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Is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer too nice to succeed as Manchester United manager?

After Manchester United's 2-0 loss at Anfield yesterday, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was interviewed by ...



Soccer

Is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer too nice to succeed as Manchester United manager?

After Manchester United's 2-0 loss at Anfield yesterday, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was interviewed by Geoff Shreeves.

While many might see this as a necessary but unpleasant aspect of life - like a proctology appointment - most managers usually grin and bear it; getting through giving the information that they want.

The discussion on tonight's Football Show was on whether Solskjaer was effectively pushed by Shreeves into revealing the extent of Marcus Rashford's back injury live on air.

Solskjaer's character

It certainly appeared that Solskjaer did not initially want to divulge the extent of the injury to the England forward, but eventually deigned to explain what had happened.

Namely, that Rashford has a double stress fracture in his back, after a collision with Wolves' Matt Doherty.

Given the nature of Solskjaer's tenure, a small insight like this might seem inconsequential at first glance.

But the mind wanders as to whether this might say a lot about the ruthlessness required to become a great manager.

Off The Ball's Joe Molloy believes that Sir Alex Ferguson partly revelled in media management.

Ferguson finished interviews with Sky Sports with a dismissive 'Well done, Geoff' at the end of talking about what he wanted to.

The Irish Independent's Daniel McDonnell joined us in studio to discuss, acting as devil's advocate on behalf of Solskjaer.

"It never played well for Martin O'Neill when the results weren't going well, which was the whole point.

"Steve Staunton tried to do the same thing [as Ferguson] but that was when results were not going well so it didn't come across as genius."

Molloy disagrees.

"He has to start drawing lines. He has to start bullying Geoff a little bit back. I was just sitting there with the lads thinking 'Oh, no - Ole, come on.'

Let us know what you think by tweeting Off The Ball.


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Geoff Shreeves Liverpool Manchester United Mufc Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Shreeves Solskjaer