Pranav Nair
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer backed out of scouting Manchester United target thanks to his hairstyle
Speaking to SkySports.com (h/t The Metro), Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that he cut short a scouting trip because of the player’s hairstyle.
The Norwegian prefers to have a hands-on approach to recruitment. The same was seen during the club’s long pursuit of Portuguese maestro Bruno Fernandes.
Solskjaer has often spoken of paying attention to what kind of person a player is off the field as much as he is on it. The holistic approach also has him paying keen attention to a player’s mentality, character and background.
The United boss has revealed that he cut short a previous scouting trip because the player in question was sporting a mohawk.
“I once went to see a player and as he walked out of the dressing room through the tunnel he had a Mohican (hairstyle).”
This first glimpse left such a profound impression on Solskjaer that he decided he had seen enough. He promptly told his scout that they were done there and headed back without making further enquiries.
“I said to my scout: ‘Nah let’s go home, not interested.’ That was a very short scouting trip.”
Lacks logic!
While we agree that talent alone should not determine whether we should go for a player, the fact that Solskjaer ignored a player purely because of a hairstyle is preposterous.
The likes of Neymar sported audacious hairstyles even in their youth but have gone on to show their worth on the field. Paul Pogba too regularly flaunts different hairstyles but that does not appear to stop Solskjaer from choosing him week in week out.
First impressions do leave a mark. But if it’s a do or die impression that United are looking for to assess players, it does not present a very sobering thought.
We for one are unsure of what exactly a Mohawk tells about a player’s personality.
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Solskjaer sure knows how to talk a fair game and say the right things. However, serious questions should be asked regarding the whole pursuit of the ‘United DNA’. The Norwegian is no Kim Jong Un and will do well to stop recommending hairstyles.
