LONDON: Having finally been appointed permanent Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he could not wait to get to work in a bid to bring the good times back to Old Trafford.
The Norwegian has been in the hot seat on an interim basis since Jose Mourinho was sacked. Since then the Reds have won 10 and drawn two of their 13 Premier matches — the best record of any club during that time — and now have hope they may finish in the top four and get into the Champions League.
On top of that he led United to a memorable comeback victory in Europe against Paris Saint-Germain — down 2-0 at home in the first leg they roared back to win 3-1 in the French capital to make it to the quarterfinals.
After that it was a no brainer that the Old Trafford board would appoint Solskjaer on a full-time basis and the former United player is ready to justify the faith put in him.
“From the first day I arrived, I felt at home at this special club,” the 46-year-old said.
“It was an honor to be a Manchester United player, and then to start my coaching career here. The last few months have been a fantastic experience and I want to thank all of the coaches, players and staff for the work we’ve done so far.
“This is the job that I always dreamed of doing and I’m beyond excited to have the chance to lead the club long-term and hopefully deliver the continued success that our amazing fans deserve.”
Aside from the great results Solskjaer has got the side playing attacking, entertaining football once again and got the best out of players such as Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial. He has remined true to his footballing philosophy of playing to entertain and he says that will not change.
“The day I walk out the doors, I hope it’s with a smile on my face. Giving the players, staff, supporters a good time. I will always be myself. I’m not going to change. I’ll always be a positive guy. We’ll do this together," he said.
That was something United’s executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, alluded to when explaining the decision.
“Since coming in as caretaker manager in December, the results Ole has delivered speak for themselves,” Woodward said.
“More than just performances and results, Ole brings a wealth of experience, both as a player and as a coach, coupled with a desire to give young players their chance and a deep understanding of the culture of the club ... he is the right person to take Manchester United forward.”
As for the ultimate aim Solskjaer is in no doubt what it is and he wants to achieve it sooner, rather than later.
“To lift the Premier League trophy again is what we expect, what we are used to, what we have done so many times. We can’t wait for too many years."
