Gary Nev on Ole's first day at United

mitchmouse

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Hope this hans't been posted already. It made me giggle:

Speaking on Sky Sports' Off Script podcast, Neville said: “The one that stands out for me is the first time that Ole ever walked into the changing room at The Cliff in '96, '97, something like that.

“And honestly he walked in with what I can only describe as, think of a jumper from the 1970s in Yorkshire.

“Woollen, bobbly, you're thinking 'What's this?'. Honestly, no word of a lie, I genuinely thought he must have won a competition like as a fan from Norway or something.

“He walked in, he looked about nine, he walked in and he was like very thin, he had this jumper on, which I always mention to him.”
 

lsd

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Hope this hans't been posted already. It made me giggle:

Speaking on Sky Sports' Off Script podcast, Neville said: “The one that stands out for me is the first time that Ole ever walked into the changing room at The Cliff in '96, '97, something like that.

“And honestly he walked in with what I can only describe as, think of a jumper from the 1970s in Yorkshire.

“Woollen, bobbly, you're thinking 'What's this?'. Honestly, no word of a lie, I genuinely thought he must have won a competition like as a fan from Norway or something.

“He walked in, he looked about nine, he walked in and he was like very thin, he had this jumper on, which I always mention to him.”

The best striker we have had in Fergie times no doubt about it . I've never seen anyone so clinical in front of goal . Ice cold
 

TwoSheds

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The best striker we have had in Fergie times no doubt about it . I've never seen anyone so clinical in front of goal . Ice cold
Much as I love Ole, are you feeling OK? You realise we've had Le Roi, Ruud, Rooney and RVP play for us right?
 

FrankDrebin

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Hope this hans't been posted already. It made me giggle:

Speaking on Sky Sports' Off Script podcast, Neville said: “The one that stands out for me is the first time that Ole ever walked into the changing room at The Cliff in '96, '97, something like that.

“And honestly he walked in with what I can only describe as, think of a jumper from the 1970s in Yorkshire.

“Woollen, bobbly, you're thinking 'What's this?'. Honestly, no word of a lie, I genuinely thought he must have won a competition like as a fan from Norway or something.

“He walked in, he looked about nine, he walked in and he was like very thin, he had this jumper on, which I always mention to him.”
I think this is one of the most boring anecdotes I've ever read.
Man walks into changing room wearing a jumper.
 

Inigo Montoya

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Much as I love Ole, are you feeling OK? You realise we've had Le Roi, Ruud, Rooney and RVP play for us right?
He’s talking about pure finishing and I’d have to say I agree. He was unerring in front of goal and didn’t really need a second opportunity.

The strikers you mention apart from RVN had considerable ability all over the pitch and it was posted a couple f days ago about a match where Cantona played all over the place and dominated the game. Whether it was left,right or even in the air Ole was superb.
 

lsd

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He’s talking about pure finishing and I’d have to say I agree. He was unerring in front of goal and didn’t really need a second opportunity.

The strikers you mention apart from RVN had considerable ability all over the pitch and it was posted a couple f days ago about a match where Cantona played all over the place and dominated the game. Whether it was left,right or even in the air Ole was superb.

Yeah Ole was by far our best finisher . I know some hate on him because he is manager but that shouldn't take away from his ability in front of goal .

He could be on the pitch for a matter of seconds but gave him a sight of goal and its in the net
 

Adam-Utd

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He’s talking about pure finishing and I’d have to say I agree. He was unerring in front of goal and didn’t really need a second opportunity.

The strikers you mention apart from RVN had considerable ability all over the pitch and it was posted a couple f days ago about a match where Cantona played all over the place and dominated the game. Whether it was left,right or even in the air Ole was superb.
2 footed as well lets not forget, the goal away to Lille especially was a really good finish! probably my favourite Ole goal apart from the obvious.
 

lsd

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2 footed as well lets not forget, the goal away to Lille especially was a really good finish! probably my favourite Ole goal apart from the obvious.

There was a volley he scored from the edge of the box i can't remember who against where he just caught it so cleanly it took your breath away .

