Ole’s farewell interview

[RedRonaldo]

How will you and many others fill your time now that he’s gone?

Hopefully watching Man Utd start to play football, perhaps.

 

[BaneIsPain]

Thanks, Ole. Awesome person and a legend.
Unfortunately, he has done the best he could but it'll never be good enough for the club to take the next level.

 

[Galactico]

I don't want to be too cynical and this was maybe a nice idea, but this interview doesn't land for me. Feels strange to put out an interview from an outgoing manager.

I think he wanted to do it. All the recent interviews have been a tough watch but he never shied away. He just wanted to say his peace and leave out the front door. What you see is what you get with Ole. Like he said, he won’t be doing interviews and I would not want to see any others after that one.

 

[Salus Populi Suprema Lex]

Ole is a classy man, and credit to him for facing the cameras; many wouldn't have. He loves the club but recognises it was the end of the road. It must be a relief in many ways; he was a drowning man and the pressure must have been immense. It was an act of mercy to end it, though it should have happened weeks ago.

 

[Eyepopper]

Bizarre to see an interview from a sacked manager like this - I think this is the biggest problem your club needs to overcome - nostalgia and trying to recreate the past is getting you absolutely nowhere.

You support Spurs mate, it's pretty obvious you'd have no relatable experience of having a club legend who'd actually won something with this club wanting to sign off with fans in his own words and on his own terms.

About 5 minutes ago your club captain was telling Gary Neville on Sky he wanted out.

 

[MasterCode]

They should have offered him a director role as soon as his interim manager role was over. Maybe we can do that with Phelan

I think they will, he said see you soon. But I think they want to install the new manager first.

The fallout from certain fans would be too much. Honestly think its going to be Poch and Ole working together with Ole in a Director position next year.

 

[Carl]

As touched on in another thread, we have a segment of fans who are the very opposite of RAWKish - but not in a good way (even though they probably think so themselves). They seem to think that having a "ruthless" mentality makes sense for fans - which is bizarre to say the least.

As you say, it's baffling. I don't understand what it is they get out of the whole...experience.

Incessant moaning unless everything is 100% perfect - either overt whining or (which is even more irritating) passive aggressive sulking.

Or what we're seeing plenty of today - mocking other fans for being sentimental, irrational or - God forbid - romantic.

'Cause spending a ridiculous amount of time (and/or money) on what is essentially an entirely pointless, frivolous pursuit should never be about romanticism - or about anything other than...ambition. I swear, some of these characters genuinely believe they're doing us all a favour by upholding some kind of imaginary "standard" (as though they were out there on the pitch themselves).

It's an odd mixture of anti-sentimentality (utterly misplaced) and extreme delusion (they actually believe other fans, who don't share their joyless stance, are harmful - again, as if these too were performing on the pitch or otherwise had a direct impact on the fortunes of the club).

In short, I don't understand them at all - but then I'm sure they don't understand me either.

Bravo.

 

[Teja]

Man feck you all for complaining. He is an amazing guy, a club legend and he gave the job his absolute best.

One thing I will forever appreciate was that it was never what's good for Ole the manager, it was always what's good for Man Utd in the long term and I very strongly believe he left the club and the squad in a better place than he found it.

Good luck Ole and I hope we see you back in the PL!

 

[Carl]

I don't see a problem with such an interview. Nice bit of closure and leaves on good terms. No point in being bitter about it not working out, it isn't personal.

Also why are people making out that he was forced to do it by the club? He's no longer employed at this point and isn't even wearing the club crest or branding. He literally says in the first few sentences that he wanted to do it to clear the air, and so journalists don't write a load of rubbish; and he won't be doing any other interviews.

God help the next manager with our fans

That's because there isn't a problem with it. It's just that a large portion of our fan base are absolute bellends. I wish I could wish them no success at all.

 

[ericthered76]

This reminds me why United are so different to most other clubs. In a way akin to how the ardent United support still sing old players names years after they have left. No bitterness, real support that stands out a mile from most one dimensional mindsets.

The people who think this is weird, or sad, or in some way something to do with the current poor ownership of the club clearly do not understand the DNA of Manchester United.

