BRYAN ROBSON:
OLE Gunnar Solskjaer was the right appointment for Manchester United. Why go anywhere else? But I really believe they now need to buy a commanding centre back.
There was a clamour to get another A-list European manager — maybe pay Tottenham for Mauricio Pochettino — but who can guarantee they would get it right?
It could take millions in compensation and another two years. We’ve already been playing catch-up to Manchester City and Liverpool for too long.
Ole has earned his chance and United would be better off spending any millions earmarked for compensation on world-class players to strengthen his hand.
I know he has indicated he
doesn’t need a new centre back, but that’s where I’d disagree.
Sure, Ole has improved the defending, but we’ve seen the impact Virgil van Dijk has had on Liverpool this season.
A signing of that magnitude, a commanding leader could catapult United forward.
You can see the confidence Van Dijk brings to Liverpool’s goalkeeper Alisson, his fellow defenders and midfielders.
That’s the type of player United need to sign. A strong summer of recruitment could be the making of Ole’s legacy — not necessarily players in quantity, but worldclass quality.
He has the balance of the team right, the players are on side with his methods and the youngsters believe they have a chance if they work hard enough — as is the traditional culture of the club.
That doesn’t mean ‘get the players on side because they have the power’, but if you get them happy in their job and environment you should get the best out of them.
That has been borne out in results so far and three new signings would take them up another level.
Whether Ole lasts longer than David Moyes, Louis van Gaal or Jose Mourinho no one can say for sure, but the signs are more promising.
I have heard the rumblings that he could slip back into the mode of what happened in Cardiff, but that argument doesn’t hold water for me. Firstly, he has better players. Secondly he is wiser. And thirdly the nature of away wins at Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal and Paris Saint- Germain, all top teams, plus the draw against Liverpool — when key injuries disrupted the game — show he has more to offer this time round.
Ole’s his own man but he is a humble guy, not afraid to take advice and listen to those around him. I’ve not seen a lot of him at the training ground but, from what I have seen, he has a good, authoritative manner about him at the sessions.
He stands at the side, observing it all and then pulls a player aside quietly to discuss what he may be doing and how he could do it better. There’s no shouting in front of everyone and the players appreciate that.
He’s got the hallmarks of the gaffer, Sir Alex Ferguson, in that approach. He lets them down gently when they are not in the team — but underlines each one is still important. It is good man-management.
You talk to the staff whether on the football or commercial side and they enjoy working with him. He understands the demands of the club.
Bringing in a different manager would have meant big changes behind the scenes too. A new boss would have brought seven to 15 different staff and that’s all very unsettling.
Taking the decision to appoint him now is a clever one as it gives players and staff the incentive to finish this campaign strongly.
Ole is THE boss. He has put a smile on the face of United’s players again and now they can underline why they should still be at the club in the summer by finishing in the top four of the Premier League and claiming a Champions League place.
Bryan Robson was talking to Simon Jones