Ole Gunnar Solskjaer met Sir Alex Ferguson for a cup of tea before his first match at the Manchester United helm, with the caretaker boss warning his players that he will replicate the Scot’s hairdryer treatment if needs be.
It has been a turbulent week at Old Trafford, with Jose Mourinho’s two and a half years in the dugout brought to an abrupt halt on Tuesday in the wake of the club’s worst-ever start to a Premier League season.
Solskjaer, who represented the club as a player with aplomb before spending time as reserve team boss, was installed as caretaker boss for the remainder of the season and kicks off his reign at former club Cardiff this weekend.
The Norwegian endured a torrid time at the Welsh club, overseeing relegation in 2014, but feels he has developed since then.
Plus, Solskjaer also has one of the best sounding boards around in United great Ferguson.
“I have been in touch with the gaffer quite a bit,” the Norwegian, a hero of the 1999 treble season, said.
“Well, he signed me 22 years ago, so he is the big part of course.
“I don’t know what input he had but when I got the call, of course, I texted the boss.
“I have been in touch with him and I am going to enjoy a nice cup of tea back at his house to sit down and discuss a few ideas.”
Solskjaer says “there’s no one to get better advice from”, nor was there anybody better to learn from up close – even if it that meant the hairdryer treatment back in the day.
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“We’re all different to how we manage people and the manager was different to every individual,” the 45-year-old said.
“Of course, maybe I should get the hairdryer out of my pocket because I’ve got a hairdryer – you know, when my hair needs lifting I use it on myself, but I am also not afraid of, if you like, laying down the law.
“You know with your kids, when they disappoint you, you tell them off. You don’t give them some chocolate then, do you?
“So you treat players similar to how you treat your kids, really, because you want the best for them, you want to guide them, you want to help them, but if I get disappointed…
“Ask (my children) Noah, or Karna, or Elijah, or some of the players I’ve had in Molde. Once in a while you really have to tell them standards we’ve got.”