Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: Disastrous Cristiano Ronaldo reunion was 'right decision'

This week, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer opened up about his role in the tumultuous 2021 Manchester United return for Cristiano Ronaldo. Solskjaer straddled all sides of the issue while assessing the merits of the decision to bring Ronaldo back.

“It didn't work out for me, it didn't work out for Cristiano, but it was the right decision at the time,” he said, per The Overlap (h/t The Athletic).

Speaking with former teammates Gary Neville and Roy Keane on their "Stick to Football" podcast, the former United player and manager recalled that, "It was a very quick decision." 

Quick is an understatement. Ronaldo went from staying at Juventus to almost signing with Manchester City before pivoting to a United return, all on the same day. The person who seemed to be driving the pace was not Solskjaer or his bosses but former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Ferguson's motivation seemed less about helping his former team add a player who could help and more about preventing Manchester City, his arch-enemies across town, from signing one of his most prized former pupils.  

Solskjaer further alluded to Ferguson's involvement when discussing the much-publicized fallout from leaving Ronaldo on the bench for the first time.

“When he [Ronaldo] arrived at the club, he wanted to play three or four games because he realized he was getting older. But when you leave him out once, he’s unhappy, or Sir Alex isn’t happy.”

At first glance, Solskjaer contradicts himself by calling the decision to bring back Ronaldo the "right one" while also admitting it didn't work out for anyone. However, when read together, his responses to Jamie Carragher's question about Ronaldo's return offer a clue about what happened.

Carragher broaches the topic by saying, "It felt like it came from nowhere [Ronaldo's return]. Was that a sign that he's available? He's presented to you, you can't say no…"

Solskjaer replied:

”We didn't think Cristiano was available and didn't think he was going to move. When it became apparent that he was leaving Juventus…obviously, there were other clubs wanting him, I was excited so I said yes. We know Cristiano, we know his quality.  And I thought, yeah, he is 37, but we will have to manage cuz obviously it's the best goal scorer in the world and it was my decision.  It didn't work out for me, it didn't work out for Cristiano, but it was the right decision at the time.”

Solskjaer does not sound like a former manager recounting the story of a great idea that didn't pan out. He never counters Carragher's assertion that he couldn't say no and shifts continuously between the "royal we" and what sounds like the "royal I," as in Ole and Sir Alex.

Solskjaer's contradictions make more sense when viewed as a former player defending his all-time great former manager. 

Either way, the result was disastrous for all, no matter who was calling the shots. Solskjaer was sacked within months of Ronaldo's return, and 366 days later, it was Ronaldo's turn. 

Solskjaer left on good terms and is still beloved by the United faithful. Ronaldo was handed his walking papers under threat of legal action after going on the Piers Morgan show to give a Costanza-esque airing of grievances regarding his United return.  

Ferguson is still a deity at Old Trafford, and leading a failed attempt to reclaim success by attempting to re-introduce a key ingredient from the past will not change that.