Its a class act from a class person for a class football club.

Now lets get back to winning football matches.

 

[stevoc]

As touched on in another thread, we have a segment of fans who are the very opposite of RAWKish - but not in a good way (even though they probably think so themselves). They seem to think that having a "ruthless" mentality makes sense for fans - which is bizarre to say the least.

As you say, it's baffling. I don't understand what it is they get out of the whole...experience.

Incessant moaning unless everything is 100% perfect - either overt whining or (which is even more irritating) passive aggressive sulking.

Or what we're seeing plenty of today - mocking other fans for being sentimental, irrational or - God forbid - romantic.

'Cause spending a ridiculous amount of time (and/or money) on what is essentially an entirely pointless, frivolous pursuit should never be about romanticism - or about anything other than...ambition. I swear, some of these characters genuinely believe they're doing us all a favour by upholding some kind of imaginary "standard" (as though they were out there on the pitch themselves).

It's an odd mixture of anti-sentimentality (utterly misplaced) and extreme delusion (they actually believe other fans, who don't share their joyless stance, are harmful - again, as if these too were performing on the pitch or otherwise had a direct impact on the fortunes of the club).

In short, I don't understand them at all - but then I'm sure they don't understand me either.

Same here mate half of them don't seem to have much if any attachment/connection to the club or the people who have contributed to it's success in the past.

Even now when they've got the thing they've been bitching about for months they're still not happy.

 

[Majima]

who says? The United PR machine?

He actually said it at the beginning that it was his choice. That he has no intentions of entertaining any journos chasing him around, so he wanted to speak 1 time now, to the fans, then leave through the front door.

 

[VanHaal'sRedArmy]

The state of this forum. He's gone because he can't get this team to perform. This is all on him. The blame also goes to the board for carrying on this circus show for this long.
As for how classy the exit interview was... please. Save your drivel. We didn't have an exit interview for Moyes, Van Gaal, or Mourinho. At least be consistent if you're going to do this sort of thing.

 

[He'sRaldo]

He's certainly been brilliant at saying just what the fans want to hear in his 3 years. He's got grown men crying and top reds offering to fight 'plastics' in this thread alone.

Club PR have played a blinder again. Instead of people questioning how the board came to give such a mediocre manager 2(!) contracts everyone is now acting like he was giving up his time for free, and you'd think he'd pulled the club out of its darkest time since Munich to read some of the revisionism (just as a reminder we finished 2nd just 6 months before he was appointed...)

The cult of personality has become all consuming and were it any other club we'd be pissing ourselves.

Good post.

If there's one thing the Utd leadership seems to have visibly learned from this whole Ole experiment, it's that nostalgia + PR is a potent weapon against the fans. One which, under Ole, they've wielded to excellent effect.

 

[shahzy]

This is endemic to this club. Bunch of friends FC. That's all it is

 

[Majima]

Couldn't this have been done after he's had time to soak in that he's been sacked ? If he did this interview next week he wouldn't have been emotionally shot.

He said at the beginning that he wanted to speak one time now, to preempt any journo's chasing him around like what usually happens, and that he wanted to leave through the front door.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

I see absolutely no issue with this. Ole has unsurprisingly proven to not be good enough, but he's conducted himself pretty well throughout and not lashed out senselessly at others. And what's the issue with parting amicably and in a positive spirit? In fact, I'd like to see more of this than the bitter parting of ways that usually happens.

At the same time, there are those on the other extreme that go too far (imo at least) with their fawning and legend talk. It's all a bit much and you'd think he'd have genuinely achieved a lot given how some are reacting, which was an issue throughout his time here.

 

[VidaRed]

He said at the beginning that he wanted to speak one time now, to preempt any journo's chasing him around like what usually happens, and that he wanted to leave through the front door.

Journalists will still hound him and he could have still left through the front door and done this interview after a few days either in person or online from norway.

 

[roonster09]

That was hard to watch, shame it ended like this. He tried his best and it wasn't good enough, no shame in that. I hope he will have superb career.

