Cardiff manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has turned to his old boss, Alex Ferguson, for inspiration as the former Manchester United striker bids to restore his club to the Premier League at the first attempt.
Solskjaer was a key member of the quartet of strikers, also including Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke and Teddy Sheringham, that inspired United’s epic treble triumph in 1999 and the Norwegian is hoping his decision to replicate Ferguson’s attacking philosophy pays equally generous dividends in south Wales.
After failing to halt Cardiff’s plummet towards relegation when he took over in January, Solskjaer begins his first full season in charge of the Bluebirds desperate to make amends by firing his team back to promotion with a barrage of goals.
Photo: EPA
The lessons of Ferguson’s commitment to attack have stayed with Solskjaer, and the 41-year-old has signed Spanish forward Javi Guerra, Reading striker Adam Le Fondre and former United prospect Federico Macheda to complement his existing options of Nicky Maynard and Kenwyne Jones.
It looks a group capable of terrorizing defenses in the second tier and Solskjaer, whose side open the new Championship season at Blackburn today, said: “I was part of a four or five-man striking department at United and that is what I’m trying to create here at Cardiff.”
“You need a group like that to help push each other on. The competition is very important, particularly when it comes to forwards, as I found out to my cost sometimes when I was playing,” he added.
However, with the financial reward for reaching the Premier League now exceeding £100 million (US$168 million), Cardiff are to face fierce competition for the three lucrative promotion places from a cut-throat division boasting annual attendance totals surpassed only by the English, German and Spanish top tiers.
Fulham have responded to their first season outside the Premier League for 13 years by splashing £11 million on Scotland striker Ross McCormack, whose 29 goals for Leeds last season made him the division’s leading scorer.
Yet despite that eye-popping acquisition, questions still remain about Fulham manager Felix Magath, whose disciplinarian style irritated some members of his squad last season.
Norwich, the third of the relegated clubs, surprisingly opted to retain caretaker manager Neil Adams on a permanent basis and the new boss must hit the ground running, starting with a tricky opening weekend clash at newly promoted Wolves.
“It’s a tough league and it’s a long season. It’s key we get off to a good start,” said Norwich’s new midfielder Gary O’Neil, who won promotion from the second tier with Queen’s Park Rangers (QPR) last term.
Derby, agonizingly beaten by QPR in the last minute of the playoff final, should also be among the promotion contenders if young midfielder Will Hughes continue to development under former England coach Steve McClaren’s astute leadership.
Leeds finished last season in turmoil and not much has changed, judging by the howls of anguish emanating from Elland Road supporters following controversial owner Massimo Cellino’s decision to hire David Hockaday as boss, despite his complete lack of Football League managerial experience.
Nottingham Forest, another sleeping giant yet to stir from slumber, are also under new management in the form of club icon Stuart Pearce, who responded angrily this week when the club’s Kuwaiti owners sold two talented youngsters to Newcastle against his advice.
The first ball has not even been kicked, but already the Championship soap opera is under way again.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care