Solskjaer value bet in next West Brom boss market
Published:Ole Gunnar Solksjaer has long been linked with a return to English football and came famously close to taking the reins at Aston Villa prior to Paul Lambert’s appointment.
He may still find himself managing in the west Midlands in the near future though, following Molde director Tarje Jakobsen’s confirmation that the Norwegian club have received an approach from abroad concerning the procurement of Solskjaer’s services.
Jakobsen stated: “Ole has a name and a position that will make him attractive. His standing in England will always make him a likely candidate.”
The second part of the above quote hints that the side is English-based, rendering Tottenham and West Brom the most likely parties in question.
Of this pair of managerless Premier League clubs, the Baggies have to be prime suspects, with Spurs surely more likely to target a more glamorous name in their quest to land a much-desired Champions League spot.
Solskjaer’s odds of 6/1 to be the next West Brom boss look far healthier following this announcement from the former Manchester United striker’s present employers.
He has carved a reputation as an outstanding young manager following his deliverance of two successive Tippeligaen titles in his homeland with Molde, the first and second in the team’s existence, and West Brom have not been adverse to giving untested coaches a chance in the top flight.
Recently axed Steve Clarke was handed his first opportunity to go solo in the management game by the Baggies, while the Hawthorns dugout was the first that Champions League-winning Roberto Di Matteo sat in at the apex of the English football pyramid.
There is a prominent factor that could prove detrimental to West Brom’s hopes of snaring Solskjaer, though.
The reason he turned down the Villans prior to the 2012/13 campaign was that he didn’t want to uproot his family to move back to England. Unless this standpoint has drastically altered, it may be difficult to prise him away from Molde.
Ultimately, though, if Solskjaer harbours any ambition to make an impact in a coaching capacity, he will have to abscond his country of birth and the English top flight is the perfect place in which to test his highly-regarded abilities.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date
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