His best ability for me was the amount of goals he scored where it looked like he had no angle or clear shot but he just unerringly would find the corner of the net
 

rotherham_red

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The best striker we have had in Fergie times no doubt about it . I've never seen anyone so clinical in front of goal . Ice cold
I'd have him 5th:

Eric
Ruud
Rooney
Cole
Ole

Honourable mentions to Saha, Yorke, etc who didn't make the cut as they didn't have the influence and/or longevity of those on the list. Ronaldo was effectively a winger for most of his time here also.
 

NICanRed

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All good suggestions but the "Little Pea" deserves a shout too if were talking about those who were efficient in the box.
 
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Amarsdd

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In terms of the legend status for a striker, I think he's only behind Eric and maybe Rooney in the Sir Alex era.
 

Eriku

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There was a volley he scored from the edge of the box i can't remember who against where he just caught it so cleanly it took your breath away .

His best ability for me was the amount of goals he scored where it looked like he had no angle or clear shot but he just unerringly would find the corner of the net
Sturm Graz


So incredibly calm and patient, and catches it perfectly. Volleys were something he did really well. Same goes for nutmegging the goalkeeper or disguising a shot by directing defenders and shooting through their legs. I second the sentiment that he’s a solid contender for best finisher we’ve had at United.
 

LInkash

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Much as I love Ole, are you feeling OK? You realise we've had Le Roi, Ruud, Rooney and RVP play for us right?
I'm guessing he meant "in 'fergie time", as in the dying seconds of a game.
 

Zlaatan

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He was a fantastic striker no doubt but he wouldn't have become known as a super sub if he was the best we had.
 

devilish

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Yeah Ole was by far our best finisher . I know some hate on him because he is manager but that shouldn't take away from his ability in front of goal .

He could be on the pitch for a matter of seconds but gave him a sight of goal and its in the net
A better finisher to RvN or even Ronaldo? I doubt it.
 

Craig Ward

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A better finisher to RvN or even Ronaldo? I doubt it.
Ole was a MUCH better finisher than both RVP and Ronaldo.

Our most clinical finishers have been: Ruud, Ole, Hernandez.

Likes of RVP, Ronaldo, Rooney, Saha, Cole, Yorke, Cantona, Sheringham were amazing forwards/strikers but nowhere near as clinical as those 3
 

Inigo Montoya

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I'd have him 5th:

Eric
Ruud
Rooney
Cole
Ole

Honourable mentions to Saha, Yorke, etc who didn't make the cut as they didn't have the influence and/or longevity of those on the list. Ronaldo was effectively a winger for most of his time here also.
Ah but don’t forget how inconsistent Coke was for the first season; he would score but often needed two or three chances. The 99 season he really came of age. Ole just hit the ground running
 

Inigo Montoya

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He was a fantastic striker no doubt but he wouldn't have become known as a super sub if he was the best we had.
Remember we had Cole and Yorke who clicked beautifully. No way we weren’t going to start with anyone else.
Ole had the chance to join Spurs and be a regular starter but chose not to at the start of the 99 season
Sheringham and Ole were the epitome of super subs
 

reddevil80

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He was an outstandingly clinical finisher, he was an assassin and, if the reports are right and he has given Haaland tips on technique and little tricks on the pitch, then this must surely be further evidence of his striking prowess.
 

devilish

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He really was. Ruud and Ronaldo (in his last couple of seasons) obviously were better players and scored more goals overall, but in terms of pure clinical finishing ability Ole was the best.
Ronaldo was the best player Sir Alex had. He was better then everything in almost anything. The fact that he scored 118 goals in 282 appearances is staggering especially since he to United as an 18 year old, he left prior to his prime and was played mostly playing on the flanks. Ruud only brought goals to the table. He was the typical goal poacher of the time, a selfish player who slept, woke up and lived thinking of goals. Most players in Sir Alex time brought more to table then Ruud did, Ole included. Both played during a time when the EPL was tougher then the one faced by Ole and both had a higher goal ratio then Ole did (0.68 for Ruud, 0.40 for Ronaldo, 0.34 for Ole)

Prior to Ole's arrival, Sir Alex wanted a top class goal poacher. He went for Batistuta and Shearer until he settled for Cole. Cole was a player ahead of his time. He brought far more to the table then the typical striker of the time whose life depended on how many goals he scored. Yet Sir Alex wasn't happy with that. In fact during the time he kept tabs on Batistuta, he tried to sign Marcelo Salas, if my information is correct he tried to get Fowler as well and then he signed Ruud. Still during the time when Ole was in his prime he refused to give the top job to him. Throughout his career Ole was also played as a RW and there was a time when he was on sale. That's not exactly how one of the finest finishers would be treated at a time when the manager wanted a world class goal poacher.

