I was a big supporter when they originally said that they would appoint him. For various factors. Number one, he was always a fantastic student of football, he knew football inside out. Two, he’s had that experience of working under one of the greatest managers of all time Sir Alex Ferguson. And number three, obviously that he knows what makes the club tick and how to take it forward. It’s obviously been difficult, since Sir Alex retired but I think that was always gonna be the case. But I always thought give him time because time is like gold these days. I think slowly but surely he is getting it right. They were on a very good run before COVID19 interrupted the league and in my opinion he’s had a massive part to play in that. He brought Mike Phelan back, who also knows the club very well. He’s been there before as a player and assistant manager, and it adds a little bit of that familiarity. Obviously, you can never go back in time, but you can always take the best bits out of the past and try to put it into the future. And I think that’s what he’s doing and he’s doing very well. The signing of Bruno Fernandes in my opinion was the master strike. He still got a massive job to do, but if you just take your mind back to when Sir Alex first took over, it took him a while, nearly five years to win his first trophy that was the FA Cup in 1990 and the rest was history. But during that time beforehand, there were a lot of ups and downs and it was difficult times and there were times when a lot of people were screaming for his head but, you know, the board stayed strong and kept their faith in him. And look what occurred. I think that’s really something that they take into consideration and I think the first year that he’s been there the progress has been very good.
DK: You already mentioned Bruno Fernandes. With his arrival the whole mood at the club has somewhat changed, there’s lots of positivity. Do you think with maybe one
“When Pogba is playing well, for me, there’s no better player than him in his position.”
or two more right additions they can close the gap on Liverpool and Manchester City in the near future again?
MB:
Definitely, definitely! Look, I know people will turn around and the gap is quite large at the moment but it’s not really if you look at the starting 11. But in England, because there is so much football, you need to have a very good squad, not just a starting 11. We have seen it with the injury of Marcus Rashford. You need players that come in and keep the momentum going. It will take a while to build a strong squad, a strong team. You mentioned Bruno Fernandes, but he can’t do it on his own. In the end you need all of them, you need all of them playing very, very well and not just the ones that are starting, also the ones that are in the squad. So I think that given the situation in terms of COVID-19 has thrown everything a bit in the air in terms of the transfer market. But they will be looking to strengthen and Ole will know exactly what the positions are to strengthen to make sure he has got plenty of depth. He will know from his days, you know one of the most successful seasons in Manchester United history was when they won the treble, but again it wasn’t just the starting 11. He knows from those days, in his position as striker there was himself, Teddy Sheringham, Dwight York and Andy Cole and they were all very well rotated by the manager. You need that because you play so many games
DK: We also wanted to get your thoughts on Paul Pogba. He’s a World Cup winner he’s still only approaching his prime. He has some great games, but also some drama offside the pitch. How do you think Sir Alex Ferguson would have dealt with him?
MB:
It’s different times. Different times and different mentalities, from yesterday to today. For me, I’m a Pogba fan. A lot of people are gonna have different opinions than me on that. But, you know, he’s an exceptional talent. When he is playing well, for me, there’s no better player than him in his position. And I would do everything in my power to keep him at the club. If for whatever reason he wanted to leave or his agent made it known that he wanted to leave that’s a different story. But I haven’t read or seen that anywhere. He’s been injured. He’s played a lot of football over the last couple years, you talked about the World Cup. When you play the World Cup all way to the final, you’re talking about pretty much a non-stop season. So, a lot of football and it is understandable that the players break down because they play so much football. But if you were to get rid of Paul Pogba, who would you replace him with who is better than him in his position? And his case, I would say no one. I would do everything in my power, you’ve paid a lot of money for him even though he was at the club originally as a young kid, I’d do everything in my power to create the environment where he can flourish. And I think, you know, with him in that side, Fernandes coming in and a couple more additions they will be a real force and I mean that sooner rather than later.
He definitely has the quality to shine at United, there is no doubt about that. With him, I think it’s quite simple. He showed great loyalty two years ago, when Aston Villa missed out on qualifying for the Premier League in that playoff final. He could’ve left then but he didn’t, he stayed. He helped Villa get back up into the Premier League from last season’s playoffs. But I think with him the equation is quite simple. If they do happen to go down, and God forbid hopefully they do not… Funny enough I’m talking to you right now but when I went to South Africa I toured with Aston Villa, way back in 1994. Anyway, if they go down, I think it’s understandable that he would want to leave and I think he should be allowed to leave in the right way. You know what I mean by that, we all know that transfers can be drawn out and, clubs can make things very difficult for a player but the fact that he showed that loyalty two seasons ago and he’s now even a better player than then, he’s done so well to get them up.
DK: When we talk about Liverpool, they only need six more points to secure the title. As a former United player, would you have been sad if the season was called null and void and Liverpool missed out on the title?
