‘Walking into a stadium suited and booted doesn’t guarantee a win, but it does set the right tone’: Rio Ferdinand hails Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s impact at Manchester United and shares delight at reintroduction of suits on arrival
- Rio Ferdinand has hailed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s work at Manchester United
- The Norwegian caretaker boss has won 10 of his 11 games in charge as caretaker
- He now faces his biggest test to date though as he welcomes PSG on Tuesday
- Ferdinand hailed the decision to bring back club suits when arriving at matches
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has paid tribute to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s transformation at the club just hours before their Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain.
The Norwegian caretaker boss has won 10 of his 11 games in charge since replacing Jose Mourinho before Christmas and has instilled a newfound confidence around the club.
He now faces his biggest test to date though as he welcomes Kylian Mbappe and Co to Old Trafford for the first leg of the last-16 tie on Tuesday night.
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has hailed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s impact
As he made his way up to Old Trafford to analyse the game for BT Sport, Ferdinand posted a lengthy message on Instagram and hailed his former colleague’s success at so far.
He wrote: ‘On my way to OT for tonight & it’s the 1st time in a few yrs I’m going up the motorway not feeling depressed about the goings on at the club both on & off the pitch.
‘Searching for little glimmers of positives to talk about in the studio. Rather than just dissecting performance (which I much prefer), I’m dissecting that & everything else that is wrong with the football club.
‘Ole (and Mick Phelan) were brought in to steady the ship for someone else to come in and take the club forward. But have come in and taken an opportunity & ran with it! They know the club inside out and have the history of the club at the forefront of their thinking every step of the way.
‘What a difference in the atmosphere around our club – a total change, a face lift so to speak. The players have their swagger back, confidence is swarming the place but also as important, Ole has the staff smiling again. What a turnaround.
‘The job is far from done but the club now seems to have gotten its mojo back, there is hope again.’
Solskjaer celebrates scoring the winner against Aston Villa in January 2007 with Ferdinand
The Norwegian caretaker has won 10 of his 11 games in charge since replacing Jose Mourinho
Ferdinand also hailed Solskjaer’s decision to re-introduce club suits as players arrive at matches and the former England international posted the tribute alongside a photo of him wearing the smart attire during his playing days.
He added: ‘I’m looking forward to tonight’s game….just like the old days! PS…it’s all in the detail. A group of men walking into a stadium suited and booted doesn’t guarantee a win but it sure does set the right tone for the football club. Come on @manchesterunited.’
Speaking on Monday, Solskjaer said he was relishing a European fixture at Old Trafford and wanted to ensure his players enjoy the game.
‘My last one (European night) was when we beat Roma 7-1 (in 2007),’ he said. ‘That was a typical Old Trafford night. We’d lost 2-1 away from home but the manager was happy. He said, ‘We’ll be alright, we’ll win at home’, he was so confident in our ability.
‘I want my players to go into this game with confidence and embrace it.’
