Let’s think about this for a moment.
Imagine you’ve got a swanky joint that’s held its own for eons, the very mention of which would send ripples of awe coursing down the spine of everyone from the simple grocer down the street to even the snooty darlings of high society.
All thinking nothing of queueing up hours for a table and be a part of the mystique and magic of the pervasive aura the place exudes.
Then, over the months the queues start dwindling and now only a few stragglers and diehard regulars are around to make the numbers, hoping that the gastronomic flavours would somehow find their way back onto tables. Everything and everyone seem to be in place – the cooks, the waiting staff, the décor and the ambience, and even the menu. So what’s causing the rot? Ever thought of perhaps replacing the executive chef?
It’s simply a case of shapes and sizes. Square pegs can never fit into round holes. Nor would round pegs of the wrong size fit into round holes whose sizes do not correspond. Solution? Make sure all the pegs are of the right shapes and sizes to ensure perfect fits snug and tight. Voila! Rocket science genius? Nope, just plain common sense.
Sure, the man did an appreciably decent job with an above average success rate when he was first enlisted to fill just a caretaker role. Which, to be fair to him, he actually delivered on. And then came the unexpected (?) slide.
One that’s alarmingly turning into what could even be a steep downward spiral, if the brakes aren’t applied immediately.
There have been calls mounting for some time, and especially of late, pushing for the urgent removal of Ole Gunnar Solskjær and for Ed Woodward to be moved to another role where his talents for corporate governance and growing the corporate coffers could be better utilised. Gotta admit both calls do make a lot of sense.
In the case of Solskjær, the heckles have been getting increasingly louder and more voluminous. To the extent that the ominous question pondering on the minds of his critics and detractors is – how did this Norwegian bloke get to where he is today continuously getting away with his astronomical blunders at Old Trafford?
To better understand the predicament, it would perhaps be needful to do a quick backtrack.
Unceremoniously, and rightfully then, Solskjær the footballer was playing for Clausenengen and Molde, two clubs in his home country of Norway before being signed on to play as a second stringer for Manchester United in 1996. However, and to his credit, so effective was he at exhibiting one trait in particular that he very quickly became a regular fixture in the main team, to the surprise and chagrin of some. (To be continued in Part 2)