Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Frank Lampard will provide an intriguing and contrasting thought experiment throughout the current Premier League season.
Both are young, unproven coaches who reached legend status during their playing days for Manchester United and Chelsea respectively.
Frank Lampard won every trophy going at Chelsea while Solskjaer did the same at UTD, minus the English League cup.
Each coach took over their former team in vastly different circumstances to when they joined as players. Frank Lampard and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer played for the most dominant teams of their era, hence the huge trophy haul.
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These days, Manchester United and Chelsea are also-rans who would be delighted to finish in the Premier League’s top four.
For UTD, Solskjaer is a return to what worked before. After six years of scrabbling in the post Alex Ferguson era, the club is returning to what Fergie did. That is – play young, English talent and attack with pace using tricky wingers. At the very least, the fans will welcome the return of an attacking philosophy after Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho.
For Chelsea, Frank Lampard represents a complete departure from the model that made them successful. With their transfer ban, and owner Roman Abramovic’s new found fiscal responsibility, Lampard will be charged with developing Chelsea’s huge collection of young, talented players into a team for the future.
It’s something Chelsea has never done, despite essentially being a worldwide farming system for young players. Lampard is throwing his support behind the likes of Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount to restore identity to Chelsea.
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Which rookie will be more successful this season? According to Paddy Power, Solskjaer has the edge over Lampard – just. UTD are 7/5 to finish in the top four, compared to Chelsea at 21/10.
Bookies give them similar chances in the cup competitions. Both teams are 9/1 to win the F.A Cup, while UTD slightly edge Chelsea at 11/1 compared to 12/1 to win the League Cup.
However, when it comes to who will be sacked first, Solsjkaer is the firm favourite at 10/1. Lampard is only the 10th favourite to lose his job at 25/1.