So I think there's a bit of a revision of history here. Which is quite human tbh. On one side you had RVN who was an A class cnut and Ronaldo left the club who was so instrumental to his success long before he hit his prime. On the other hand you have a top top professional who truly loved United, a guy whose so nice that even an ageing and sour Keane finds it impossible to say a bad word against. His main perk was his finishing. So its natural to look at Sir Alex Ferguson's successful history and pinpoint him rather then the latter as top of the class on this particular skill. People tend to like rewarding the good guys.

What I do believe is that Ole was the biggest team player and more intelligent of the lot. He was able to read the game without actually being in it and use his more limited skill set (vi's a vis Ronaldo) not only to be lethal up front but also to help his team mates in other areas like defending. Which kind of explains why his mates adored him.
 
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stevoc

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Ronaldo was the best player Sir Alex had. He was better then everything in almost anything. The fact that he scored 118 goals in 282 appearances is staggering especially since he to United as an 18 year old, he left prior to his prime and was played mostly playing on the flanks. Ruud only brought goals to the table. He was the typical goal poacher of the time, a selfish player who slept, woke up and lived thinking of goals. Most players in Sir Alex time brought more to table then Ruud did, Ole included. Both played during a time when the EPL was tougher then the one faced by Ole and both had a higher goal ratio then Ole did (0.68 for Ruud, 0.40 for Ronaldo, 0.34 for Ole)

Prior to Ole's arrival, Sir Alex wanted a top class goal poacher. He went for Batistuta and Shearer until he settled for Cole. Cole was a player ahead of his time. He brought far more to the table then the typical striker of the time whose life depended on how many goals he scored. Yet Sir Alex wasn't happy with that. In fact during the time he kept tabs on Batistuta, he tried to sign Marcelo Salas, if my information is correct he tried to get Fowler as well and then he signed Ruud. Still during the time when Ole was in his prime he refused to give the top job to him. Throughout his career Ole was also played as a RW and there was a time when he was on sale. That's not exactly how one of the finest finishers would be treated at a time when the manager wanted a world class goal poacher.

So I think there's a bit of a revision of history here. Which is quite human tbh. On one side you had RVN who was an A class cnut and Ronaldo left the club who was so instrumental to his success long before he hit his prime. On the other hand you have a top top professional who truly loved United, a guy whose so nice that even an ageing and sour Keane finds it impossible to say a bad word against. His main perk was his finishing. So its natural to look at Sir Alex Ferguson's successful history and pinpoint him rather then the latter as top of the class on this particular skill. People tend to like rewarding the good guys.

What I do believe is that Ole was the biggest team player and more intelligent of the lot. He was able to read the game without actually being in it and use his more limited skill set (vi's a vis Ronaldo) not only to be lethal up front but also to help his team mates in other areas like defending. Which kind of explains why his mates adored him.
People are saying he was a better finisher not a better striker, Ole wasn't a world class striker which is why as you allude to Ferguson never really fancied him as first choice no9. The likes of Cole and especially Ruud brought much more to the table.

And for whats its worth Ferguson never wanted to sell Solkskjaer that was Edwards. And i highly doubt the Fowler link.
 

DRM

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I'd have him 5th:

Eric
Ruud
Rooney
Cole
Ole

Honourable mentions to Saha, Yorke, etc who didn't make the cut as they didn't have the influence and/or longevity of those on the list. Ronaldo was effectively a winger for most of his time here also.
Christ on a bike we really were spoilt under Fergie weren't we :drool:
 

devilish

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People are saying he was a better finisher not a better striker, Ole wasn't a world class striker which is why as you allude to Ferguson never really fancied him as first choice no9. The likes of Cole and especially Ruud brought much more to the table.

