Fortuna Dusseldorforf shock Bundesligaiga leaders Dortmundnd PAGE 19 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2018 Inam-ul-Haq leads Qatar Stars to big win over Asian Stars in Doha PAGE 18 INTERNATIONAL TWENTY20 BANGLADESH VS WEST INDIES ‘LEGEND’ SUPER-SUB Solskjaer is now MOVES INTO THE HOT SEAT caretaker Man United manager AFP right-hand man Mike Phelan Beckham support to be looking to hire a head of LONDON will join the 45-year-old Solsk- David Beckham sent his for- football, reporting to Wood- jaer as first-team coach, work- mer teammate a message of ward, to oversee football op- OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER ing alongside Michael Carrick support on Instagram that erations – a role it is believed was on Wednesday handed the and Kieran McKenna. read: “Good luck Ole”. Mourinho had a long-standing daunting task of saving Man- “Manchester United is in Norwegian Prime Minister reluctance about. chester United’s season after my heart and it’s brilliant to Erna Solberg tweeted: “FINAL- Solskjaer joined United as the disastrous final few months be coming back in this role,” LY CONFIRMED! Great day a player from Molde in 1996 of Jose Mourinho’s reign. said the Norwegian. “I’m real- for Norwegian football. Good and was part of Alex Ferguson’s The Old Trafford hierarchy ly looking forward to working luck keeping control of the Red team that won the treble of the sacked Mourinho in the after- with the very talented squad Devils, @olegs26_ole.” Champions League, Premier math of Sunday’s 3-1 defeat at League and FA Cup in 1998/99. Anfield that left the 20-times Ole (Gunnar Solskjaer) is a club legend with huge He scored 126 goals in 366 champions an embarrassing 19 appearances for United be- points behind league leaders experience, both on the pitch and in coaching tween 1996 and 2007, winning Liverpool after just 17 matches. roles. His history at Manchester United means he six Premier League titles, and Former United striker Sol- lives and breathes the culture here and everyone is delighted in 2008 he became the club’s skjaer, the current manager to have him back. reserve-team manager, before of Norwegian side Molde, will taking the managerial reins at take charge of the first team Manchester United Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward Norwegian club Molde. with immediate effect and will He won the league title for remain in place as caretaker the first time in Molde’s his- manager while the club looks we have, the staff and every- United are hoping that Sol- tory in 2011 and repeated the for a new full-time boss. one at the club,” skjaer, who coached Paul Pog- feat the following year. Tottenham manager Mau- Executive vice-chairman ba and Jesse Lingard in the The Norwegian’s first ricio Pochettino and former Ed Woodward said: “Ole is a reserves, will inject renewed game in charge of Manchester Real Madrid boss Zinedine club legend with huge experi- positivity into an ailing side, United will be Saturday’s trip Zidane are among the favour- ence, both on the pitch and in whose underperforming play- to former club Cardiff. ites to take the United job on coaching roles. ers and drab style played a big Solskjaer managed the a full-time basis at the end of “His history at Manches- part in Mourinho’s exit. Bluebirds between January the season. ter United means he lives and Solskjaer is seen as a safe 2014 and September 2014, fail- Mourinho was axed on breathes the culture here and pair of hands who under- ing to stop them being relegat- Tuesday after just two-and-half everyone at the club is de- stands the club, as United tar- ed from the Premier League, years in charge at Old Trafford, lighted to have him and Mike get a return to the pinnacle of returning to Molde in 2015. with United in sixth place in the Phelan back. English football -- a position Speaking moments before Premier League and facing an “We are confident they will they have ceded to bitter rivals Solskjaer’s appointment, former uphill task to qualify for next unite the players and the fans Manchester City since Fergu- United first-team coach Rene year’s Champions League. as we head into the second half son’s retirement in 2013. Meulensteen warned it would A file photo of former Manchester United’s Norwegian striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before his testimonial Alex Ferguson’s former of the season.” The club are understood be a huge job for the Norwegian. match against Espanyol at the Old Trafford, Manchester, on August 2, 2008. (AFP) THREE THINGS MANCHESTER UNITED NEED TO FIX TO RESTORE CLUB TO ITS FORMER GLORY ANCHESTER UNITED’S deci- triumph earlier this year, Mourinho’s up to Pogba, Mourinho had caused a swashbuckling sides, United have a United so exciting to watch under hamstrung by the