Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Frank Lampard are twinned in much, the returning heroes appointed in part on the basis of their wonderful playing careers and knowledge of their beloved clubs, despite relatively slender managerial CVs.
They were twinned on 66 points last season, side by side in third and fourth, their seasons qualified successes despite disappointments in the latter stages of knockout competitions.
There is a more recent common denominator, too, and it entails emphatic defeats at Old Trafford.
Solskjaer’s last game at home was, he said, his “worst day” in management. Lampard’s heaviest defeat was his first match at Chelsea manager.
Manchester United lost 6-1 to Tottenham. Chelsea went down 4-0 to United in August 2019. If there are differences in the details – and Lampard felt the scoreline on his managerial debut was harsh, whereas United were shambolic two weeks ago – each has shown the mettle to respond.
Solskjaer and Lampard have faced similar challenges of late, and two men who forged fine careers by scoring goals have been charged with stopping them. Tuesday’s Champions League games have offered each a fillip, but in contrasting ways.
United's victory over Paris Saint-Germain came in the absence of Harry Maguire and the benched Paul Pogba, who have both had troubled seasons, and with a change of shape.
At least, if Maguire is fit again, Axel Tuanzebe’s performance in France suggested he has an internal solution, a possible partner to the £80 million ($104m) and whose pace suggests he can dovetail with the captain, offering the pace he lacks.
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Chelsea v Sevilla ratings
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Lampard’s solution has been external. The authoritative Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell and Edouard Mendy, his three defensive additions, have played together twice and Chelsea have kept two clean sheets.
Whereas they have 3-3 draws with both Willy Caballero and Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal, Mendy is yet to concede as a Chelsea player.
He has only had to field two shots on target thus far so the positive early impressions of a commanding figure come amid a small sample size. This is his first real test and one that may be toughened by the presence of a forward with 403 goals to his name, if Edinson Cavani is deemed fit to make his United bow.
The Uruguayan is nevertheless likely to represent Plan B. Along with PSG, Chelsea represent favourite opponents for Solskjaer. His counter-attacking blueprint – low on possession, high on penetration – worked wonderfully in three wins against them last season.
The triple centre-back policy he used in France was a favourite ploy against Chelsea. Until, rather than playing into United’s hands, Lampard matched up in July’s FA Cup semi-final and beat United on a traumatic afternoon for David de Gea.
If the Spaniard has responded well to the challenge Dean Henderson poses and was terrific on Tuesday, Lampard faces the decision of whether to try and replicate his Wembley gameplan.
It would probably entail omitting one of Christian Pulisic, Mason Mount or Kai Havertz; with Hakim Ziyech yet to start, it is already hard enough to accommodate all his attacking additions.
Solskjaer may look at the raft of signings and identify a difference between comparable figures. United missed out on Jadon Sancho in a summer of frustration.
Cavani feels more a club recruit than a Solskjaer signing, given the Norwegian’s preference for young, quick Brits. Chelsea were the year’s biggest buyers but United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward argued this week that they have the largest net spend since the start of the 2019 summer transfer window.
Money has been at the heart of the discussions of both clubs, particularly with the talk of a European Premier League. Saturday will show whose approach is paying off.
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Verdict: Four stars
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
