Cardiff City v Manchester United: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes to spark happy new era at old stomping ground

When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer parted ways with Cardiff City in September 2014, the Norwegian could not have envisaged the circumstances of his return.

Solskjaer, in his own words, “stepped aside” at Cardiff due to a “difference in philosophy” with owner Vincent Tan, but the brutal reality is that he had failed during his nine-month spell at the club.

The Bluebirds were relegated from the Premier League with a meagre 30 points, with Solskjaer himself managing just five wins in 25 league matches after taking over from Malky Mackay. He left with the side 17th in the Championship and on a downward slide.

In this context, the fact that he arrives back at the Cardiff City Stadium four years later in charge of one of the biggest clubs in the world seems incongruous. But Solskjaer’s improved standing owes a little to the work he’s done over the past four years and a lot to his standing at Manchester United.

Saturday evening’s Premier League game in south Wales will be a homecoming in more than one sense.

Solskjaer has by all accounts done a good job at Norwegian club Molde, where he has nurtured young talent, shown tactical flexibility and made waves in the Europa League.

But the 45-year-old found himself parachuted into his former club as caretaker yesterday following the abortion of the increasingly dour reign of Jose Mourinho, essentially because “his history at Manchester United means he lives and breathes the culture,” according to executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.

In short, because Solksjaer scored 126 goals – including one of the most famous in the club’s history in the 1999 Champions League final – over 11 years at United, he gets it. He loves the club, understands the winning mentality and crucially has a connection to the glory days of Sir Alex Ferguson, before things all went wrong.

After the miserable, fractious and increasingly bitter period under Mourinho, United crave unity and happiness. They’re hoping Solskjaer can provide that and in doing so facilitate a turnaround which improves on their current position of sixth.

Having previously been United’s reserve team manager between 2008 and 2011 he already knows record signing Paul Pogba, who must be looking forward to a fresh start after being publicly shunned by Mourinho.

With Ferguson’s former assistant Mike Phelan alongside him, and with ex-player Michael Carrick staying among the coaching staff, Solskjaer can simply become the figurehead of a more enjoyable environment.

The carrot of the full-time role has been dangled in front of him, with United agreeing a compensation fee of under £500,000 for his services – temporarily or permanently – but Solskjaer basically has a free hit.

Take off the handbrake which has seen United return a pitiful neutral goal difference after league 17 games, bring back the free-flowing attacking football of old and get the Old Trafford crowd back on their feet and he could just land his dream job on a permanent basis.

Or attempt all of the above and fail gallantly but because of your reputation and what proceeded you still return to Molde a legend. It’s not a bad opportunity, all told.

If Solskjaer can make an immediate impact and lay waste to his former employers on Saturday then he could spark a new dawn at United.