Which goals does Ole most cherish?
TranscriptOn the anniversary of his appointment, find out the moments the boss feels have been the best in the two years...
Also this weekend is your two-year anniversary since taking over. Does it feel like that? Or just a few weeks? “It’s gone very quickly, but then again some might say it looks like it’s been a few more years than it has! It’s been an adventure and I really enjoy it. You don’t really get time to think about it, which is why it feels like it’s gone so quickly. There’s a game, and then a few days after there’s another game. If you do well, you’ve always got to do the next one better. That’s what we’re here for. We’re here to raise the standards and we’re just gradually getting better and better.” In your time actually, almost old school qualities like comebacks and never-say-die-attitude… is it fair to say that’s part of what you’ve brought back to the club? “I hope so. I hope the players buy into my values. I know they are, because the ones who don’t , they’re not going to last that long. We have players now with better character, I feel, better resilience and robustness. We cannot give in. It’s happened so many times for us that we have to make comebacks, great comebacks like the Southampton one, for example, which was a fantastic way of winning the game at the end. That attitude is something I look for in a player, yeah.” If you had to pick out the best moment since you returned, what would you say? “Probably the PSG away game. The way we fought back and last minute Marcus scores the penalty and the dressing room after, with Sir Alex and Eric, that’s a moment I’ll always remember. Then again we lost in the next round, so it doesn’t really matter. The best moment will be when we lift a trophy.” Sorry to throw this one at you, but if you had to pick your three favourite goals that come to mind from your time in charge? “That’s not easy, there’s been so many. Marcus’s first goal against Cardiff, a free-kick in the first three or four minutes, is like a fantastic start for me and the staff coming in. One of the last goals we’ve scored, as I’ ve just mentioned at Southampton. Marcus’s penalty against PSG of course. Marcus is involved in quite a few of these, to be honest! The counter-attacking goal against Brighton, fantastic. The counter-attacking goal against Arsenal in the cup, when Jesse scored. That’s maybe one of my favourite ones, because we showed the boys how many times we’ve done that to Arsenal. It’s in our genes those counter-attacking goals, and I love seeing them, I have to say. Against Sheffield United, we had the great turn by Paul and the quick exchange of passes, one and two touch, it’s in the net. I’ve got to say there’s been so many moments, but I hope there’ll be better moments too.” Is there a best fans vocal performance in your time? I don’t know whether it was when you first walked back down the tunnel at Old Trafford, or maybe there was an away game? Anything that sticks out as unbelievable support? “The two wins against Man City last season in the league of course. Away, at the Etihad, my two sons were there. They absolutely loved it. Our fans were unbelievable, but then the last minute, the 2-0 goal for Scott the last time we had fans in our stadium. I think probably that is the most I’ve felt that the crowd enjoyed what we were doing.”