'Solskjaer wants to prove he can stay' – Saha backs United caretaker to impress
Louis Saha believes Manchester United interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will bring a consistency and focus to the Premier League club.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be eager to prove he can make a lasting impact at Manchester United, according to Louis Saha.
Solskjaer’s temporary reign got off to a brilliant start on Saturday, as United hammered Cardiff City 5-1 in the Premier League.
The Norwegian has been appointed on an interim basis, having joined on loan from Molde, although United do have the option to extend his stay.
And Saha, who played with Solskjaer at United between 2004 and 2007, believes his former team-mate will be confident in his ability to take over at Old Trafford and perhaps replicate the culture built by Sir Alex Ferguson.
“He is there for the transition but I think he wants to prove that he is able to stay longer,” Saha told Omnisport.
“Maybe he will try to build confidence in the first weeks or months, and why not build this aura that we are looking for, with stability and an identity, like the one we had with Sir Alex Ferguson.
“He was an offensive player, like Sir Alex Ferguson. I remember how focused he was during the training sessions.
“He was always trying to repeat some situations. He was very strong with his right foot, so he was doing the same kind of race again and again, the same efforts that will allow him to be in good conditions to score goals.
“We had five or six strikers. If you scored, you’d play. If you didn’t score, you were in the audience. So you have to find a way to be consistent. I think that’s what he will bring [consistency].”
Jose Mourinho’s two-and-a-half-year spell in charge at Old Trafford came to an end on Tuesday, following a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool with United 19 points adrift of the league leaders.
And Saha cited a lack of communication and philosophy as the reasons for Mourinho’s failure.
“It is clear there was a solidity. But at one point, we felt we were always in transition,” Saha said.
“There were a lack of information about the philosophy. When you sign a manager like Mourinho, you know what he will bring.
“There is no surprise. He was true to form [as we know him]. He made his own choices with the communication. Nothing surprising.
“When you sign a coach like him, you know you will win titles. But I think that something was missing for some players.
“Maybe there was a lack of guidance. So there was a clash. When you have a coach with that pedigree, there are good things and bad things. That’s why usually he [Mourinho] doesn’t stay more than two or three years in a club.”