“I was asked by a friend whether I was interested in speaking with Villa,” Solskjaer told a press conference yesterday. “I called Kjell Inge straight away. We agreed that I could speak to them on Wednesday, that it was okay. I have not had any offers. I’m not looking for another job. In football, and in life in general, things turn up that you have to make decisions about. I have a contract for two more years and I’ll stand by that. I’ve only spoken with them and expect them to speak to more people. They’re looking for a new manager. If they make contact, I’ll make a decision then.”

However, since then, quotes from what Solskjaer thought was a confidential conversation with the club have been leaked to Norwegian newspaper, VG.

“Will you manage Molde until the season ends?” If I get an offer, I’m off. Perhaps after the Hønefoss-game (Next Friday).

“If you leave Molde, will you bring your staff along?” I want Mark Dempsey and Richard Hartis to leave with me.

“If you leave Molde, will you take any players with you?” Yes. I will offer Magnus Wolff Eikrem to come with me.

Solskajer is obviously not at all impressed with the club for revealing this conversation.

“Now we see what game they are playing,” he said. “It’s hard to remember everything I said, but this is roughly what I said. I did say that if Aston Villa wants me, then I have to go. A manager has to be there for pre-season. We all agreed on leaving this in the past and look ahead. Because we all have a job to do at the club. That this is now coming out in public is not good for anyone at the club.”

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Translation by Jonas Giæver

This morning, word from Norway was that Solskjaer was absent from Molde training.

The club have now confirmed that our former striker is in talks with the Premier League club.

“Molde FC is aware of interest and contact from Aston Villa, and that they are talking together.”

In his first year of management last season, Solskjaer won Molde’s first ever league title. The club Solskjaer left to join United regard him as a legend for what he has achieved with them, particularly when you consider Molde finished 11th out of 16 the season before he was appointed.

Personally, I’d hope that Solskjaer remains at Molde and takes his time. They are in the second round of the Champions League qualifying so he should see what he can do with them and pick up valuable experience.

“I don’t think he should rush into it because experience is good and the experience he has got at Molde is a very good one,” Ferguson said last November. “He comes from the area. His wife and family are all back home there. He has won the championship and there is no need to hurry. The time will come and the timing will be important but he is easily capable of coming into English football.”

Although, if Solskjaer does take the job, it would be great to see him every week on Match of the Day and welcome him back at Old Trafford when Villa come to play.

However, it wasn’t all plain sailing and Solskjaer has today admitted to stealing a line Sir Alex Ferguson used on Manchester United players in 1996.

Following the 6-3 defeat to Southampton and 5-0 defeat to Newcastle, Ferguson sat his players down and gave them a talking to.

“If there’s anything about you now lads, I would take all your money, your mortgage, and put it on us winning the league because we will. You’ll never get better odds than now.”

United went on to win the league by 7 points.

Following a 5-0 defeat at Haugesund in May, Solskjaer stole the words of his former manager.

“I could remember it as clear as day,” said Solskjaer in his interview with The Daily Mail. “And of course, United won the league easily.”

Solskjaer has reflected on his time at United and how Ferguson’s model for running a club has rubbed off on him.

“I look at that as the perfect way of running a club,” he said. “In our little world, with different facilities and resources, you have to make it into a mini Manchester United. How the gaffer runs it is a template for everyone. If it’s good enough for United, it’s definitely good enough for Molde. I’ve got to do it my way. I can’t compromise and be someone else. When I was a player I could never be Giggs, Scholes, Beckham, Cantona or Keane. But I could still take bits from David’s mentality or Eric’s ability to improve myself. It’s the same with the gaffer. He’s got a few traits that suit me but others that don’t. I try to make that into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the manager. I don’t need it for the money, the recognition or the success, but I really enjoy it.”

“I don’t think he should rush into it because experience is good and the experience he has got at Molde is a very good one,” he said. “He comes from the area. His wife and family are all back home there. He has won the championship and there is no need to hurry. The time will come and the timing will be important but he is easily capable of coming into English football.”

Ferguson also reflected on what Solskjaer was like as a player and why it has come as no surprise to him that our former striker is now a successful manager.

“My knowledge of Ole as a student of the game is quite clear; every game he played and every training session he took part in he always wrote it all down,” said Ferguson. “That tells you his dedication to learn the game and also his attention to meticulous detail. That gives him a great start because you need dedication and sacrifice to go into management these days. He was a great player and a very nice person. Players will respond to him.”

“All the players have been in touch,” said Ferguson. “I texted him on Saturday thinking he had won the league but he was playing on Sunday. It is a great achievement considering this is his first year. He had a great spell with our reserve team so he wasn’t coming into the job blind but it is fantastic news.”

Interviewer: You’ve been a champion as a player (in England), now you’re a champion as a coach, what does that feel like?

Ole: It’s incredibly fun, and it’s so much fun to watch the boys who haven’t won anything. It’s only Magne (Hoseth) who’s won the league before. They’ve deserved it.

Interviewer: On your first attempt Ole Gunnar, as a coach in Norway, what are your criteria for success?

Ole: Good players. A manager is never better than his players. And they’ve been fantastic. It’s well deserved. Daniel (Berg Hestad) has had this coming for a long time, Magne Hoseth, a lot of young, new players, Magne came on and scored today, who’s a local boy, it’s incredibly fun.

Interviewer: You look remarkably calm, do you feel as calm as you look?

Ole: Yes. (laughs) I’ve won something before.

Interviewer: What’s it like to see your boys like this?

Ole: It’s fun, it’s incredibly fun to see, the boys have been incredible. From day one. And the atmosphere has been fantastic, I saw mid season that they started to believe that this was possible, and I expect us to become even better next year. They’ve won something now, they know what it feels like.

Interviewer: Thank you. How will this be celebrated, Ole Gunnar?

Ole: The boys are going to have a massive night, how long they’ll keep going I have no idea.

Interviewer: So they’re off the leash now?

Ole: Yes, they’re off the leash. They’re off for the week.

Interviewer: And Solskjær himself?

Ole: He’s off for the week as well!

Video

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Translated by Miss United

And then I have the best players in Norway. It’s the players that deserve it, they’ve done it themselves, it’s them that have played the best football in Norway.

But if there’s anyone who deserves it more than anyone it’s you (talking to the fans). You’ve waited a long time, since the match against Fredrikstad May 19th, I think you started believing in something. We played some great football and you were stomping your feet in applause after 20minutes, and continued throughout. We were going to win it ourselves, but like Magne (Hoseth) put it, there isn’t a better way to do it than the way we did it today.”

Video

Another video

20legend

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Thanks to Miss United for the translation.

“Congratulations to him,” said Beckham. “He’s such a great guy. He was a great player but an even better person. It couldn’t have happened to a better person. He’s a gentleman and was one of the best goalscorers in the world, so congratulations to Ole. Maybe he will be Man United manager one day, that would be nice. But for now, I think United are happy with Sir Alex Ferguson. But in the future, who knows? He’s a winner, he loves Manchester United, so you never know what might happen.”

And Solskjaer has won it!