Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes that the concept of leadership within a football team has changed since the era in which he played alongside legendary Manchester United captain Roy Keane.
After a 2-0 defeat to league leaders Manchester City on Wednesday evening, critics suggested that the Reds’ current side could benefit from a strong figure like Keane or Bryan Robson to galvanise them during tough periods.
The Irishman, who was part of seven title-winning sides during his time at United between 1993 and 2005, was himself part of Sky Sports’ live coverage for the derby in midweek.
But on Friday morning, in a press conference at the Aon Training Complex ahead of United’s Premier League match against Chelsea on Sunday (kick-off 16:30 BST), Solskjaer told reporters that football – and wider culture – has moved on since the ‘80s and ‘90s.
“I think you know as well that the world has changed,”pondered the Norwegian.
“So you don’t have a Robbo, you don’t have a Roy Keane, you don’t have a Steve Bruce in our dressing room.
“We’re all different and we have a squad full of talented players, and leadership is so many different things and they had it in one way.”
“I loved to play under Roy Keane anyway, he was a fantastic captain. Everyone here spoke about Robbo, of course,”
remembered Solskjaer of the club’s longest-serving captain, who held the role from 1982 until his retirement in 1994.
“But we’re all different now,” he continued.
“Society’s different and we’re all different in the way we lead. I don’t lead in the same way as Sir Alex did. Van Gaal, Mourinho – we’re all different leaders.”
Solskjaer joined the club in 1996 when Eric Cantona was captain, but played under the on-field leadership of Keane between 1997 and 2005, before Gary Neville assumed the reins of a position he held until 2010 – two years after Ole’s retirement in 2008.