When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was kissed in as the new Besiktas coach, there were several pundits in Norway who just shook their heads at the choice. Besiktas as the first job after Manchester United, this must be a mistake. At the same time, it was warned that Solskjaer had no idea what he was getting into when he accepted the big club in crisis in a league he has no experience with at all. After Tuesday’s game, we encourage the crowd in the gallery who were waiting for Solskjaer to fail to start “eating their hats”.
“Ole, Ole, Ole”. In Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first game as Besiktas coach, “our man” set the stands on fire with a 4-1 win against what was then La Liga’s third best club. Then followed a draw and an away loss to FC Twente, but then the Solskjaer effect really started to come.
On Tuesday, it was time for another away game in the cup, this time against Antalyaspor, last season’s 8th best club in the Süper Lig. The two clubs faced each other at the end of January in the series, this one ended 1-1. This time, Solskjaer and the Besiktas players showed they had learned.
Just nine minutes into the game, Besiktas scored. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has previously shown he is a master at coaching young talent. For 19-year-old Keny Arroyon, this was the big day. The Ecuadorian player signed with Besiktas in December, on Tuesday his first goal came on the right wing.
The lead held until the 64th minute. Then the goal for Antalyaspor came to wild cheers from the home supporters. The cheers lasted only twelve minutes. Then Rafael Silva pulled in the game-winning goal. Once again, Solskjaer and Besiktas showed they can decide close games in the closing minutes.
With a win, it carries to the quarter-finals of the cup at Besiktas. For Solskjaer, this was the fifth win in the last five games.
Quarter-finals in the cup, only five points behind 4th place in the Süper Lig.
We end with a former Besiktas player’s experience of what has happened to the team since Solskjaer’s arrival.
“Solskjaer’s imprint is becoming clearer and clearer every week. The players had lost all confidence, but he has patched it up. I have full faith in him. Hopefully he will stay at Besiktas for a long time,” former Besiktas player Recep Cetin wrote on social media.
