The Turkish media has already made up its minds about former Red Devils manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, only one month into his tenure at Super Lig powerhouse Besiktas, but the jury is still out on current Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim. After more than three years away from management, the Norwegian, who is also regarded as one of the most adored players at Old Trafford because of his playing accomplishments, took Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s place back in January.
Before the 51-year-old arrived, Besiktas was in sixth place in their home league and outside of the Europa League group phase qualification spots. Following his most recent match against Trabzonspor, Turkish media outlets offered their opinions on the new manager after he had been in charge of six games.
Solskjaer Praised By Turkish Media
The manager’s impact was described as ‘very clear’
This past weekend, Solskjaer orchestrated a stunning comeback victory over Trabzonspor, winning 2-1 thanks to goals from Rafa and Arseniy Batagov. The Turkish team has now advanced to fifth place in the table, two points behind fourth with one game remaining, after going undefeated in their first three league games under their new manager.
Actually, Solskjaer’s team lost only once so far in the Europa League, missing out on a spot in the top 24 by just one point. The former United manager has received a lot of praise for the impact he has had at his new club, despite that setback.
So far, Besikta’s performance under Solskjaer
Besiktas
4-1
Bilbao Athletic
The Antalyaspor
1-1
Besiktas
Twente FC
1-0
Besiktas
Besiktas
2-0
Kirklarelispor
Sivasspor
0-2
Besiktas
Besiktas
2-1
Trabzonspor
One outlet claimed that Solskjaer’s substitutions during the come-from-behind win were particularly impressive, with the 51-year-old making ‘very appropriate moves.’ Meanwhile, Hurriyet spoke positively of the impact the new manager has made, stating: “Besiktas has restored team spirit with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The body language of the players, their desire to win, and the struggle they put forth are the keys to consecutive victories.”
The former striker was widely acknowledged as having a great impact on the players at Old Trafford when he initially arrived at the club, which saw his interim tenure evolve into a permanent one and led to him becoming one of the more successful managers in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Additionally, Turkish influencer Ali Ece praised Solskjaer’s efforts since his arrival on January 19th, saying:
“Against Şenol Güneş, who made Beşiktaş champions twice in a row and received the respect he deserved from the fans, coach Solskjaer altered the tide of the match. This was the main issue facing Besiktas under Giovanni van Bronckhorst. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had to integrate with the team and demonstrate reflexes with his group.
