Latest news with #OleGunnarSolskjaer
BBC News
4 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Man Utd 'can't worry about optics'
There is no doubt a fully-motivated, focused and determined Marcus Rashford would walk into Ruben Amorim's in reality, that Rashford has only been seen for one full season since 2021 - and that was the campaign that led to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer getting were signs of the old Rashford during his half season loan at Aston Villa - but there were also games where he did not perform so an unwanted player to Barcelona is bizarre for a club in Manchester United's position. But that is where they are right now. What they have to do is maximise the Old Trafford, they cannot worry about optics. They have to deliver a squad that Amorim can drive up the table.
Irish Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
St Patrick's Athletic boss in FAI Cup draw quip as tough tie awaits the Saints
Stephen Kenny reckons someone was double-jobbing this week - with his St Patrick's Athletic side landing two tough draws within 24 hours of each other. First up was Monday's Europa Conference League third round draw. The reward for progress over Estonian side Nomme Kalju will be a tie against one of two European group stage regulars. Turkish giants Besiktas are managed by former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, while Ukrainians Shakhtar Donetsk won the UEFA Cup in 2009. Then on Tuesday, in the draw for the third round of the FAI Cup, Pat's were handed a home tie against League of Ireland champions Shelbourne. The St Pat's boss quipped: 'I think the same person was doing the two draws! Two tough draws, Shelbourne is a tough game, Pat's v Shels is a great game. As for the prospect of facing either Besiktas or Shakhtar, it wasn't the draw Kenny was after. He said: 'I always want a draw that gives us the best chance of progressing. People want a big one, but I'm always wanting the draw that gives us the best chance of got to the play-off round last season. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . 'Obviously, there is an incentive for both teams when they see the draw. They are big names, Besiktas or Shaktar. There are institutions in their own countries. They have a great pedigree. 'For both teams it's a huge incentive, but from our point of view we want to… European games can be the pinnacle of players' careers. 'We played in Lithuania last week and we go to Estonia next week. You want to continue on that journey and go again. You don't want to stop.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
The National
10 hours ago
- Sport
- The National
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the wheel of Besiktas' push to be a force in Turkey and Europe again
Besiktas and Shakhtar Donetsk face each other on Thursday in the first leg of a Europa League second qualifying round in Istanbul. It is easily the most attractive and difficult fixture of the eight games for what is still an early stage of European competition, with the Ukrainians perennial Uefa Champions League competitors and Besiktas a Turkish giant. The Europa League doesn't offer the riches of the Champions League, but it is a respected tournament and European football is important for both clubs. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer enters his first full season as Besiktas manager after taking over in January when the team were seventh. A superb start saw them rise up the table to finish fourth. Champions Galatasaray and second-placed Fenerbahce were both defeated by Solskjaer's side, but he was always adamant that joining a club mid-season would always bring challenges. It was similar to his circumstances that saw him installed as Manchester United in December 2018. Now, however, the Besiktas team and their coaching staff is his own. Substantial changes have been made in the summer transfer window – although nothing like the 22 players who left before the start of last season – with some high-profile departures. Veteran Italian striker Ciro Immobile, 35, by far the biggest earner at Besiktas, moved to Bologna in Serie A, while former England international Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's deal was ripped up and he was paid off with a severance package, his performances deemed not up to scratch. The incoming players have excited fans. English striker Tammy Abraham, 27, has signed on loan from Roma. Another loan player whose arrival has been welcomed is Turkish international Orkun Kokcu. The 24-year-old midfield playmaker was born and raised as a Besiktas fan in the Netherlands before excellent form at Feyenoord earned him a €25 million move to Benfica in 2023, a record signing for a Portuguese club. There are also high hopes for those returning from loans, including Demir Ege Tiknaz and Kartal Yilmaz. This is a younger, leaner Besiktas, and Solskjaer will be expected to continue the improvement and push harder against the Galatasaray/Fenerbahce duopoly. They finished a massive 33 and 22 points ahead of Besiktas last season respectively. 'It's our team from the start in pre-season and we have worked quite hard and will be ready for the Shakhtar game,' Solskjaer told Turkish media last week. 'We have exciting players coming into the club. We came in and the team was not performing well. It was a difficult period – sixth or seventh position and not looking as a Besiktas team should. The team and fans were low on confidence and belief. 'We managed to turn the ship around and ended up in fourth. We worked hard on the mentality and the fitness. 'The president said he wanted to stabilise the club and we did – the team, energy, training ground and culture. So we have hope for this season. The president has shown ambition in the transfer window." Besiktas had the second-best defence last season. Goalscoring was an issue, starting games too slow also a problem. 'Technically we were not good enough to break teams down in a low block,' added Solskjaer. 'We want to be good in possession, counter attacking and pressing. With Tammy we are a different team with a big centre-forward, With Orkun, the right age, the playmaker, too.' Solskjaer is enjoying his time in Turkey. 'Six months here and I've enjoyed every minute,' he said. 'I'm a stable guy. I've felt the passion here. The atmospheres in the stadium have positively surprised me at home. Incredible. 'The games are so stop start. Players stay down; the ball is in play 45 minutes if you are lucky. For me 60 minutes is normal.' The Norwegian also offered a view on what happens off the pitch. 'I'm very glad I didn't play football myself in this era because of social media,' he said. 'It's a killer. 'Footballers are trying their best every day but it's hard to focus on your job when you get criticised or praised a lot. You lose yourself. We work on this to be mentally stable. We want to create a team that the fans will like to watch. We want to create more legends.' One of Besiktas' best performances last season under Solskjaer was against Eyupsor, managed by Turkish football legend Arda Turan. Eyupspor finished third in the Turkish Lig last season. Besiktas beat them 3-1 away in February. Shakhtar have a new coach: Turan. The 38-year-old is a talented and ambitious coach and he takes over a club in unusual circumstances – and not just because they play in a country at war. Shakhtar's third-place league finish last season, eight points behind Dynamo Kiev, was their lowest since 1996. Domestic champions 16 times since, the club which hail from occupied Donetsk have been Champions League regulars and used the ensuing profits to remain the pre-eminent force in Ukrainian football. Not now. And both sides could have hoped for a more forgiving start to what they hope will be a fruitful European campaign.