Some of the posts in this thread are just shit, no doubt these guys read mikeluhg type accounts everyday to form their opinion.

 

[passtheball]

Embarrassing

You can see in that interview why he failed. The job is too big for him. Can you imagine any other big manager in the world agreeing to do this after being fired?

 

[He'sRaldo]

After watching the whole thing, I think Ole comes out of it very well.

He's a human being with interests that transcend money, status, and omg my team not winningest. We all want the team to do well, and Ole would make himself the main cheerleader. Sadly, he wasn't good enough and we are where we are

Ole is one of United's treasures. He should be remembered as such. All the juvenile and disrespectful posts I've seen on this forum make me think Utd fans are outnumbered here by oppo sleeper cells.

If half the people on the Caf displayed the same human qualities as Ole, the world might be a better place.

The only reason Ole championed those "human qualities" above winning was because he wasn't good enough. If he was successful then he would emphasize his success as the most important thing.

Case in point, the way he viewed winning when Jose was in the hot seat was completely different from when it was his own turn. It was only once he went on that disaster of a run that the cultural rebuild rhetoric was out in full force.

 

[He'sRaldo]

When Ole took over we were worried about top four never mind winning premier leagues, this season, yes, we have the squad to challenge (that he built) and he’s failed this season, it’s the first season his momentum went backwards and he’s gone, so what’s wrong with that?

People talk as though we should have leapfrogged two of the best teams in Europe with the two best managers on planet Earth immediately upon his arrival.

Realistic fans didn’t expect it in his first or second season, third season yes, he hasn’t and he’s gone.

Why not? Conte did it, Tuchel did it, and we finished 2nd the season before. No reason why we couldn't have that expectation.

 

[Greck]

it's okay ole. You're a good person, it's really only your managerial ability we crap on. Asa player and a person is one to admire.

 

[Isotope]

You support Spurs mate, it's pretty obvious you'd have no relatable experience of having a club legend who'd actually won something with this club wanting to sign off with fans in his own words and on his own terms.

About 5 minutes ago your club captain was telling Gary Neville on Sky he wanted out.

That's a KO's uppercut there.

 

[bonothom]

I remember LVGs farewell interview. Legend.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Embarrassing

You can see in that interview why he failed. The job is too big for him. Can you imagine any other big manager in the world agreeing to do this after being fired?

Why is it embarrassing? He's been given a great opportunity by the club and has a connect with the fans. There's no reason for him to bitter.

I don't like the fact that he thinks it's all about friendship, being happy at work etc. It should really be all about trophies and excellence in your football. But I can't begrudge him wanting to speak to fans on the end of his tenure. It's perfectly fine.

 

[roonster09]

Can you imagine Jose having a post-sacking interview?

Imagine being so dumb that you can't see what Ole means to the club and comparing with toxic man

It's also easy to see people who didn't watch the interview but just post randomly, at the start itself it was said that it was Ole who wanted to do this.

 

[lenny_1248]

The amount of absolute morons here, Jesus Christ.
Pathetic cnuts.

 

[RUCK4444]

Why not? Conte did it, Tuchel did it, and we finished 2nd the season before. No reason why we couldn't have that expectation.

With all the work we needed to do to steady the ship? Nonsense.

We had tonnes of deadwood to shift for a start and it was a shockingly bad atmosphere around the squad and the club in general.

Nobody here was expecting a league win in Ole’s first season.

 

[Majima]

Journalists will still hound him and he could have still left through the front door and done this interview after a few days either in person or online from norway.

Yeah that's true. Guess he just wanted it to be as dignified as possible.

 

[Daengophile]

Those who hold OGS responsible for this footballing demise need to look a lot deeper at where the rot came from

In the real world the coaching and playing staff should all be interviewed with no holds barred

 

[lefty_jakobz]

Legend.

Sad to see it end like it did.

 

[Winrar]

I don't know how he was allowed to be in this club for over 3 years with no signs of progress and trophies to show for it.

That said it's ultimately not his fault that he was kept on for this long - I still have a level of sympathy because he clearly tried to make it work and wasn't a toxic shitbag as he left like Jose.

