Solskjaer ready to get out his hairdryer at Old Trafford

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer swept into Old Trafford like a breath of fresh air yesterday with a thinly-veiled warning for his beloved club’s temperamental players.

The new United caretaker manager makes no secret of his adoration for his mentor Alex Ferguson, who signed him as a player 22 years ago and who played a key role in bringing him back to Manchester this week.

But while Solskjaer has lightened the mood at a club that had been torn apart by in-fighting and underachievement in recent months, he also displayed a steely side.

And, to use a vernacular made popular by Ferguson in his heyday as United manager, Solskjaer made it abundantly clear that he will not be afraid to dish out the “hairdryer treatment” should any of the club’s stars fail to respond.

“We are all different to how we manage people and the manager (Ferguson) was different to every individual,” said Solskjaer.

“Of course, maybe I should get the hairdryer out of my pocket because I’ve got a hairdryer — when my hair needs lifting I use it on myself! But I am also not afraid of, if you like, laying down the law.

“You know with your kids when they disappoint you, you tell them off you don’t give them some chocolate, do you?

“So you treat players similar to how you treat your kids really because you want the best for them, you want to guide them, you want to help them, but if I get disappointed?

“Ask (children) Noah, or Kane or Ellia or some of the players I had in Molde. Once in a while you really have to tell them standards we’ve got.”

Solskjaer spent 11 glorious years with United as a player, and scored THAT goal in the 1999 Champions League Final when he came off the bench to sink Bayern Munich with virtually the last kick of the game.

He spent nearly four more seasons coaching United’s youngsters and reserve team before moving into management, first with Molde and then, briefly and unsuccessfully Cardiff City, before returning to the Norwegian club that had given him his break as a player, and from which Ferguson had signed him in 1996.

Throughout his entire football life for those two decades, the figure of Ferguson has loomed large and, say insiders, played a role in making sure he was appointed as caretaker for the remainder of the season after Jose Mourinho’s dismissal on Tuesday.

Little wonder talk and thoughts of Ferguson figured prominently in Solskjaer’s inaugural press conference yesterday.

“I have been in touch with the gaffer quite a bit,” said Solskjaer. “Well, he signed me 22 years ago so he is the big part of course.

“But I don’t know what input he had but when I got the call, of course, I texted the boss and I have been in touch with him and I am going to enjoy a nice cup of tea back at his house to sit down and discuss a few ideas.

“He’s influenced me with everything to be fair. The way he’s dealt with people, the way he was manager of the club, how he kept 25 international players happy and hungry wanting to improve but also the staff in and around the place.

“He’s been my mentor but I didn’t understand early on he’d be my mentor. Towards the last, maybe the injury in 2003, I was making all the notes — what he did in certain situations — and I’ve already been in touch with him, there’s no one to get better advice from.”

Advice that Solskjaer will need. United have made their worst start to a season in Premier League history and stand 19 points behind leaders Liverpool, and 11 off fourth and the Champions League places.

“My job is to help the players, make them grasp the opportunity now because they all want to be part of Man United,” said Solskjaer.

“I’m going to be here to help them, help the team, that is down to man management.

“I had the best manager as a player and coach to learn how he dealt with players and it’s about communication. I’ll sit down and speak to the ones not playing, tell them what I expect of them.

“When you’re at Man United there are a set of demands and one is to be a team player and I don’t think anyone has been on the bench more than me! That’s always my comeback to players, you might come on and make an impact.”

Solskjaer got the winner in the 1999 Champions league final.

Solskjaer will begin his five-month United reign at Cardiff, the only other British club he has managed, having had a difficult nine-month spell in south Wales, in which they suffered relegation in 2014. However, the United caretaker insists he learned from the experience.

“Definitely, I’m getting old and the grey hairs are coming through,” joked Solskjaer. “Because I’ve had about 300 or 400 games as first team manager now and that period in Cardiff was a huge step for me.

“I’ve learned a lot, I’ve evaluated, reflected on it. I made a few mistakes but if you don’t make mistakes, you’re not going to learn. I made a few of them, but they’re in the Premier League now.”

United are likely to be without forward Romelu Lukaku who has been absent from the club this week, attending to a personal matter.

“He’s had a couple of days off, I’ve not had time to speak to him. He’s not injured, from what I know,” confirmed Solskjaer.