Former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has branded modern professionals as ‘snowflakes’, admitting that his time at Old Trafford in the dugout was very different to his time as a player.
The Norweigan spent 11 years with the Red Devils, racking up over 350 appearances for the club and helping them to a historic 1999 treble by scoring an injury time winner against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.
He then returned in 2018 for a three year spell in charge of the club as manager, before being sacked in November 2021, helping the Red Devils to a second-placed finish and a Europa League final, where they were defeated on penalties by Villarreal.
Manchester United v Aston Villa – Premier League MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 25: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manager of Manchester United with Bruno Fernandes after the Premier League match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford on September 25, 2021 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
And, comparing the two dressing rooms, Solskjaer revealed that there was a major difference, noting the ease with which modern players would take offence and their lack of thick skin.
“The lads in that dressing room [as a player] were absolutely fantastic”, he began. “Keano was the leader, the one everyone looked up to. David May was the joker, the clown. Gary (Neville) is still the busiest and was the busiest back then as well. Nicky (Butt) and Giggsy (Ryan Giggs) were the entertainers.
“It was just a fantastic dressing room. Winners, who hated losing. They had a few fights, like you should do, after bad games. You had to shake each other up.”
Though no players were mentioned by name, it is hard not to imagine that he was talking about his time at Old Trafford, having not been in management since.