Creating a siege mentality has become an important part of a manager’s psychological arsenal in the modern game: In the 1980s, smaller clubs like Millwall and Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang used the mantra “ Nobody likes us, we don’t It matters ” to join us. and beat richer and stronger rivals.
It worked so successfully that in the era of the Premier League, even the big bosses have adapted the subject to their own means.
Sir Alex Ferguson and José Mourinho regularly complained that the world was against them, from the media to the referees to the governing bodies, even though they had the advantage of having the best players and the largest budgets.
Sir Alex Ferguson and José Mourinho often complained that the world was against them
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer called authorities on Saturday afternoon.
They say that the fruit never falls far from the tree and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has clearly acquired some of the manipulation skills used by Fergie.
He practiced a bit by blaming the media for ruling out Alexis Sánchez, when it was he who sent the Chilean to Inter Milan, and recently claimed that there is an external agenda under construction against Mason Greenwood, although he declined to select him.
This week, he hit home when he used the short change in matches between Wednesday night’s Champions League game in Turkey and Saturday’s lunchtime win at Everton to lash out at the sanctioning authorities. the match schedule.
“The start time set us up to fail.”
“It’s a real disaster. The boys deserve better.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is furious that Man Utd had to play on Saturday afternoon after having played in Turkey on Wednesday night.
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“We were set to fail,” said Solskjaer, who shed his usual good-boy image to give the Premier League and television companies the kind of hair dryer that Fergie specialized in.
“How can you expect the players to perform at their best when we were ready by 12.30? Absolute joke.
While Solskjaer’s outburst drew sympathy from Jurgen Klopp and many others, and demonstrated a clear departure from speculation that Mauricio Pochettino has been considered for his job, it sounded like an echo to United’s most successful manager.
“I think the Premier League has hurt us,” Ferguson complained after United’s streak of tough games in early 2008-09. They tell me it’s not planned, damn it.
I am not saying what they do there, but next year we will send someone to see how it happens, I can assure you. I just don’t understand how you can get accessories like this. ‘
Solskjaer played with Ferguson at United and seems to have learned some of his tricks
Ferguson often complained that the referees, the media and the authorities were against him.
In a sense, Solskjaer’s last argument seems to have merit. Coming back from Turkey at 4 a.m. Thursday morning and then having to start at Goodison Park just 48 hours later seems ridiculous, particularly with the other nine Premier League games taking place later on Saturday or Sunday.
He claimed that United had tried to change the schedules a month ago, but television companies have privately noted that the club signed the match and that Solskjaer’s level of anger was a lesson in building a siege mentality, noting the amount of money United makes. broadcast coverage.
The irony is that the two teams that had long trips across Europe immediately followed by lunchtime matches United and Spurs won and at this early stage in the season the busier teams might find it easier to gain momentum.
The United manager is shrewdly using the media to get his message across and set the agenda.
However, it is particularly interesting how Solskjaer cleverly uses the media to get his message across and set the agenda.
Certainly his comments have gained traction since then. Klopp and Pep Guardiola intervened on Sunday, not only because of the schedule, but also for allowing five substitutes.
The Norwegian’s relatively light managerial resume compared to men like Marcelo Bielsa, José Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti, in addition to the top two spots from last season, is often used against him.
But rallying the troops is an important part of running a club like United and Solskjaer is using the power he has in print and in front of the microphone to good effect.
Solskjaer is using his time in print and in front of the microphone to rally his united troops
Although this is the highest-profile example, you’ve been pushing buttons for a while.
In 2019, he suggested that referees were unwilling to punish Manchester City players with yellow cards for fouling high up on the pitch.
He publicly protected Greenwood after the player was sent home from international camp for violating Covid protocols. Instead, he blamed England for choosing him and “all the English press is after him.”
The Norwegian has protected Mason Greenwood after he was sent home from England.
Solskjaer did not name his team’s young forward for last weekend’s game, and yet the message to United’s locker room remains that Greenwood’s start-stop season is the fault of the outsiders and not the player himself.
Even more notable was Captain Harry Maguire’s strong defense after he ended up at court during a summer vacation on the Greek island of Mykonos.
The coach resisted the temptation to change the captaincy and said: ‘He has handled it very well and of course I will be here to support him.
Solskjaer has defended his captain Harry Maguire after he ended up at court in the summer.
Solskjaer finished third last season and reached three cup semi-finals. But there are still those who consider him too soft with the wardrobe. There were fingers pointing to their tactics and motivational powers as United were beaten at home by Crystal Palace, Tottenham (a resounding 6-1) and Arsenal.
But whenever you need a result, you find it. It looked like the team was playing for him in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Everton. Just the week before, they defeated then Bundesliga leaders RB Leipzig 5-0.
Players know that Solskjaer is in the trenches with them. That’s why he went on offense after winning three points at Everton. When it comes to United players, it’s them against the rest of the world, just as it was during the Ferguson era.
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