error-prone perfor- sion to sack Jose Mourinho sharp response that he needed to huge rift in the squad and there were commitment to attacking play that Ferguson is high on the to-do list. mances of Phil Jones, Chris Smalling Mbrought an abrupt end to his try harder for United set in motion a also palpable tensions with Alexis failed to resonate with Mourinho. and Eric Bailly. troubled reign but the fallout at Old chain of events that contributed to Sanchez, Antonio Valencia, Luke Having made his reputation by using BUILD A SOLID FOUNDATION The result was a woeful 29 league Trafford will linger for months his downfall. Shaw and Anthony Martial. Morale cautious tactics to stifle opponents, Mourinho complained long and loud goals conceded in 17 games this to come. United have appointed Mourinho was already frustrated by in United’s dressing room is at a low Mourinho felt he could bend United to about the failure of United executive season -- more than any other side Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as caretaker Pogba’s apparent unfocused at- ebb after such a divisive period and his will but the scathing reaction from vice-chairman Ed Woodward to land outside the bottom five. manager to see them through to the titude and perceived lack of effort healing those wounds is essential. fans and club legends to his nega- the transfer targets he wanted in the In contrast, leaders Liverpool have end of the season before hiring a in a United shirt, so when his club’s tive approach in the goalless draw at close-season and his fears were not benefited hugely from the expensive long-term successor to Mourinho. record signing was transformed into RESTORE UNITED TRADITION Anfield last season should have been unfounded. United felt Mourinho had signing of Dutch defender Virgil van But Solskjaer –- and whoever eventu- a rampaging figure in midfield for The final whistle on a dour 0-0 draw a warning that he needed to adapt to been backed sufficiently during a Dijk last season, while Manchester ally fills Mourinho’s shoes -- has an France, his manager tried to shame at Liverpool had barely been blown a different culture. spree of around £400 million ($506 City and Tottenham have also thrived enormous task to restore the club to him into action with his acerbic as- before Mourinho felt the backlash Instead, Mourinho stuck stubbornly million) over two-and-a-half years, so with solid rearguards. its former glories. sessment. Pogba’s relationship with from his decision to ignore United’s to his guns, alienating sections of the Leicester’s Harry Maguire and Tot- Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly, Inter Three issues that need to be fixed: Mourinho was destined to get even tradition as English football’s Old Trafford faithful with a series of tenham’s Toby Alderweireld failed to Milan’s Milan Skriniar and Atletico worse as he was stripped of the vice- great entertainers. cautious game-plans even in home arrive as defensive ballast. Madrid’s Diego Godin are all reported MEND BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS captaincy and feuded with the boss From Matt Busby’s “holy trinity” matches. Erasing the memories of Mourinho had been desperate to bol- to have interested United and could Questioned about Paul Pogba’s on the training ground. With several of George Best, Bobby Charlton Mourinho’s conservatism by recre- ster his leaky defence but instead he be targeted in the January transfer influential role in France’s World Cup of United’s younger players looking and Denis Law to Alex Ferguson’s ating the thrilling style that made had to make do with a unit that was window. (AFP) ‘Disrespectful, silly’ Kohli blasted at home & abroad AFP “At the end of the match, you should NEW DELHI be able to look each other in the eyes, Kohli, Shastri roles need to be assessed: Gavaskar shake hands and say ‘great contest’,” he Sunil Gavaskar has said that the roles of Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri INDIA captain Virat Kohli faced stiff wrote in a column for Fox Sports. need to be assessed if India fail to perform in the final two Tests in Melbourne criticism both Down Under and at home “Virat Kohli could not do that with and Sydney. He said that since India’s tour of South Africa at the start of the on Wednesday after his side’s crushing Tim Paine, shaking the Australian year, picking the wrong players “has lost matches which could’ve been won.” loss to Australia in the 2nd Test. captain’s hand but If India fail to win the next two matches, “the selectors need to think whether Former Australian paceman Mitch- barely making we are getting any benefit from this lot -- the captain, coach and support staff,” ell Johnson called Kohli “disrespectful” eye contact Gavaskar told Aaj Tak TV news network.