For Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the opportunity to continue his coaching education in a place where he could not possibly feel any more at home sounded like perfection. Molde FK were the club that had been his springboard as a promising youth in the mid-1990s. His record of 31 goals in 38 games in Norway's top division helped to convince Sir Alex Ferguson that the kid was worth a gamble in 1996, and the pair went on to bathe shining light on to each other's careers. The Manchester United manager found a player whose knack for timely goals became legend. The Norwegian player found a mentor who gave him opportunities not only to play on the loftiest of stages, but also to start out as a coach when he was given control of United's reserve team. It took him 20 seconds to say yes to that particular opportunity.

Solskjaer returned to Norway last January with Ferguson's best wishes. "Once he gets experience of managing a club in its own right who knows where it will take him?" the Scot mused.

Solskjaer was especially keen to take his "dream job" as it would enable him to take his three children back towards their roots. He promised his wife they would go home once he finished playing. The Solskjaers live in Kristiansund, the series of islands that make up his home town on Norway's western coast, with a population of just over 20,000. It takes around an hour for him to commute to work in Molde. Ferguson had advised him that one of the most important factors in choosing a first job was to work with people he liked. That box was ticked in bold. The feeling was mutual.

Following his appointment there was a rush in season-ticket sales. The club had finished 11th in a league of 16 teams last season. Solskjaer began life as a manager at a club in need of a boost. His debut match, against newly promoted Sarpsborg 08 (opponents so raw they are only three years old) ended disastrously, the final score Sarpsborg 3 Molde 0.

United fans will recall Solskjaer as a player who had an uncanny gift for turning up at just the right moment with just the right touch, though, and with that early hiccup out of the way Solskjaer the manager is in position to strike gold with Molde. Today they stand top of the Tippeligaen, six points clear of their nearest challengers, Tromso, having played one game more, with seven games remaining. It is a nervy but exciting time.

Not that they need any extra pressure, but Molde are in their centenary year, and they have never before won the Norwegian title. One game stands out in the run-in: Molde visit Tromso on Sunday week. That situation demands Solskjaer's most inspiring team talk yet. As he has been well taught, squeaky bum time is what separates the winners from the rest.

FC Twente take heart from the stands

Manchester United and Porto are the only reigning champions from Europe's major leagues to be setting the pace this time. Valencia, Genoa, Bayern Munich and Montpellier have every reason to feel satisfied when they look at their respective league tables. But nowhere is there a bigger sense of achievement in being top of the league than in Holland, where FC Twente head the pile. It is hardly a surprise to see them aiming high considering they have finished in the top two for the past three campaigns, but their current sense of achievement is based on their recovery from the trauma of a roof collapsing at the stadium while work was under way over the summer, killing two people. The club and community rallied round, and volunteers from around Enschede spontaneously came to help install seats in time for the season. "It is their stadium," a grateful chairman, Joop Munsterman, said.

George Michael, Bryan Adams … is the Hoff next for Euro 2012?

Uefa's executive committee are meeting in Cyprus where one of the key matters on the agenda is news about preparations for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. It has hardly been plain sailing, but some of the new and redeveloped stadiums are beginning to go through their unveiling ceremonies. George Michael performed to open Wroclaw's stadium, and Lviv, not to be outdone, shelled out a reported fee of $300,000 (£195,000) to lure Bryan Adams to headline next month. Kiev is also planning a concert with an A-list celebrity in keeping with the mood of optimism. The story that they are taking into account Michel Platini's rumoured fondness for David Hasselhoff is unconfirmed.