FA CUP THIRD ROUND SPECIAL
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER’S smart management has got Manchester United back in the game.
But it’s not just on the pitch with first-team giants such as Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez where United’s caretaker boss is making his mark.
Behind the scenes at United’s AON training complex at Carrington, Solskjaer has engaged with the next generation of stars in a way that former boss Jose Mourinho never did.
United’s interim boss only has a temporary guarantee of managing Old Trafford’s superstars until the end of the season.
Reason enough then to j ust concentrate on getting the best from established players who felt alienated, unloved or undervalued in the Mourinho regime.
But the core United values learned under Sir Alex Ferguson run deep with Solskjaer.
So deep that youth coaches were astonished and delighted when Solskjaer went round the unheralded youngsters based at Carrington and personally shook their hands by way of introduction.
Impact
One source said: “Solskjaer went out of his way to say hello to youth players, some of whom had never even spoken to Jose Mourinho in his time at the club.
“It wasn’t a big production and only took a few minutes but the impact of it was felt around the training ground.
“It was instantly clear that Solskjaer ‘gets’ everything about United.
“He acknowledges that the youth system is a vitally important part of the structure and that it’s not just about the first team.”
The Norwegian saw the full value of youth as fledgling stars such as Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Nicky Butt and Gary and Phil Neville blossomed into influential United title winners in Solskjaer’s time at the club.
In his defence, Mourinho promoted Scott Mctominay and kept an eye on up and coming stars such as Mason Greenwood and Dutch winger Tahith Chong who went on tour to America with United last summer.
But Mourinho’s lack of any genuine connection with youth teams at the club became clear to senior figures inside Old Trafford. His absence from United’s momentous FA Youth Cup 4-3 home win over Chelsea the night before he was sacked being a case in point.
The match, played at Leigh, was a significant moment for the United Academy, especially as Chelsea had not lost a Youth Cup tie for five years.
All United’s senior and junior coaches were there, headed by Michael Carrick and Kieran Mckenna.
Academy boss Nicky Butt and Under-23 coach Ricky Sbragia went there too to support Under-18 coach Neil Ryan. Even Ed Woodward watched the first half before heading off to prepare for his morning meeting with the doomed former Chelsea, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Porto boss.
Mourinho missed the game, opting instead for a day with his family in London after seeing United beaten 3-1 by Liverpool the previous day.
Frustrations
Whether he knew he was getting the bullet or not, only he knows but no one was surprised he had missed a great moment for United’s youth team.
Other frustrations engulfed youth coaches whenever Mourinho came looking for youngsters to join first-team training to make up numbers for games or drills. Another junior coach said: “We have some talented boys with great skill and potential.
“Being able to train with the first team, however fleetingly, is great for their development.
“But when one or two were needed to help out in first-team training the manager or one of his staff would always choose the physically bigger players to step in, not necessarily the most skilful.
“Sometimes that was a disappointment but the previous manager had his own thoughts on what he was looking for and we weren’t really invited to question that.”
That era is over with Solskjaer now engaging on a near daily basis with Butt.
And he’s closely monitoring the progress of stars such as Chong, James Garner and 17- year- old Greenwood – a hat-trick hero in the Youth Cup win over Chelsea.