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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer steadied the rocking Manchester United ship after taking over from Jose Mourinho. The Red Devils came close to adding silverware, reaching five semi-finals under his tutelage.
It was the Baby Faced Assasin who lured Cristiano Ronaldo back to the club. But it was the Portuguese who was the cause of much havoc at Old Trafford. CR7’s need to start every game caused contention in the dressing room and the terraces sided with the superstar.
Manchester United legend, Sir Alex Ferguson questioned Solskjaer’s abilities when he removed Cristiano from the starting eleven in a Premier League tie with Everton. Ronaldo came on the pitch later but United dropped points as the match finished 1-1.
Solskjaer on Sir Alex questioning him benching Ronaldo for a game: "That’s the one time Sir Alex has ever apologised to me. He [Ferguson] rang me and apologised because he knows how difficult it [managing #mufc] is." [@TheAthleticFC] pic.twitter.com/XjTsmaYCeb
— The United Stand (@UnitedStandMUFC) May 13, 2023
Sir Alex’s Apology to Solskjaer
Ferguson was in the stands alongside MMA legend, Khabib Nurmagomedov for that Everton fixture. The Scotsman could not fathom Ronaldo not starting and in a discussion with Nurmagomedov, was displeased with Solskjaer’s decision.
Reflecting on Ronaldo’s late appearance, Ferguson believed it gave their rivals hope. He famously shared: “I know but you should always start with your best players.” The video of the Scotsman’s remarks went viral, adding more pressure on Solskjaer in the media.
Under the spotlight, Solskjaer reminded Sir Alex of his starting eleven shuffles when he was ruling the roost at Old Trafford.
“I’m quite relaxed about it. I disagreed with the gaffer quite a few times and I told my wife quite a few times that I disagreed with him, but that never made headlines as a player. I’m sure Sir Alex knows that it doesn’t bother me,” Solskjaer said.
“We all want to see Cristiano. We all want to, because he’s unique, he’s different, he’s had a career and everyone wants to come and watch him. ‘But the plain fact of it is he cannot play every single game that we play.
“He knows how difficult this job is anyway, the gaffer. He didn’t always play the same eleven. He took some risks at times to rest Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney or David Beckham, the best players that we had. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t.”
The Norwegian revealed he got an apology phone from Sir Alex and the matter was resolved between them as swiftly as it had begun.
“He (Ferguson) rang me and apologised because he knows how difficult it is. I’m clever enough to stay away. It’s difficult enough to be the manager of Manchester United without the ex-managers trying to give you advice,” Solskjaer shared.
Failed Attempt to Send Haaland to United
Solskjaer was at the helm of Molde when Manchester City dynamo, Erling Braut Haaland was taking his first steps in the world of football. He moved to RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund and now calls Etihad Stadium his home.
Breaking records galore, Haaland has already scored 51 goals this season for the Citizens and can add more as he draws the curtain on the season against United in the FA Cup final. Solskjaer realized Erling’s potential early and implored the Red Devils to secure his services.
“I called United about six months before I took over and told them that I’d got this striker that we had, but they didn’t listen. I asked for £ 4 million for Haaland, but they didn’t sign him,” Solskjaer shared during an interview with The Sun.
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