MB:
Even as a former United player and as somebody who grew up with Manchester United and understands the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United, in my opinion, you got to be pragmatic and to save the situation with them so close to the title. I think it would’ve been only right if they’d been awarded the title, regardless of the fact that, you know, they’d always have an Asterix next to it because of you know what occurred. That’s just my opinion.
DK: Let’s also talk about your own career a little bit more. You probably get asked this question all the time but Sir Alex mentioned you in his autobiography, calling you “a terrible professional”. Was he right with this assessment?
MB:
Nah, he was wrong. But look, he was trying to sell books which is understandable. I think if you have a look, he had a go at Roy Keane, he had a go at Owen Hargreaves, he had a go at me. If it helps you to sell books, well good luck to him but it was wrong, it was wrong.
DK: Looking back at your own career, you have won the Premier League, the cup, is there anything that you would change?
MB: Not really, not my football career. I mean off the pitch, the way it ended. I would have changed that but that was my nature. My natural instinct is always to try to help people first, you know, and I got in trouble for trying to help somebody which was hard to swallow. But what do you do? It’s spilled milk you can’t take it back. But I won four trophies. I won the Premier League, as you mentioned, I won the League Cup twice with Aston Villa and I won the world club championship. For a boy from Australia, growing up here, we used to watch that game in Tokyo every year. There were so many great teams and to be the first British team to win that was fantastic. I kind of knew deep down inside my soul that during my playing lifetime, it would be impossible to win a World Cup with Australia, but to win the Club World Cup for my club side, to come off that pitch that night was a very special feeling.
DK: You played with many great players such as Paul Scholes or David Beckham. Who was the most gifted player that you’ve seen?
MB:
Ryan Giggs, there is no doubt about that. I first played with him as a young kid at Manchester United, and that was my feeling then and it was. It was like watching Jack Nicklaus playing golf the first time or watching Muhammad Ali box for the first time. You could just tell there was a force of nature. But the list of great players I was fortunate to play with goes on and on, I could talk for hours. I just thank my lucky stars. I really thank the big man up there to be given that opportunity to play with so many great players.
DK: Apart from great teammates, you were coached by Sir Alex Ferguson, who’s the best coach in the history of the game. What made him so successful?
MB:
Number one, regardless of what anyone will say about United being at the biggest club, he could spend anything and whatever, but number one I think his drive and his will to win. I think that was that was something that was pretty much second to none. And I think that’s so important to have that, you know, especially at a big club. Because a lot of people say, there’s advantages – and there is always advantages of being a big club in terms of spending – but on the flip side you’ve got to produce. And like I said after a start, which was very, very difficult. I saw what he went through and I was close, you know to one of his sons particular. I always remember him saying to me, ‘we know during the tough times that he would resign before they would sack him’ but he kept going, he kept piling on and he became what he was. A lot of people forget as well before it happened at United, he won a few trophies at Aberdeen, including a European Cup Winners Cup, which was an amazing achievement for a club of their size. To keep going like he did for so long and to keep winning, keep winning, that takes that takes a lot. A lot of people, when you’ve hired them and you’ve achieved so much they sit around and say okay well that was it but there was always the next one, always the next one. I think he’s a very smart. He was very good with his players. He delegated very well. I can’t even remember one time, even when I was there as a youngster that he took a training session himself. He would come out and he would obviously watch, but sometimes for just 10 to 15 minutes at just go back in. But he would delegate to his coaches very, very well and obviously he knew everything that was going on as well.
DK: Just before we finish off. You mentioned already that you had some problems off the pitch towards the end of your career. But you eventually overcame this part, and there are many people in South Africa who have similar problems. What would be your advice to youngsters or people having similar issues with substance abuse?
MB:
Change your environment that’s all. Just change the people that you’re around. Unfortunately at that time, I tried to help somebody and like I said it was very difficult when I found that that person I was trying to help wasn’t trying to help me, put it that way. And I made a silly mistake and slipped into that in a time when I was really down as well. But still, I was actually very fortunate because I’ve had the financial backing, the financial background after so long to see myself through which the vast majority people haven’t. So all I’m saying to you is that I once thought I was bulletproof but when it comes to things like that, you are not. So change your environment, and I know at that time it is so, so difficult but take that step, change that environment and continue. You will find then month after month, then years and years you look back and go well I didn’t realize what a situation I could be in. Because if you’re here in that environment it is kind of like water going down the sink. It’s like a little whirlpool and if you get in that environment and if you don’t jump out of that whirlpool it will eventually take you down that sick.
DK: Thanks so much Mark for your time and all your insight. ❐
“United will be a real force and I mean that sooner rather than later.” “Sir Alex called me a “terrible professional” because he tried to sell books.”