13 May 2023 , 13:00
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed the Manchester United players used to have "fights" in the dressing room during his playing career - and insists the current crop "would not survive" in that environment.
Solskjaer, 50, was sacked from his role as United boss in November 2021 after a horrific run of results and a 4-1 defeat at Watford. There was some disappointment from the United supporters when Solskjaer was sacked, especially after he established himself as a club legend as a player.
The Norwegian scored 126 goals in 366 appearances for United and was part of the Treble-winning team in 1999. The Red Devils side he managed was completely different and hadn't won a trophy for six years before Erik ten Hag came in - and Solskjaer has since compared the two changing rooms.
"The lads in that dressing room were absolutely fantastic. Keano was the leader, the one everyone looked up to," he said at a Q&A event, via The Athletic. "David May was the joker, the clown. Gary (Neville) is still the busiest and was the busiest back then as well. Nicky (Butt) and Giggsy (Ryan Giggs) were the entertainers.
"It was just a fantastic dressing room. Winners, who hated losing. They had a few fights, like you should do, after bad games. You had to shake each other up. If you do that to the boys now, they will get their dad, or their mum, or their agents… snowflakes. Not many of today’s lot would have survived in that dressing room."
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Ex-Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (PA)Solskjaer hasn't returned to management since his departure from United 18 months ago. He has coached almost 500 matches during his time in the dugout and spent time at Cardiff and Molde before his move to United.
He said: "I’ve got another job in me, if it’s the right chance and exciting enough. There are so many clubs, but I’m not going to work just for the sake of working. It has to be something special, a new culture, or a club that really excites me. Or maybe they will want me back at the club (United) in some capacity, who knows?"
"My best mate’s daughter said to me a few weeks ago, ‘You’ve got quite a lot of hair for a man your age’," Solskjaer added. "I didn’t know if it was a compliment or if she was having a go at me. At least I’ve got some. It’s greying, but that’s just the players. Managing players — it’s horrendous."
The current United team are fighting for a Champions League place right now. They face Wolves this afternoon aiming to stretch the gap between them and Liverpool to four points.