Turkish media make their feelings clear on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after season-defining moment for Besiktas
Turkish media have made their feelings clear after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Besiktas side secured a huge victory over the weekend.
Solskjaer, 52, was appointed as head coach of the Besiktas in January and has since led his team to eight wins, one draw and three defeats in his 12 games in charge.
He had previously been without a managerial role since leaving Man Utd in November 2021.
Arguably the biggest result of his short spell came on Saturday when the Black Eagles beat their city rivals Galatasaray 2-1 thanks to strikes from Rafa Silva and Gedson Fernandes which cancelled out Lucas Torreira’s goal for the visitors.
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The result means Besiktas are now fourth in the Turkish top flight and would qualify for next season's Europa Conference League play offs as things stand.
“It was a fantastic team effort,” Solskjaer said after his side’s victory.
“Good preparations, good focus and then 100 minutes of hard work. It’s difficult and hard to beat the top teams and they are a very good team.”
But how did the Turkish media react?
Turkish outlet Duhuliye explained: “Ole's system worked. Let's give it credit to Ole. It was a wise choice to keep Immobile and Semih on the bench and start the match in a 4-6-0 formation."
While journalist Semih Sezerli said: "With Solskjær's analysis of Galatasaray, he identified his opponent's weaknesses and used his own team's strengths to checkmate Okan Buruk."
Turkish sports site Skorer added: “Beşiktaş deserved to win in every way. Rafa Silva played terrifically. Joao Mario accompanied him. The Black Eagles were good as a team. Of course, the chief architect of this success is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who studied very well."
In February, the former United striker, gave an interview to Andy Mitten for The Athletic and admitted that he had been "offered many jobs" before deciding to join Besiktas.
He also explained that he was enjoying embracing the Turkish culture in the country's capital city.
"I’ve visited the Maiden Tower from the James Bond movie, visited the Grand Bazaar," said Solskjaer. "I’ve got grey hair now and I’m easy to spot, so I put a cap on and walk around. You can’t just lock yourself in a bubble here, you must try to embrace the city where you live and experience the culture.
"The food is amazing, but I’m trying to keep healthy and must watch what I eat. I’ve tried to stay healthy for the last three years to be ready for when I start working. Then I come here and walk past shops selling the most beautiful cakes. I’ve had a few good kebabs too and been to BBQs at the president’s place."
Besiktas return to action against Goztepe in the quarter-finals of the Turkish Cup on Thursday 3 April.
Topics: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Besiktas, Galatasaray, Football, Europa Conference League, Man Utd
Luke Davies