 

[Adnan07]

If something like this happened five years ago, the comments here would mostly be supportive, and sympathetic. The forum is become more vile and toxic lately. With many new members showing no true attachment to the club and what it means.I know its a result business and we haven't been great at all but Manchester united has never been just about results. The romance isn't just about the trophies won, it encapsulates all the ups and downs, the wins, comebacks, failures. The players, and the fans, being together through all the highs and lows. Its always been a family, from Bushby to Sir Alex.
Ole was part of that fabric, that DNA. Yes, he wasn't successful and wasn't a right choice to take us back to the top but the man deserves credit for all he has done. He did his best to bring back a broken family and he did.He loved the club to bits, A legend for the club during his career, and a thorough gentleman. He does deserve a bit of respect, not the abuse being thrown around in twitter and on here.

 

[Fox_Chrys]

When has this ever happened before, manager told to leave and then does parting interview officially for club?

Fair play to him though, many managers tend to take digs when they leave a club.

 

[JB7]

As touched on in another thread, we have a segment of fans who are the very opposite of RAWKish - but not in a good way (even though they probably think so themselves). They seem to think that having a "ruthless" mentality makes sense for fans - which is bizarre to say the least.

As you say, it's baffling. I don't understand what it is they get out of the whole...experience.

Incessant moaning unless everything is 100% perfect - either overt whining or (which is even more irritating) passive aggressive sulking.

Or what we're seeing plenty of today - mocking other fans for being sentimental, irrational or - God forbid - romantic.

'Cause spending a ridiculous amount of time (and/or money) on what is essentially an entirely pointless, frivolous pursuit should never be about romanticism - or about anything other than...ambition. I swear, some of these characters genuinely believe they're doing us all a favour by upholding some kind of imaginary "standard" (as though they were out there on the pitch themselves).

It's an odd mixture of anti-sentimentality (utterly misplaced) and extreme delusion (they actually believe other fans, who don't share their joyless stance, are harmful - again, as if these too were performing on the pitch or otherwise had a direct impact on the fortunes of the club).

In short, I don't understand them at all - but then I'm sure they don't understand me either.

Perfectly put. Should be pinned on every page.

 

[Majima]

With all the work we needed to do to steady the ship? Nonsense.

We had tonnes of deadwood to shift for a start and it was a shockingly bad atmosphere around the squad and the club in general.

Nobody here was expecting a league win in Ole’s first season.

The reason why nobody ever expected Ole to challenge for leagues after Jose, and @He'sRaldo is alluding to, is that he was forever a caretaker manager in fans eyes, so the expectations were never there from day one.

If we brought in a Tuchel or Conte for e.g back then, I highly doubt we would have been talking about steadying the ship for long. Like that expectation before Ole was placed on LVG & Mourinho regardless.

The culture reset narrative the club peddled was simply an excuse to try to justify him not ever being able to compete.

 

[Foxbatt]

This is why it makes me so mad. It could have been so different. He could have got better coaches who would get the best out of this lot yet he got inexperienced coaches who have never coached at this level. All of them. None of them successful in the past. This what got Ole the sack. Not because he is a poisonous old codger like Jose.

 

[The Red Thinker]

I'm keeping a note of all the morons here who insult and disparage Ole even after he's left. One thing to be bitter, the other to actually not understand what this club is about.

The last 2 months have been hell. But, people on here pretending we didn't finish 2nd last season. He's built a good strong squad. He's overseen a massive overhaul of the scouting system, data analysis and the overall spirit of what this club's about. This was the year it would take off and Ole should have challenged for the title. But it fell apart. It happens. He failed to hire the right coaches and it backfiredTo hate him like he's some fecking mercenary is disgraceful. Some of you really don't get it. 20LEGEND.

 

[JB7]

I don't know how he was allowed to be in this club for over 3 years with no signs of progress and trophies to show for it.

That said it's ultimately not his fault that he was kept on for this long - I still have a level of sympathy because he clearly tried to make it work and wasn't a toxic shitbag as he left like Jose.

How fecking stupid do you need to be to not see 6th, 3rd, 2nd as a sign of progress?