The Man Utd caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer disclosed that he plans to go back to Molde after the season ends.
Manchester United have been in fine form under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. However, the caretaker manager, in a conversation with FutbolKlubben Podcast stated that he plans to go back to Molde after the end of the English domestic season.
Initially, it was understood that Solskjaer joined Manchester United on loan from Molde. However, the Norwegian club has now removed the details about Solskjaer’s three-year deal with the club.
“I’m not quite sure how it works,” Solskjaer said in the podcast.
“I think the contract has expired and that now I only have contract with Manchester United. There may have to be another contract for that [return to Molde].
“Let’s see what it says here. No, I am…”manager of Molde”- It’s not what I am doing at the moment, but the plan is to go back there,” he stated.
Molde’s CEO, Oystein Neerland responded to Solskjaer’s comments in the podcast and stated that he expects the former Manchester United star to return to the club at the end of the season.
“Before Christmas we signed a new agreement with Ole Gunnar for three years, until the end of the 2021 season,” Neerland told TV2 Norway.
“Afterwards Ole Gunnar has taken over as temporary manager at Manchester United, a job that goes on until the summer. Ole Gunnar is now employed at Manchester United, and plans to return to Molde after the season.”
According to Sky, a manager is allowed to have a contract with only one club at a time.
English broadcasters BBC talked to Norwegian journalist, Arilas Berg Ould-Saada who stated that Manchester United may have Solskjaer out of the contract.
“Maybe United just paid him out of the contract in order to be sure that they don’t need to pay any more money if they want him as the permanent manager,” the journalist said.
“If those are the technicalities then United don’t need to pay any compensation at all.”
Solskjaer has been impressive ever since joining the Old Trafford outfit in December last year. The Norwegian replaced Jose Mourinho, under whom Manchester United were in a fairly devastating situation.
The side was sixth in the Premier League with a negative goal difference at the time of the Norwegian’s appointment. However, Solskjaer is yet to lose a game with the side in the Premier League so far, taking Manchester United to the fourth spot in the league table.
Last week, despite a huge injury crisis at the club, Solskjaer inspired a fairly young Manchester United side to victories over Crystal Palace and Southampton.
His only loss since the appointment came against PSG in the first leg of the round-of-16 of the Champions League. Manchester United will take on the Parisians in the second leg later tonight.
The injury crisis worsened earlier this week after Alexis Sanchez was ruled out for two months with ligament damage. Manchester United will take on PSG in the absence of all the first-choice midfielders, and two first-choice attackers.
There have been calls from fans and pundits alike for Solskjaer to be given a permanent job at the club. Manchester United players (Ander Herrera, Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial amongst others) have been vouching for Solskjaer to be given a permanent role.
In the pre-match conference for the game against PSG, Victor Lindelof also commended Solskjaer.
“Right from the start he [Ole] has been helping me. He said to me ‘just play your game and do things you’re good at’. He’s been giving me a lot of confidence to do that and I think that’s helped me a lot,” Lindelof said.
