After Jose Mourinho was sacked in December 2018, Manchester United appointed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 'to put smiles back on faces'. That phrase soon became synonymous with Solskjaer's tenure and it encapsulated his management style at Old Trafford.
Solskjaer inherited a broken squad that was devoid of self-belief and he restored confidence in the dressing room, but he was tactically flawed and 'keeping players happy' was never going to offset his lack of tactical acumen in the long term. Solskjaer was sacked after a 4-1 loss to Watford last season and was fortunate to survive the defeats leading up to that match.
His nadir was the Liverpool debacle and yet a lifeless performance against Manchester City followed that humiliation. Solskjaer somehow survived those defeats but it was obvious that someone needed to shoot Bambi sooner rather than later.
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An emotional Solskjaer sat down with club media after he was sacked, which is unorthodox, and he bade his farewells to supporters. Solskjaer will always be remembered as a legend for his playing career but he was undeniably a mediocre manager.
Solskjaer's relationship with his players was his greatest strength at Old Trafford but also a weakness. He was over-reliant on those relationships, with a lack of focus on his side's tactical improvement.
David de Gea admitted after Solskjaer's final match in charge at Vicarage Road that United 'don’t know what to do with the ball' or 'how to defend properly' and that is the most damning criticism a manager can receive in the professional game.
It was certainly time for Solskjaer to leave the club and supporters unanimously agreed with his sacking, despite his legendary status, and yet there has been a large degree of revisionism surrounding his tenure since, which conveniently forgets his flaws.
Solskjaer had a stay of execution at Old Trafford last season and it was clear his time was up. That history can't be changed, he was simply not good enough to manage Manchester United, but Cristiano Ronaldo would not admit that when speaking to Piers Morgan.
In the section of the interview that was released on Wednesday night, Ronaldo was asked for his opinion on Solskjaer, who oversaw his return to the club, and his comments on the Norwegian hinted at the wider picture, involving his fallout with Erik ten Hag this season.
“I love Solskjaer. I think he was a top person, because what I keep inside my heart, it's the heart of the person," Ronaldo said. "And Ole for me, is a top person… It's hard. It's hard to assume [the role] after Sir Alex Ferguson, but I think he did a good job for sure.
“You need much more time. But I don't doubt that he is going to be a good coach in the future. It was a good experience. I was so pleased to work with him even for a short period.”
It was interesting that Ronaldo, a player who wanted to be interviewed by Morgan to speak out against the regression in standards at Old Trafford, praised a manager who was holding the club back, a manager who was part of the problem.
Ronaldo's comments on Solskjaer suggest he liked the Norwegian because he was a soft touch, someone that was always going to regularly start him, regardless of his actual performances and attitude, because he's a five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
If Solskjaer had been in charge this season, it's almost certain this interview fiasco wouldn't have happened, as Ronaldo would have been playing regularly. Solskjaer was not a strong character in that regard and that's exactly why United needed Ten Hag.
Ten Hag has not massaged Ronaldo's ego or worshipped him because of his status since his appointment. The Dutchman has dealt with him equally instead and that has been the cause of the friction, which has led to this very public fallout.
Ronaldo could yet clarify his comments in the second part of his interview, but it seems like he wanted a manager who was a pushover, someone who 'put a smile on his face'. Ten Hag is not that manager and that's what the club needs.
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