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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Samuel Meade

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Man Utd woes seen in new light thanks to Carrington exits

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United tenure blew up as the Norwegian's spell ended with an embarrassing defeat at Watford.

It saw his near three-year stint in the dugout come to an end without yielding a trophy. The interim boss stayed a lot longer than he or the club planned having initially replaced Jose Mourinho in December 2018, before going on to record third and second place finishes.

There was a feeling though that Solskjaer was never going to take United back to the top given his lack of experience and young coaching set-up. He surrounded himself with the likes of Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna - but the pair have gone on to show that they could be among the next set of promising British managers.

It, once again, raises more questions about the Norwegian's managerial credentials. Unknowing to many observers, some of whom criticised those supporting Solskjaer, but McKenna and Carrick could both be on course from promotions in their first jobs.

McKenna took up the post at Ipswich, who've been outside the top flight since 2002, and has won automatic promotion from League One at the first attempt and will be a Championship manager next term. Carrick meanwhile is looking to escape the second tier with Middlesbrough, who are primed for a play-off effort, despite only taking charge in October.

The Tractor Boys have showcased their quality in the third tier, scoring more than anyone and having the best defence. Carrick meanwhile has taken those at the Riverside from the relegation zone to fourth spot, whilst also managing the best player in this year's Championship, Chuba Akpom.

McKenna has heaped praise on Carrick, whom he worked alongside in Manchester, telling Sky Sports : "He's such a fantastic man and someone I consider a good friend. It's such a tough profession and you can never say anything is nailed on. But I never had any doubts he had the capability to do well at whatever he wanted.

"I loved working with him. And I'm happy for him he saw that opportunity at Middlesbrough and found somewhere he could make an impact. He's certainly had a great start there."

McKenna himself, who previously spent time at Tottenham under the likes of Harry Redknapp and Mauricio Pochettino, appears to have taken a different approach to Solskjaer when it comes to his beliefs of a manager.

Among the criticisms of the former United boss were his lack of identity or style. Pundits often commented that the Red Devils had no clear game plan or strategy, which undermined them at times. Solskjaer's side were renowned for falling behind, albeit they had an impressive record and recovering.

McKenna though clearly wants to be in charge of a team who dominate games, adding: "I've always coached my teams at every level to be dominant, brave in their attacking and to look to take the initiatives in games with and without the ball. Then, of course, you work really hard at the training ground to make sure you get it right on the match day.

"Of course there's a difference between working with players at Manchester United to working at this level. But it's a misconception in my opinion that you can't implement a certain style at this level or that you can't do certain things."

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