COMMENT: So much for being soft on his players. Too nice. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer offered us a glimpse of just how ruthless he could be last week, proving you don't have to be a ranter to be cold-blooded in your decision-making...
Baby-faced assassin. That's what Sir Alex Ferguson dubbed Solskjaer when the Norwegian was first making his way at Manchester United. Fast-forward 20-odd years and that moniker could still apply to the manager today.
For some ex-teammates. For some peers. The doubts about Solskjaer have centred around his personality. His approach. He doesn't have it in him, they claim. He can't be tough on them, they say.
But those paying attention didn't need Solskjaer coming clean on Friday morning about how ruthless he can be. However, it was a decent reminder. For, all the while those who shared a locker room with him were insisting he was too nice for the job, Solskjaer was quietly, but decisively, cutting loose those players he had no interest in going forward with. And with a return to Goodison Park looming, Solskjaer deemed it the ideal time just to highlight the day a line was drawn in the sand.
Recalling last April's 4-0 reverse at Everton, Solskjaer laid it all bare: "That was the day, the lowest I've been.
"I think you all remember that. I knew probably before then. One or two had their last chance, more or less, but we had to get to the summer first.
"Everything you didn't want to see you saw in that game."
He didn't want to name names - but he didn't have to, we all knew who he was talking about. Up front on that day was Romelu Lukaku. At the back was Chris Smalling. And on the bench Alexis Sanchez. All three, along with another substitute on the day, Ashley Young, have since been allowed to move onto Italy. Some willingly. Others reluctantly. But all with the approval of the manager.
"I'm not going to talk about Rom now," insisted Solskjaer, when it was suggested among those whom had downed tools was Lukaku. "He's done well in Italy and we've coped well without him."
Again, no need to rant and rave. To settle scores. The player is gone. Others have now filled his void.
Which is the message relayed loud and clear to Smalling's camp. Talk of the centre-half returning from Roma and re-establishing himself is fanciful. In today's market, that United are only asking £15m to sell is proof enough: this squad has moved on.
Solskjaer, still discussing their last appearance at Goodison Park, added: "With hand on heart, I can say 100 per cent say these boys will never give in and never give up like that team did.
"These are the boys we want to build the next team around."
These boys. The ones now taking their place amongst a new leadership group. A new club captain: Harry Maguire. A new livewire: Bruno Fernandes. Players Solskjaer can rely upon. Men to build new foundations upon.
For it's significant, in that midfield back in April was United's No6. But Solskjaer didn't bother name-checking Paul Pogba on Friday. Indeed, regular attendees of Solskjaer's media conferences will have noted, the only time the manager mentions the Frenchman is when pressed by those sitting in front of him. Particularly over the last month.
Out of sight, out of mind? No, it goes deeper than that. Fernandes is the new heartbeat of this dressing room. A positive force. Not a disruptive one. One who wants to be involved. Not set apart. To be treated the same. Not differently. One who's social media following counts in the thousands. Not the millions. And one who, well, doesn't own a Rolls Royce, with driver included...
This is the United locker room Solskjaer wants to manage. In Maguire, a captain in the traditions of Steve Bruce and Bryan Robson. In Fernandes, a leading influence on the club's young players he can feel assured about.
"We still know we miss one or two," Solskjaer also stated, "to be where we want to be". But with Fernandes - and the impact he's made - it's getting closer. And it's all being done with the manager still wearing a smile on his face.
No airing of grudges. No goodbye rants. Just clean, clinical decision-making. A high-profile clearout without the song and dance. Sir Alex didn't dub Solskjaer the baby-faced assassin for nothing.
