Clubs must think long-term, says Man Utd's Solskjaer after Bilic sacking

Bilic helped West Brom gain promotion to the Premier League, but was sacked after a dismal start to the season left it second-bottom with one win in 13 games.

Published : Dec 16, 2020 20:43 IST

Solskjaer, who sympathised with Bilic, is also under scrutiny after his side was knocked out in the Champions League group stages last week.
Solskjaer, who sympathised with Bilic, is also under scrutiny after his side was knocked out in the Champions League group stages last week.
lightbox-info

Solskjaer, who sympathised with Bilic, is also under scrutiny after his side was knocked out in the Champions League group stages last week.

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he sympathised with Slaven Bilic after the Croatian was sacked by West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday and stressed on the need for clubs to think about long-term continuity rather than instant results.

Bilic helped West Brom gain promotion to the Premier League but was sacked after a dismal start to the season left it second-bottom with one win in 13 games.

Solskjaer is also under scrutiny after his side was knocked out in the Champions League group stages last week.

READ |

"I think these times in a pandemic and what's happened has made everyone sit back and think... I'm very sad to hear Slaven has lost his job. He did a great job getting them promotion," Solskjaer told reporters.

"I've known him for years and I'm sure he'll get a job again.

"Hopefully more and more clubs will think long term. It's a short term business and you need short term results, but everyone knows that continuity is the key to success and sometimes they don't have the patience for it."

The spotlight is also firmly on Sheffield United's Chris Wilder, with the Blades bottom of the league on one point from 12 games ahead of Manchester United's visit on Thursday.

ALSO READ |

"It's not a nice position to be in as a manager, you want your players to be playing with confidence, thinking and believing they can win the game," Solskjaer added.

"At Cardiff (City), it was a new experience, a learning experience and a valuable one. I didn't enjoy it, with the results and relegation we got, but as a manager you're one of very few if you're not going to feel the pressure at one point.

"I felt it and Chris, Slaven whoever feels that pressure are mentally strong enough, because you have to be."

Solskjaer said striker Edinson Cavani was a doubt for the trip while injured fringe players Phil Jones (knee) and Marcos Rojo (calf) should be ready next month.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment