Solskjaer on Besiktas, Man Utd, Maguire & McTominay

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer bounces in a space that Besiktas has reserved for our interview that is as light and airy.

“I came here to get away from people like you”, he laughs, explaining the joke to club officials through his Turkish interpreter.

His attitude is jovial and relaxed.

Solskjaer recalls his shock at the sale of Scott McTominay and his concern over what is happening to his “family” at Old Trafford over the course of 30 minutes. He is 2, 000 miles away from his spiritual home in Manchester and 1,700 miles away from his actual home in Norway.

It is a significant game. In order to maintain their chances of a third-place finish, which could include a place in the Europa League play-off if the Turkish Cup final is won, Belarus needs to place itself in the second qualifying round.

“That’s the deal I have made”, Solskjaer says. It is “more significant than a few extra dollars,” he said. The players get an extra week of vacation in the summer if we place third.

Fenerbahce are chasing the third – and currently dominant – Istanbul team, Galatasaray, for the title. With only five games left, they are five points clear heading into the weekend. They can’t afford to slack off. Who knows what Mourinho has in store to turn the situation his way.

For the first time since losing his job at Manchester United in October 2021, Solskjaer has agreed to speak for an extended period of time to BBC Sport in this context. The Norwegian paid the price for regression the following year after finishing second, like Mourinho did before him.

Besiktas are very much his club now. But he never gets bored with Old Trafford’s events.

He claims that “Man United is my family and will always be a part of me.”

“In football, you don’t feel sorry for anyone because we are privileged, absolutely 100% privileged to be able to work in clubs like this.

“It’s difficult to watch because your family is struggling,” I say. Looking at the table at the weekend is never easy.

He is talking with incredulity about the fact United, at the time of this meeting, are 14th in the Premier League.

After falling to Watford 4-1, he was dismissed and placed seventh. In terms of goal difference, they had been third two months prior, trailing Chelsea.

But a terrible run of results, including a record 5-0 home defeat by Liverpool and 2-0 loss to Manchester City at Old Trafford where the scoreline massively flattered United, meant Solskjaer knew what was coming as the Watford debacle unfolded.

He has been waiting for a while before coming back. Besiktas: Why?

” You have not been here long enough, “he says with a smile.

The club is fantastic, they say. Without doing anything, I spoke to a lot. This was the only one I spoke to where I looked back afterwards and thought ‘ I wish I was there ‘ because there is so much potential.

You think the club’s values about integrity and community service are in line with your identity and culture, and you think so. We were Turkey’s first team to play abroad. It is very similar to Man United in that sense. When I was there, it only made me think of Man United.

Solskjaer tried to instill the “look after everyone” mentality that he had come to know from Sir Alex Ferguson’s time at United.

After receiving an SOS call from then-executive chairman Ed Woodward in December 2018, he immediately returned to United’s Carrington training facility.

Woodward wanted Solskjaer to bring a smile back to the face of a club that had turned toxic as Mourinho’s tenure drew to a close amid rancour and recrimination.

The new boss used to distribute chocolate bars to employees during his own playing days. The first recipient was dearly cherished receptionist Kath Phipps. Solskjaer flew in for Phipps ‘ funeral in January 2025. He then proceeded to the wake, which had a large number of the old guard members.

Solskjaer and many others felt the disconnect between the current administration and the past, as did Solskjaer.

We meet a day after United have beaten Atletico Bilbao to plant one foot into the Europa League final. Given his knowledge of the club, the advice he could offer, and the elevated position he holds from his playing days, which extends far beyond a single – iconic – goal at the Nou Camp, his excitement for players he knows well comes with a shocking revelation.

Harry [Maguire] has always been a fighter and a leader, Solskjaer claims.

“I was never in doubt when I signed him and he walked in the door he would be captain for us.

Bruno [Fernandes] has a second captain in him. They are both distinguished people. I was so happy for them last night.

Since I left, those two and Victor [Lindelof] are probably the only people I have heard from in the club. You want them to succeed.

He doesn’t say it – and wouldn’t because by his nature he is not one to take cheap shots and he will never alter the fundamentals he took from his parents and has tried to pass on as a husband and father – but the lack of communication hurts.

When he walks across from the summer house to the main building to get his lunch, a few minutes later, he displays an example of his values.

The next Solskjaer game has a strong Manchester United undercurrent.

Working with him at Besiktas is former United goalkeeping coach Richard Hartis and Tom Green, who left his job at United’s senior performance analyst in February to take on the head of analysis role at the Turkish club.

Former United midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, who Solskjaer knows well in Fred, the Brazilian half of United’s once-for-once “McFred” axis, along with Scott McTominay, is playing for Mourinho.

Talking about this gives him the chance to reflect on the hiring and sales decisions his former club made, including allowing McTominay to join Napoli.

“Scott and Fred together, they were lads you would put your hat on every day to give 100%”, Solskjaer says.

Solskjaer assesses the work ahead of him in a pragmatic way. It appears that many of Ruben Amorim’s difficulties are comparable to those Ruben Amorim is facing at United from a distance.

A win in the Europa League might be all that Amorim needs to win in order to get some more time. It is something United came within a missed David de Gea penalty of achieving when Solskjaer’s team were beaten by Unai Emery’s Villarreal in the 2021 final.

Everyone is aware of how important it is to give a team what they want it to look, Solskjaer said.

“But you must handle it as best you can, not as you would like.” There are things I want my team to do that this one can’t. A challenging financial period has arrived. We have used money, though perhaps not as wisely.

I point out that is an observation I have heard about another club close to his heart. While Solskjaer is about to respond, he checks on himself.

“Yes . But that’s, you know when you……. Actually, he said, “I don’t need to say that.”

“Recruitment is probably the most crucial aspect of football,” says coach.

” You need the structures right and you need to get the right people in.

It’s challenging to create balance in a team you want to see when you manage two, three, four, or five different managers’ players. Not too many people get it, but everyone else is aware that you need consistency and patience to succeed.

Solskjaer has not spoken to Mourinho since his arrival in Turkey and says he is looking forward to meeting him again.

I bring up their argument in April 2021, the day before Mourinho was fired by Tottenham, when the Portuguese publicly claimed Son Heung-min had cheated to prevent a United goal from being allowed to be scored.

The Norwegian was chided at the time, “I would not feed my son if he behaved that way.” Mourinho’s response was classic: “Sonny is very lucky his father is a better person than Ole. You must provide for your children every day, even if you must steal.

Solskjaer chuckles, “I remember that one.” “You look after your own team.

He obviously has all the charisma, and I don’t believe any of us have changed much since we’ve made this progress.

“It will be good to see him again, and I’m hoping nothing else will make headlines but the team and the football that is played.”

Besiktas beat Galatasaray on 29 March but have won just once in four games since.

Solskjaer is aware of the stadium’s white-hot atmosphere.

Gala showed that there is nothing better when you’re at home and win these games, he said.

“If you are at home and you don’t win, there is nothing worse.

Moments determine football, they say. As you can see from last night [Thursday], Victor saved one of his chances from the goal line on one of two massive chances. Then it all changes.

“Football has such a slim chance of winning or losing.” Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.