Molde and the homecoming of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Ole Gunnar Solskjær. Despite being nigh on impossible for most non-Norwegian to pronounce, this is most likely the most famous Norwegian name worldwide. And it may be the only Norwegian name people from Ghana, China, Austria and Australia all know.

There’s no need for me to talk much about his playing career. A playing career that saw him come from being a solid performer in the third tier at 18 with Clausengen, to tearing up the Tippeligaen with Molde at 21, to becoming one of the most recognisable faces in world football after scoring in his Manchester United debut at 23.

But that’s history. He can’t live off the numerous Premiership titles, clinching the Champions League in injury time, and being a man that is virtually without enemies in the footballing world (Robert Lee may disagree). Now, like football legends before him, he takes the step from the pitch and into the dugout. But this case is different, at least in Norway. Never before has a player of this standing come home to manage a side. Never before has the media hyped up a return like this. And the entire city of Molde are putting their hopes on a young man that has handled pressure as a player.

Late in 2010, the rumours started buzzing. Molde were without a coach, as Uwe Rösler had stated over and over again, that he’d leave the club despite keeping them up. Solskjær himself said just earlier in the year that he felt he was too green to manage at senior level at that point. That didn’t help with the media, who were constantly asking Ole if he was coming home. The answer was the same every time: “I don’t feel ready”.

But on 8 November 2010, Norwegian newspapers could confirm that the press conference Molde FK had called was to announce the homecoming of perhaps the biggest legend this country has ever seen. Molde’s board members were all interviewed, and even though they all declined to comment, you could see that their smiles told more than their words. It was time.

The day after, when the time had finally come for the “mysterious” press conference, and Ole walked into the room, the press rose to their feet and gave him a standing ovation. I don’t know how it is around the world, but in a country which is seen as cold, that really is something special. When asked why he chose to say yes, he answered: “The boss said that I had to choose a club that had owners and people that I trusted. I knew it was right”.

Now the hype has died down. It’s much calmer with everything in Norway now. Clubs are spending a lot less money, but Molde have been somewhat of an exception, as they have rich owners who have opened their wallets. Not just to get Ole, but to give him the squad the club needs to challenge in their centenary season. The first new face at the club was a familiar one, Magnus Eikrem. Eikrem came with Ole from his reserve squad at Manchester United, and had even been in a few squads with the first team. Børre Stenslid, Joshua Gatt and Davy Claude Angan soon followed, and it was a young squad that looked to start pre-season.

As expected when you have a new manager, and quite a few new players, the pre-season has been iffy to say the least. They opened with a scraping win over second division side Kristiansund, before drawing 1-1 with Ukrainian side Karpat Lviv. But it was the destruction at the hands of Tromsø that made the press question Solskjær and his men. Molde conceded five goals, and scored just one through Hoseth.

Solskjær denied that he was troubled, and felt nothing was wrong. There have been a lot of different formations tested, different players in different positions, and young players getting the chance. However, after the Tromsø loss, Molde are undefeated. The true test will come when they play three English sides this week. Bolton, Coventry and Wigan are all sides that are, depending on who plays, on par with their arch rivals Rosenborg. (Molde lost 1-0 to Bolton and beat Coventry 2-0 – Ed).

But there is more to football than what happens on the pitch. Molde have never sold more season tickets. And that does say quite a lot in a league where attendances have slipped the last few seasons. There is an undeniable buzz in Molde. Whether it is down to the 100 year anniversary or Ole is uncertain, but my money is on option two. Even I, as a Brann supporter, have to admit that there is something special in the air for this season, something even my Anglophile friends have started to talk about.

On 18 March, we will see the first signs to whether or not there is a Solskjær effect. I hope there’s some, and wish him all the best, because he is something special, something that football everywhere will never have enough of.

Vegard Rinne is a contributor to Just Football specialising in Scandinavian football. Follow him on Twitter @therealvegard.

(photo credit: AFP / Cornelius Poppe)

Molde, Norway, Norwegian Football, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer