Solksjaer’s appointment suggests the United board lack vision

But nevertheless, it has some resonance for Manchester United fans today — because the arrival of Ole Gunnar Solksjaer is one of those appointments which smacks of mawkish sentimentality rather than clear-headed strategy.

At a time when the club is in desperate need of a long-term vision, having stuttered so blindly and blandly since the retirement of Alex Ferguson, what supporters really needed was to be convinced there was one in place.

Instead, they have been given a temporary fix and no clear vision at all — but had the offering sugar-coated in the form of a club legend who, in the words of executive vice chairman Ed Woodward, “lives and breathes” the culture of Old Trafford.

The implication is that after the unmanageable Jose Mourinho failed to understand the culture of Manchester United, the best way to rediscover those values is to bring in a former player who has experienced them and, just as importantly, is far more compliant.

That’s no disrespect to Solskjaer, a wonderful player, likeable man, and experienced coach who may well turn out to be a breath of fresh air.

But how many other former United men could you put in that bracket? How much thought went into choosing him ahead of others?

And is there a suspicion that his ‘loan’ from Molde was negotiated out of desperate need for a quick fix rather than after any serious consideration?

A quick look at the dictionary defines strategy thus: a plan of action or policy designed to achieve a major or overall aim.

We all know the overall aim for United. It’s a team that should be challenging for the biggest trophies and playing football that enhances its image as one of the greatest clubs in the world.

But where is the plan of action? Where is the vision?

Vince Lombardi, the legendary American Football coach, once said: “Hope is not a strategy.”

But Manchester United seem to be selling it as such. They hope Solskjear, by bringing fans onside, will stop the rot. They hope they can find a better alternative by waiting six months for an appointment.

They hope, by giving themselves time, they can set up transfers for summer 2019 to begin a new era. But there doesn’t appear to be much evidence that anyone at Old Trafford knows for certain the road they are travelling or the vision they are chasing.

Solskjaer may have at least a short-term effect on Manchester United’s season and lift the sense of frustration and depression that has hung over the club for so long. However, despite his fame as a player and his winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final, it’s not as if his coaching provides encouragement.

There were 126 goals in 366 appearances for United, which earn him the right to respect and support as he starts his new job against Cardiff this weekend. But a return to the club where he once managed for 30 games is a poignant one.

Solksjaer’s rein in Wales was hardly successful — ending in relegation from the Premier League and the sack pretty early into his first Championship campaign. So, it does make you wonder why he sprung so quickly to the top of Manchester United’s list.

There used to be a feeling in English football that the reason the national team failed so abysmally was that the FA always chose a manager who was grateful rather than one who deserved it. Are Manchester United now lurching into the same trap?

After Mourinho it may well be a huge relief to the board that they have a man on board who won’t answer back, won’t complain about a lack of transfers in press conferences and who will carry the club’s stature, history, and reputation in careful and understanding hands.

“Manchester United is in my heart,” the Norwegian said on his return, and they are the kind of words which will win him time and affection from the Stretford End.

They are words which contain real value. But is looking back in the rear mirror for hope the right thing to do? Or should United be shining a light on the future and working out how on earth they get there?