OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER admits he “wasn’t ready for that fight” at Cardiff, but believes he is thriving on his Premier League return because he knows “the DNA and identity of Manchester United”.
The Norwegian first took on a coaching role in British football back in January 2014, when he took over the struggling Bluebirds.
By September of that year he had been relieved of his duties, however, with relegation having been suffered and a slow start made to life in the Championship.
Solskjaer has since rebuilt his reputation back at Molde and been handed an emotional return to Old Trafford in the wake of Jose Mourinho’s dismissal.
He is yet to suffer a defeat through 10 fixtures and admits that he feels better suited to a position at a club he knows well from his playing days and one expected to compete at the opposite end of the table.
Solskjaer told Sky Sports of his time at Cardiff: “It wasn’t the right decision, to be fair. But you live and you learn.”
He added on how things have changed after taking the reins with United: “This is a completely different club and situation to come into.
“I know the culture and identity of the club and the playing style. Manchester United, of course, suits me a lot more than a club that struggles towards the bottom of the table.
I wasn’t ready for that fight. I didn’t say I wasn’t ready for the Premier League. That’s different.
“My belief is to trust players and to trust them to play the right way. To try to dominate teams, to try to win games the right way. To play the way that we do now with Manchester United.
“I should have flipped that mentality into a different one at a team that struggles against relegation if you know what I mean.”
Solskjaer has helped to push United back into contention for a top-four finish this season, while there are further Champions League and FA Cup challenges to come.
“It is easier here because I know what the DNA and identity of Manchester United is and what a Manchester United player is,” said the Treble-winning hero of the club’s past.
“It’s a winning identity. It’s a confident identity.
We want to take risks. We want to go for the second, the third and the fourth goal because that’s just how we do things at Manchester United.
“If you can’t handle that then you are at the wrong club.”
Many have suggested that Solskjaer has put himself in a position to land a permanent role at United, but reports of interest in the likes of Mauricio Pochettino and Zinedine Zidane continue to do the rounds ahead of a summer decision being made at Old Trafford.
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