I expected United to handle Fergie’s exit better
AS JOHN O’SHEA FACES HIS OLD PAL OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER, HE ADMITS...
OLE Gunnar Solskjaer was there when it all began for John O’Shea at Manchester United 20 years ago. Today, the pair are reunited in a manner neither man would have conceived when O’Shea was an 18-year-old debutant and Solskjaer the senior man in a League Cup tie at Aston Villa in 1999.
The mere mention of Solskjaer’s name elicits the same grin from O’Shea that has been shared by United supporters far and wide in recent weeks.
The Irishman recalls: ‘ Only a few months before my debut, I was behind the goal when Ole scored the winner against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final. The club flew over the youth team for the game in Barcelona... incredible. We were with club staff from the canteen. A few fans will definitely have been regretful, because they left at 1-0.
‘The way the game was going, some fans were a bit upset and did not want to be there. Only one or two, mind you, the rest stayed... an amazing finish.’
Now 37 and a veteran at the heart of Championship Reading’s defence, O’Shea’s is likely to be making his final outing at Old Trafford today. During a 13-year career at United, he made almost 400 appearances for Sir Alex Ferguson, winning five Premier League titles, a Champions League, three League Cups and an FA Cup.
Bright and candid, he dashes through the highlights reel, including a glorious chipped goal at Highbury — on the evening Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira clashed in the tunnel — a lastminute winner at Anfield and a Champions League semi-final goal against Arsenal at Old Trafford. He has been exchanging texts with Michael Carrick, Solskjaer’s assistant, and Mike Phelan, who is back at United.
He is, therefore, well-placed to diagnose the malaise that has engulfed United over the past six years since Ferguson left.
O’Shea explains: ‘You always felt it was going to be difficult. But you thought they’d be able to cope with it a bit better. You’ve had a new manager come in and bring in his signings, another comes in, a couple more signings, a couple more go out.
‘It’s difficult to get it right, but because of United’s success and financial power, you still expect them to be that much closer. It has been tough to watch at times. You had such a man in charge in Sir Alex that the managers coming in have wanted to create their own impression. But now they seem to have turned a corner. Ole has brought his own smile and freshness to it.’
Solskjaer has won his four matches since taking over from Jose Mourinho and O’Shea talks up the Norwegian’s virtues.
‘He was an amazing professional and someone you looked up to,’ he says. ‘And you don’t be the player he has been and stay at the club for as long as he did if you don’t have a determination, that steeliness.
‘He knew how to look after himself and everyone had that respect because they knew if you got the ball to Ole, it was generally finding the bottom corner.
‘Ole seems to be perfect at the minute, to calm everything down, get back to the principles of what brought them success.
‘He’ll be a frontrunner to be the man taking over in the summer too, but Ole would have a lot more pressure on him if he was announced as the next manager. The picture might change then, but because he’s the caretaker, just looking after things, there is that little bit of freedom. It’s a different set of circumstances when people are bringing in players and spending lots of money.
‘It adds that extra pressure that those players have to perform.’
Paul Pogba is one player who is liberated from the Mourinho straitjacket, but O’Shea believes the midfielder must now discover consistency.
‘I remember Paul from the youth team. He was so bubbly, everybody knew he was a fantastic talent. He will be a huge star for United because there’s that ability. And once he concentrates on that, he’ll be a fantastic player for years to come. He won the World Cup, so he’s doing enough talking on the pitch, but he’s got to make sure he keeps doing it.
‘The best players maintain that level consistently season after season, and the attributes that he has, if he can maintain that, he will become like he’s showing at the minute — that player who scores goals, creates goals. And if he does that I’m sure the United fans will get right behind him.’
An academy graduate himself, O’Shea believes United shed some of the club’s unique essence in recent times.
He says: ‘That could have been a small part to it. United have always had players like that, coming through the youth team from such a young age. Danny Welbeck left for Arsenal, a kid who had been there through the academy and the youth team.
‘And if Ole does remain, I suspect that will be a key attribute going forwards. I’m delighted for Marcus Rashford. He had just started at the academy when I left.’
O’Shea is still to decide on his future, but management aspirations are stirring
He reveals: ‘I sent Sir Alex a quick message after I found out he was getting better. He replied and said, “Keep playing as long as you can because it’s the best thing you can do”. But with the players and managers I’ve learned from along the way I hope I could give something back.
‘I’m jealous of Ole because you look at the players and the team they have, the club that it is. What an opportunity.
‘Ultimately your dream is to manage your country or the best team you can, and Manchester United and Ireland would be the two for me.’