Rijkaard & Solskjaer

Similarities between the reign of Frank Rijkaard in Barcelona and that of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United are quite intriguing. There are quite a few that will leave Red Devils supporters with a lot of hope… although, there is one major and key difference.

Adapting to and evolving a philosophy

The ‘DNA of a club’ is an often meaningless phrase that gets over-used by fairly lazy pundits unwilling or unable to analyse the actual intricacies of a football club. If the club is failing, it either needs more or less ‘club DNA’. If the club is succeeding, it is either because of the ‘DNA’ or a lack thereof.

It is, generally, irrelevant in reality. Having said that, there can often be some merit to a major leading club not just sticking with its processes of the past but evolving them into something that can once again succeed in the modern-day.

If a football club doesn’t have its status, tradition or identity, whether that be on or off the field, then what does it have?

A key similarity of that would be between Barcelona and Manchester United. Barcelona remain engulfed in a paradigm whereby Johan Cruyff and ‘Total Football’ constructs and controls the club’s philosophy, whilst Sir Alex Ferguson’s pragmatism that leans into fast, counter-attacking football and a more spirit-based “never say die” attitude, rather than overwhelming technical skill, would be the formula and template for Manchester United.

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Prior to the arrival of Rijkaard at Barcelona, the Blaugrana were, politely, a bit of a mess. Akin to their present day failings both on and off the pitch. Stars still surrounded the Camp Nou dressing ground but a lack of on-pitch cohesion and a straying away from their Cruyffist identity meant that Barcelona finished 6th the season before the Dutchman’s appointment.

That 6th-placed finish was accompanied by a first round exit in the Copa del Rey and losing in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League. It was a situation so toxic that a future club legend, Xavi, was described as the ‘cancer of Barcelona’ during that season. 

Second in 1999-00, fourth in 2000-01, fourth in 2001-02. Those were the seasons that preceded that sixth placed finish in 02/03. It wasn’t a one off. This was a steady and severe decline that led to Rijkaard needing to implement a philosophical structure with not much of a coaching career behind him.

He wasn’t a club legend, as he had never played for Barcelona, but he had that aforementioned ‘DNA’. He learned his tactical philosophy from Johann Cruyff, admitting “you gain many impressions from the past” when discussing his coaching. Despite a relatively underwhelming managerial career to date, that ‘DNA’ gave him the job as manager of one of the biggest clubs in the world… remind you of anyone?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over as the manager of Manchester United as the club fell to a humiliating 3-1 defeat at Anfield against arch-rivals Liverpool, leading to the sacking of Jose Mourinho. 

It was a club without a Premier League title since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013 and much had been sad and written about how the ‘mojo’ and culture of the club had been decimated in those years since. For a good as a manager as he was, with a very good CV, it is worth noting that Louis van Gaal was at the centre of both of these clubs’ declines and moves away from their philosophy.

Solskjaer, with an underwhelming CV that would usually be unlikely to get you the job as one manager of one of the biggest clubs in the world, was appointed on an interim basis. The club eventually decided to give him the role on a permanent basis due to a good performance early on in his career.

The task set to both was to evolve and adapt the philosophy of the club and get them successful again in the modern-day.

©Getty / Mike Egerton

Trusting in youth

A key principle of how they went about this was placing a trust in youth throughout the side.

Pep Guardiola gets a lot of deserved credit for promoting several players into the first-team during his incredible 2008-2012 tenure at the club. However; the likes of Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Victor Valdes became regulars in Rijkaard’s spell whilst Xavi and Carles Puyol were nurtured and improved under the Dutchman.

A core, built out of selflessness, was built. It might not win immediately but it could set up a sustained period of success for the club.

16 academy players have been handed their first-team debut under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during his relatively short spell as Manchester United manager. The key players to mention in that group are Mason Greenwood and Dean Henderson.

©Getty / Michael Regan

Just like Rijkaard, though, Solskjaer inherited youngsters that has helped mature and develop such as Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay. 

Both managers were brought in to implement a specific philosophy at their respective clubs and both were given talented young players yet to establish themselves as ones that deserve to be regular players at their respective clubs. Both improved those players, brought through others and looked to set up the club for the next man.

A better club than the one you found

Setting it up for the next man is not just a cop-out to overstate limited success. It is also dependant on the context of when the manager joined.

Whilst Riijkard and Solskjaer had their critics, it would be harsh to argue that the club was not in a better state than when they joined. The level of player in their squad at the time of Riijkaard’s departure, and the level in Solskjaer’s squad right now, means that the “underperforming” criticism can be fairly levelled at both.

However, both have allowed that criticism to be a fair one by gradually improving the club they had found that was in disrepair.

And then that key difference…

And yet, having made the case for Manchester United fans to be excited about a potential period of sustained success due to the similarities in these two reigns, there is one clear difference (and it’s a fairly important one) – trophies.

It can be argued, fairly, that a club the size of Manchester United must still be regularly winning and achieving whilst they evolve into something else. Whilst an FA Cup and UEFA Europa League final appearance is worth merit, it remains the case that United have still not won anything in Solskjaer’s time in charge. It is fortunate timing for the point of this article to be written a day after they were eliminated at home by West Ham in the third round of the EFL Cup.

Frank Rijkaard, on the other hand, led Barcelona to arguably the greatest prize of all in 2006 when he won the UEFA Champions League in Paris against Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal. Two league titles in five years is also worth comment, despite those coming during the failed Galacticos project of Real Madrid. It is an achievement that must also be placed in the context that Rijkaard’s departure in 2008 came after three seasons without a title victory; Barcelona would win eight of the next 11.

For all the critics of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and there is deserved concern and criticism required, he might well just be setting Old Trafford up for a period of dominance… for the next man.