Ferguson’s Man Utd FA Cup admission should serve as warning to Solskjaer
“The cups are sometimes an ego thing for managers and clubs. It’s not like a trophy will say ‘we are back’, no. It’s gradual progression at the top of the league."
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's admission that trophies were not on his mind, raised more than a few eyebrows among Manchester United supporters.
That the Norwegian said it on the eve of an FA Cup quarter final, made it all the more curious.
And at the King Power, his actions spoke even louder than his words as he left Bruno Fernandes, Luke Shaw and Scott McTominay on the bench.
Despite not winning a trophy during his stint in the Old Trafford dugout, a further two matches in the country's biggest domestic cup competition was a bridge Solskjaer didn't seem keen to cross.
The 3-1 defeat ensured the continuation of a quite remarkable run that has seen them reach eight quarter finals under the current boss before failing to lift the trophy on each and every occasion.
"Sometimes the cup competitions can hide your progress a bit," he added. “It’s in the league positions that you see whether you’re progressing, really."
But the man whose success Solskjaer is trying to replicate, had a vastly different stance in terms of breaking a trophy drought.
Like Solskjaer, Sir Alex Ferguson was facing intense pressure after four years without bringing silverware to the club. That of course changed during an historic run to the very competition United were seemingly so nonplussed about.
Speaking years later, after building a dynasty the likes of which hadn't been seen in English football, Ferguson pointed to that FA Cup crown in 1990 as one of his most pivotal moments.
“Without the FA Cup victory over Crystal Palace nearly four years after my arrival, grave doubts would have been raised about my suitability for the job,” Ferguson wrote in his autobiography.
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“We will never know how close I was to being sacked, because the decision was never forced on the United board.
“But without that triumph at Wembley, the crowds would have shrivelled. Disaffection might have swept the club.
“Winning the 1990 FA Cup allowed us breathing space and deepened my sense that this was a wonderful club with which to win trophies.
“To win the FA Cup at Wembley made the good times roll.”
Solskjaer had the opportunity to get the good times rolling and was happy to surrender it. And while the crowds are currently absent due to outside factors, the disaffection may begin to sweep in.
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