- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw Ipswich Town win 2-1 at Wolves on Saturday
- The Wolves finished the day 19th in the Premier League after their fourth consecutive defeat
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer returned to the Premier League on Saturday, although only as a spectator.
Solskjaer scored 91 goals in 235 Premier League games for Manchester United as a player between 1996 and 2007.
He returned to England’s top flight as Cardiff manager in 2014 before taking over at United between December 2018 and November 2021.
Solskjaer has not had a managerial job since he was sacked by United more than three years ago and last month hinted he was effectively retired when he told Norwegian podcast Bakrommet: “Now I do exactly what I want and I enjoy it. I’ve come to a position where I can pick and choose, and I’m lucky in that financially I don’t need anything.’
Despite those comments, plus reports that he recently turned down offers from Denmark and former club Molde, Solskjaer is the favorite among multiple bookmakers to be Wolves’ next permanent manager.
Solskjaer watched Wolves at Molineux on Saturday as the Midlands side were beaten 2-1 by Ipswich Town.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was at Molineux on Saturday afternoon to watch Wolves vs Ipswich.
Ipswich won the match 2-1 thanks to a 94th minute winning goal from number 14 Jack Taylor.
Kieran McKenna was visibly delighted after watching his team earn three points in the Midlands.
Although the 51-year-old’s visit to Molineux apparently had nothing to do with the possibility of him replacing boss Gary O’Neil, his attendance will naturally add fuel to the rumours.
Mail Sport understands that the real reason behind Solskjaer’s trip to Wolverhampton was that he wanted to catch up with Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna, who previously worked as the Norwegian’s manager at Old Trafford. Solskjaer remains close friends with McKenna, as well as Ipswich manager Martyn Pert, who also worked with him at United.
Solskjaer and McKenna were pictured hugging before kick-off on Saturday.
There were also suggestions on social media that Solskjaer had wanted to attend Saturday’s match, in part, because one of his sons is an Ipswich fan.
Ipswich won Saturday’s match thanks to a 94th-minute goal from Jack Taylor. An own goal from Matt Doherty had opened the scoring before Matheus Cunha equalized for Wolves.
Wolves have lost four games in a row in the Premier League, a run of results that has seen them drop to 19th place, behind Ipswich in 18th.
After Saturday’s defeat there were chaotic scenes on the field. Wolves defender Rayan Ait-Nouri received a second yellow card after the final whistle and had to be carried down the tunnel by teammate Craig Dawson, while Cunha was also involved in some pushing and shoving.
Cunha could be handed a lengthy suspension after footage emerged showing him punching an Ipswich official in the face, dislodging his glasses.
Ipswich manager McKenna and former Man United boss Solskjaer hugged before kick-off.
Saturday’s home defeat against Ipswich increased the pressure on Wolves manager Gary O’Neil.
Chaotic scenes followed the final whistle, with lots of pushing and shoving.
Wolves left back Rayan Ait-Nouri (gold jersey) received a red card after the match.
In other Premier League competition on Saturday, another team managed by a former Manchester United player lost 4-0 at Newcastle. That was Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first defeat as Leicester City manager.
Dutchman Van Nistelrooy said afterwards: “Against a big league team and we helped them on their way with a couple of set pieces in their favour, it was going to be a difficult afternoon.”
‘I think it’s also the development of the team. We need to learn from these games and how Newcastle outplayed us on the counterattacks. They were intelligent in blocking and in set pieces. It’s a long season. We move forward, reflect and improve from this.”
Leicester’s next game will be against Wolves three days before Christmas.
Van Nistelrooy added: ‘Every game for us is huge. Everything has to be right to get results in the Premier League, and the next one too (will not be different).’
