Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s record as a Premier League manager: 3 wins in 18 games, 42 goals conceded The Norwegian has been offered a chance of redemption as Manchester United caretaker after a tough first spell as coach

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s appointment at Cardiff City in January 2014 was a gamble, given that his managerial experience hailed from only his native Norway, yet it was a general perception that the former Manchester United youth coach deserved a chance to step up to a new challenge and prove his worth.

Hired with the idea of making Cardiff more attractive to watch, Solksjaer was seen as a positive force in comparison to the more robust Malky Mackay. Although the Scot carried Cardiff to the Premier League for the first time in their history, Solskjaer was sourced to try and build upon that achievement and pull the club away from the threat of relegation, adding further aesthetic to a style of play that wasn’t capturing the imagination of many.

His spell in Wales was expected to precede a move to United – but not in the way it has transpired in 2018. A disastrous spell at Cardiff saw Solskjaer first return to former club Clausenengen to train one of their youth sides, before then taking his place back on Molde’s hotseat in October 2015 where he has managed ever since.

The numbers

Solskjaer’s tenure as Cardiff boss lasted just 30 games. From those fixtures, he managed to pick up nine wins, five draws and 16 defeats.

Solskjaer PL record Games: 18

Wins: 3

Draws: 3

Losses: 12

Goals for: 17

Goals against: 42

From his short-lived spell in the top flight, Solksjaer was only able to secure three wins from 18 matches, taking the newly promoted side from a precarious position to rock bottom. Once in the Championship, it took just seven games for the axe to fall, not least due to the fact that owner Vincent Tan had backed his manager with nine signings during the summer.

The view from the time

Known for tinkering with his starting XIs and struggling to build up any kind of consistency, Solskjaer was criticised in the Welsh media.

“It was the wrong appointment for Cardiff and the wrong club for Solskjaer,” ex-Cardiff captain Jason Perry told BBC Radio Wales at the time of the Norwegian’s sacking. “Do we know how Cardiff City play? No. If you’re manager or coach you have a central strategy and you work on that.”

Cardiff owner Vincent Tan tried to keep faith in Solskjaer, probably due to how high his stock had been upon his appointment, but things didn’t work out despite patience.

“Ole was hired by Cardiff City on our understanding and belief that he would help us fight relegation from the Premier League,” Tan explained in a club statement. “Unfortunately that did not happen. After the club was relegated, many people advised me to let him go, but I decided to keep Ole on for the Championship season. Regrettably our recent results do not justify Ole’s continued role as manager at Cardiff.”

United fans will be hoping for a more positive Premier League return from their new caretaker boss this time around. With a more talented squad at his disposal and a situation where the fans will be very much behind him, the ex-Norway striker has the perfect platform to kick on and prove that his failure at Cardiff was merely a blip in an otherwise impressive career.

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