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
St Pat's land tough Conference League draw as Shamrock Rovers also learn fate
St Patrick's Athletic have been handed a tough Europa Conference League draw, should they reach the third qualifying round. The Saints - who beat Lithuanian opposition in the first round - are preparing for Thursday's second round, first-leg against Estonian side Nomme Kalju. And if Stephen Kenny's men progress over two legs, they will face either Turkish giants Besiktas or Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine, who play their games at neutral venues. Besiktas are managed by former Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . If St Pat's were to face Besiktas, it would be the second time in as many seasons that they have faced Turkish opposition in Europe after losing to Istanbul Basaksehir. Shamrock Rovers also discovered their potential third round fate in today's draw at UEFA headquarters in Switzerland. Should the Hoops see off St Joseph's of Gibraltar in the second round, they will play either Ballkani of Kosovo or Malta's Floriana in the third round. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Kyle Walker-Peters' versatility makes him a crucial signing for West Ham
If there were a seminar on how to score decisive late goals, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would surely be on the panel. However, if the topic was how to nab a player from under the noses of another club just as he was preparing to put pen to paper, the Norwegian would have to step aside — possibly to make way for a new guest speaker from West Ham United. Solskjaer inflicted plenty of late heartache on other teams during his playing career with Manchester United, but now he is the victim as manager of Besiktas, with West Ham unexpectedly swooping to sign Kyle Walker-Peters on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract at Southampton. The 28-year-old full-back was set to join the Turkish club last Thursday, but they withdrew their offer after Walker-Peters delayed his medical, having been made aware of West Ham's interest. The defender was due to travel to Istanbul with an in-principle agreement in place, but he remained in the UK to finalise his switch to Graham Potter's side instead. Advertisement Walker-Peters, who will wear the No 2 shirt, has signed a three-year deal, with the option of a further year. He becomes West Ham's second summer signing following the arrival of fellow full-back El Hadji Malick Diouf from Slavia Prague last week. The full-back will reunite with ex-Southampton team-mate James Ward-Prowse — and the defender revealed the midfielder also played an important role in his decision to return to the capital, having spent seven years at Tottenham Hotspur before moving to the South Coast club. 'I'm really excited, it feels like it has been a long time coming,' Walker-Peters told West Ham's official website. 'I've been linked a few times, and he's (Ward-Prowse) tried to make it happen. (Over) the last few days, he's been speaking to me and telling me I will enjoy it. I'm really looking forward to it. I think I will settle in really quickly. 'I'm excited to be around Prowsey again — a lot of people probably don't know that he's hilarious. I'm looking forward to sharing the dressing room with him. 'I spoke to Graham Potter, and he was a big, big part of me making the decision. I've always liked his style as a coach, and I think it will suit me well. I like to play with intensity, give my all in every game, and I want to try and achieve special things here. Every team wants to win trophies, and West Ham have that ambition. From speaking to Graham, he wants to create something special, and hopefully I can be a part of that.' Last summer, West Ham held talks with Southampton over Walker-Peters' availability, but a switch failed to materialise. Following Potter's appointment in January, discussions with the recruitment team were held over improving the full-back position, with Aaron Cresswell and Vladimir Coufal set to depart as free agents. Walker-Peters featured among their list of targets, so too did Girona right-back Arnau Martinez. Advertisement But Walker-Peters' Premier League experience was viewed favourably, given he has made over 150 top-flight appearances since making his debut for Spurs in the 2017-18 season. 'We're really pleased that Kyle has agreed to join us,' said Potter. 'He is a player I've always thought highly of and been impressed by whenever he has faced one of my teams. 'He has a really good pedigree, a top professional who has established himself as a respected Premier League player and still has his best years in front of him. He will bring high-quality competition to the squad, and good character and personality to the dressing-room.' Potter intends to rebuild West Ham's squad further, with Liverpool duo Harvey Elliott and Tyler Morton firm targets. Liverpool's £40million ($53.6m) valuation of Elliott has so far proven a stumbling block, while the arrival of Morton is dependent on West Ham freeing up space in their midfield. The club remain open to offers for Andy Irving, Guido Rodriguez and Edson Alvarez. Morton, meanwhile, also has interest from Ajax and Club Brugge. Given Mohammed Kudus' £55m switch to Spurs, the signing of Walker-Peters is a welcome boost for Potter's squad. The former England international registered seven goals and 12 assists during his five-year spell at Southampton. His form under Ralph Hasenhuttl led to then-England manager Gareth Southgate giving him his senior debut in March 2022 in a friendly against Switzerland. The full-back had previously amassed 37 caps for the junior teams from England Under-18s to Under-21s. Walker-Peters can play in either full-back position or as a wing-back, which suits the system Potter is keen to deploy this season. The graphic below shows some of his minutes in midfield for Southampton in 2024-25, which would have been in an advanced wing-back role. As he settles in the forthcoming months, his presence could be most crucial in December and January, with Diouf and Aaron Wan-Bissaka likely to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo, respectively. This is where Walker-Peters' versatility will be key, and it is another reminder of the importance of his arrival. It has been an encouraging start to the window for West Ham. And if Potter's eye for talent is anything to go by, there could be more additions of a similar if not greater calibre.
