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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was the wrong choice as Man Utd manager - Jenas

Last updated on .From the section Man Utdcomments1815

Solskjaer appointment 'based on emotion' - Jenas

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was the wrong choice as Manchester United boss, says ex-England midfielder Jermaine Jenas.

Solskjaer, who scored United's winner in the 1999 Champions League final, replaced Jose Mourinho in December, initially for the rest of the season.

He won 10 of his first 11 games and was appointed permanently in March, but has lost five of his past seven matches.

Asked about Solskjaer being named manager, Jenas told BBC Sport: "I felt it was all emotional with Ole."

When Solskjaer took charge, United were sixth in the Premier League and 11 points off the top four. They remain in sixth position but are now only two points behind fourth-placed Arsenal.

The Norwegian oversaw a stunning comeback as United overturned a two-goal first-leg deficit to beat Paris St-Germain 3-1 and win on away goals in the Champions League last 16.

However, their Champions League campaign ended in the quarter-finals on Tuesday with a 4-0 aggregate defeat against Barcelona.

Solskjaer said on Friday that some of his players "need a reality check" after the team's poor run of form.

Asked on BBC Radio 5 Live if Solskjaer was the right appointment, Jenas said: "No. I felt it was an emotional decision and in any business it should be a thought-out logical decision for the long term.

"One of the things they need to get away from is 'the Manchester United way' and 'that's not the way they used to do it'. What Sir Alex Ferguson did was very unique and United have found it very difficult to replicate with some of the best managers in the world.

"Pep Guardiola going to Manchester City didn't say 'what did Mancini and Pellegrini do to win the league?' He came in and did what he wanted to do.

"Jurgen Klopp did that at Liverpool, he had his own style. That's what United need, I don't think they need to try and find someone who can get close to what Ferguson has done, they need to find [a new identity]. Mourinho tried to do that but the club didn't buy into it.

"I don't think they know what they're doing."

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1815 comments

  • Comment posted by Mostly Harmless, at 23:21 19 Apr 2019

    Jermaine Jenas on Twitter:
    @jjenas8
    First time Man Utd have scored 5 goals in one game, since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson! Brilliant from solskjaer! Man Utd sign him up on that long term contract right now!!!

    8:20 PM - Dec 22, 2018
    ——-

    What an absolute bell.

  • Comment posted by YellowSubmarine, at 23:12 19 Apr 2019

    Jenas was the wrong choice as a pundit

  • Comment posted by Maxywell, at 22:59 19 Apr 2019

    Everyone jumping on the Ole bandwagon when he had a good start now people are starting to question him after a poor run, truth is it'll be at least 6 - 12 months before we know if it was a good or bad choice.

  • Comment posted by Vandermars, at 22:58 19 Apr 2019

    Jenas is a poor man's Andy Townsend

  • Comment posted by GreenAndBlue, at 22:59 19 Apr 2019

    Useless, dull and will never be amongst the world's elite.

    But that's enough about the BBC Sport journalists who rattle out this garbage to fulfil their daily Man U obsession.

  • Comment posted by matt, at 23:04 19 Apr 2019

    Jermaine who?

    Average player, knee jerk pundit, seems to have no common sense, or editing process for his increasingly random predictions.

    Ole can't be judged for anything that happens this season, not until he's rooted out the fake badge kissers and mercenaries.

    Got goodness sake, Jenas, let the poor guy at least try and build his own team before you write him off.

  • Comment posted by GTI, at 23:20 19 Apr 2019

    As has been said MANY times before, who cares what Jenas says. It is pathetic the BBC make a headline story out of some minor conversation their own pundit made on one of their shows. This is not sports news.
    Can't believe my licence fee is paying for this guy. BBC need to do a poll of pundits the public want to hear from - it's our money they're wasting.

  • Comment posted by unification, at 23:01 19 Apr 2019

    So it begins. The media build OGS up only to slam him down.

    Let’s let him build his own side and judge him on that, shall we? Just because the honeymoon is over for him it doesn’t excuse sticking the knives in just yet.

  • Comment posted by chriskn, at 23:00 19 Apr 2019

    The Moyes way, no, the Van Gaal way, no, the Mourinho way, no. Which other outsider is Jenas recommending? Ole will have his own style built on the knowledge he has of the most successful manager in the Premiership. He stands a better chance than any of the outsiders we've had inflicted on us.

  • Comment posted by sgt pepper, at 23:14 19 Apr 2019

    Football focus 2nd Feb. Presumably then Jermaine was making an emotional comment when saying Ole should be given the job.

    https://www.express.co.uk/videos/5997918072001/Man-United-Jenas-SLAMS-Solskjaer-claim-ahead-of-PSG-clash

  • Comment posted by Yeahbaby, at 23:55 19 Apr 2019

    I thought the BBC got it wrong appointing Jenas. It was all a bit emotional and not thought out properly.

  • Comment posted by Mostly Harmless, at 23:13 19 Apr 2019

    Jermaine Jenas
    ✔
    @jjenas8
    First time Man Utd have scored 5 goals in one game, since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson! Brilliant from solskjaer! Man Utd sign him up on that long term contract right now!!!!👀

    Twitter: 8:20 PM - Dec 22, 2018

  • Comment posted by Genesis, at 23:03 19 Apr 2019

    To be fair on Solskjaer, losing to Barcelona isn't exactly out of the ordinary; a reminder that most United fans didn't expect to GET to Barcelona only a couple of months ago.

    As other have said, can't judge a manager by a short bad (or good) spell.

    As an unrelated aside - Jenas is literally clueless, why do the BBC still pay his wages?

  • Comment posted by GS, at 23:55 19 Apr 2019

    “Why does he have to beat PSG to get the job?” he said on Football Focus.

    “That’s a weird kind of statement to make. Has he not [done enough already]?

    “I feel like there has been a huge turnaround.

    “The players seem to be playing the Manchester United way, there is excitement back in the stadium, they’re scoring goals.“

    Jermaine Jenas, 2nd Feb 2019

  • Comment posted by afc12, at 23:14 19 Apr 2019

    Jenas was the wrong choice as BBC pundit

  • Comment posted by Dennis O, at 23:23 19 Apr 2019

    If you really think this Jermaine why didn't you come out and say it a few weeks ago when he was winning?

  • Comment posted by Mancunia, at 23:43 19 Apr 2019

    Clueless talentless player. Clueless talentless pundit.

    Non story. Move on.

  • Comment posted by applemanc, at 01:04 20 Apr 2019

    I don’t know if OGS is or is not the right appointment.

    However I heard Jenas argue shortly after the win against PSG that UTD had to give OGS the job on a full time basis.

    So this article makes Jenas a cheap oppprtunist and lazy journalist. Actually the same traits we saw when he was on the pitch.

  • Comment posted by Mick Murray, at 23:00 19 Apr 2019

    It didn't take long for BBC United to turn on one of their own...

    So sad!!

  • Comment posted by Tom H, at 23:03 19 Apr 2019

    I have to agree 100% with the first post in this thread, says it all really. Jenas talks a good game but he was average, at best, as a player and is even worse as a pundit. Who next, James Milner when he retires, what a dream commentary team that would be 😆

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