And for whats its worth Ferguson never wanted to sell Solkskjaer that was Edwards. And i highly doubt the Fowler link.
I understand that and I still disagree to it. Both with Ole being the best finisher and ruud bringing more to the table to Ole.

To conclude the guy who told me about Fowler is someone who knew Houllier personally. Enough for him to call him regularly on the phone.
 

stevoc

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I understand that and I still disagree to it. Both with Ole being the best finisher and ruud bringing more to the table to Ole
It’s fine that you disagree mate but all I’m saying is I agree that Solskjaer was never good enough for Ferguson to consider him first choice. But that also doesn’t invalidate someone having the opinion that Solskjaer was the best finisher at the club during the Ferguson years.


To conclude the guy who told me about Fowler is someone who knew Houllier personally. Enough for him to call him regularly on the phone.
Fair enough mate your friend might be just passing on what he heard but personally i still don't believe Ferguson was after Fowler though. Plus i don't rate Fowler as highly as some (especially Liverpool fans) seem to.
 

devilish

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It’s fine that you disagree mate but all I’m saying is I agree that Solskjaer was never good enough for Ferguson to consider him first choice. But that also doesn’t invalidate someone having the opinion that Solskjaer was the best finisher at the club during the Ferguson years.
Look we can agree to disagree and to be fair we're arguing on very small margins here. I mean we can all agree that RVN, Ole and Ronaldo were world class finishers in their own right. I hope that my post is not interpreted as criticism towards Ole as a finisher either. He was among the best we ever had. However I do like to give credit when its due. For example I think that Ole was one of the most intelligent strikers we had and a great team player . Its never easy for a player of relatively limited skill (when compared to the likes of Ronaldo) to come out of the bench and be immediately effective. If that's skill is rare then having a typical 90s goal poacher whose also altruistic and can understand the need to defend deep and close gaps when needed is as common as breathable oxygen in space. That is where, I believe, Ole deserves credit.

Fair enough mate your friend might be just passing on what he heard but personally i still don't believe Ferguson was after Fowler though. Plus i don't rate Fowler as highly as some (especially Liverpool fans) seem to.
I don't rate Fowler that highly either and in my opinion we would have ended worse off with him around. Fowler wasn't just inferior to the likes of RVN, Shearer and Batigol but he was also an A Class cnut with a poisonous tongue. He was such a cnut that even Liverpool fans who knew him secretly hated it. At Liverpool he was tolerated mainly because he was a homegrown talent and one of their top players. However that would have changed with us especially with the likes of Keane and Schmeichel who tend not to take shit so lightly.

Let's say that Collymore wasn't the only bullet we dodged at the time.
 

Jonno

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It seems he's been downgraded somewhat because of this "super-sub" label and partly because he's a manager who's divided opinion. Shame.

Worth noting his comparison to Shearer.

Average, overrated - Solskjaer - 153 minutes per goal
Greatest striker in premier league history - Shearer - 147 minutes per goal

Incredible finisher.
 

Jonno

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It’s fine that you disagree mate but all I’m saying is I agree that Solskjaer was never good enough for Ferguson to consider him first choice. But that also doesn’t invalidate someone having the opinion that Solskjaer was the best finisher at the club during the Ferguson years.
You say that, but he actually was first choice quite a lot in his earlier years. Regularly banging in 18, 19, 20 and even 28 goals per season. People forget that.
 

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It seems he's been downgraded somewhat because of this "super-sub" label and partly because he's a manager who's divided opinion. Shame.

Worth noting his comparison to Shearer.

Average, overrated - Solskjaer - 153 minutes per goal
Greatest striker in premier league history - Shearer - 147 minutes per goal

Incredible finisher.
He was fecking dearer.

But please don't take my Solskjaer away.
 

FlawlessThaw

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Here's Ole and Gaz talking today

Haven't watched it yet but think this is a good move by Ole.
 

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All nice and interesting, but no one is talking about most important thing. What does it look like, "jumper from the 1970s in Yorkshire."