IT'S only natural that with Manchester United preparing to play at Camp Nou for the first time in a decade this week Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should, at some point, mention the night there 20 years ago that changed his life forever. It would be like Andy Murray returning to Centre Court or Tiger Woods going back to Augusta National without making so much as a peep about what the place means to their respective sporting legends.
Indeed, as soon as United were drawn with Barcelona in the quarterfinals of this season’s Champions League, Solskjaer embarked on a nostalgia trip. This has been a common theme of his stewardship and it has been a powerful tactic. After the stifling pragmatism of Jose Mourinho, Solskjaer has arrived at Man Utd as a champion of the club’s exceptionalism.
Solskjaer hasn’t just re-energised United’s dressing room, but the club as a whole. His relentless positivity has been a factor in many of the remarkable results achieved since he took over, not least the Champions League comeback win over Paris Saint Germain. “We’ve climbed a few mountains before”, he reminded us all before the 3-1 victory at the Parc des Princes.
It's 2019, not 1999…
Solskjaer is looking to the here and now against Barcelona. pic.twitter.com/vct2A43JQK
— Goal (@goal) April 15, 2019
Five months into his Old Trafford reign, however, and Solskjaer has now played the nostalgia card one too many times. The Norwegian rarely misses an opportunity to talk of United’s past glories, and while that has, at times, worked well as a motivational tool, it’s now becoming background noise.
There have been frequent mentions of “the gaffer,” referring, of course, to Sir Alex Ferguson, “the shirt” and even the fabled “United Way.” Solskjaer said returning to Old Trafford was “like coming home” and evoked the spirit of Turin ’99 in the build-up to United’s mission impossible against PSG. Solskjaer hasn’t toned down the rhetoric since the day he was appointed interim boss and it’s all getting a little bit sickening.
Sir Alex Ferguson travelled with Manchester United’s squad to face Barcelona.
Welcome to Camp Nou#ForçaBarça #UCL pic.twitter.com/qsEYn3NGaA
— (@Messician_17) April 15, 2019
In the same way, Brendan Rodgers was mocked during his time as Liverpool manager for speaking in overly emotive cliches, Solskjaer is at risk of becoming a parody of himself. Some of his recent comments have been cringe-worthy, like his admission that he doesn’t park in Ferguson’s old space at Carrington because, as he sees it, the Scot is still the boss.
The nostalgia trip has been ramped up this week in particular as Man Utd prepare to take on Barcelona at the same ground Solskjaer scored *that* goal on *that* night. Of course, some of this is down to the line of questioning put forward by a press pack looking for a good headline, but the Norwegian has been more than willing to indulge in such throwbacks.
Tuesday’s game at Camp Nou could go some way to defining Solskjaer’s United tenure, even at this early stage. The hysteria and delirium of that initial eight-game winning streak has since been replaced by a familiar sense of foreboding, with the realisation dawning on some that Solskjaer might not be their saviour. Defeat to Barca would add to that feeling.
Solskjaer says #MUFC can't get any worse than they were today, and he's got a point. pic.twitter.com/7bDyn0ugIO
— Kris Voakes (@krisvoakes) April 13, 2019
The appointment of Solskjaer has helped United reconnect with their identity, but the Norwegian must also show that he can imprint his own ideas on the club. Drawing on the glories of yesteryear will only take him so far and we are perhaps already starting to see the limitations of such rhetoric, with Man Utd losing some of their verve in recent weeks. They’re running out of steam.
Of course, the cringe-worthy mentions of Fergie’s parking space being left empty, possibly the most meaningless tribute in football history, and all the rest will be forgiven if Solskjaer pulls it off once again and guides Man Utd into the Champions League’s final four. At least that would give the Norwegian something new to talk about.
