7 incredible stats behind Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s amazing start at Besiktas
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made a sublime start to life at Besiktas, having won six of his first eight matches in charge of the Turkish giants.
Since being relieved of his duties by Manchester United in 2021, the Norwegian boss has bided his time before throwing his hat back into management.
During his three-year break from coaching, Solskjaer worked for UEFA, studying tactical trends and also spent plenty of time with his family.
He also turned down numerous job offers before the lure of Besiktas was too strong to turn down.
“I’ve been offered many jobs, but it had to be the right opportunity,” Solskjaer told The Athletic.
“At least 40. But they weren’t right; I need to be in my job. I’m a people-person; I use the human capital around me.
“So why Besiktas? It’s a huge club with a great history in an amazing city. But I’d spoken to them twice before, six months ago and a year ago.
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“It was different this time with the president and the way he spoke about bringing the old Besiktas back with values and respect. Human values like never giving up, always fighting. And they want quick, attacking football.
“Besiktas have had 10 coaches since I left United. I needed to get the players to feel part of something that they love and give them the opportunity to perform at their best level.”
While Solskjaer’s time at Old Trafford might have ended on a sour note, he did hit the ground running when he was initially given the job.
That’s certainly been the case at Besiktas so far, with the club currently on an excellent run of form under the former United boss.
“He’s made us more compact, plays us in our positions and brings a good team spirit,” goalkeeper Mert Gunok told The Athletic.
We’ve taken a closer look at Solskjaer’s start to life in Turkey and have found seven impressive stats behind his excellent start at Besiktas.
– The 52-year-old boasts a 75% win ratio in Turkey, having won six of his first eight matches across all competitions. For context, he had a 54% win ratio at Manchester United.
– Since taking over, Besiktas have averaged 2.5 points per game in the league. Before Solskjaer took the job, the club only averaged 1.63 points per game.
– Besiktas have scored an average of two goals per game in the league under Solskjaer. Prior to him taking over, they were only averaging 1.47 goals per game.
– They’ve also improved at the opposite end of the pitch, averaging 0.75 goals against them under Solskjaer. Before taking over, the club conceded an average of 1.1 goals in the league.
– Solskjaer beat Athletic Club 4-1 in his debut match in charge of the club. It was the first time that Besiktas had scored four goals in a game since August. It was also Athletic Club’s heaviest defeat of the season.
– Across all competitions, the Norwegian boss has averaged 2.38 points per game. That’s the best PPG record of any Besiktas manager since Andras Kuttik who managed the club in 1959.
– The club are currently on a five-game winning streak for the first time this season. During that time they have scored 11 goals and have only conceded three.