Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Solskjaer won his first match in charge against Newcastle.

New Cardiff City manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is destined to succeed at Cardiff City after learning from Sir Alex Ferguson during his Manchester United career, according to former team-mate Gary Neville.

Solskjaer replaced Malky Mackay as Cardiff boss last week and began his tenure with a FA Cup third round win at Newcastle United but faces greater challenges ahead with the Bluesbirds deep in a relegation battle in the Premier League.

The former Molde boss was a surprise appointment by owner Vincent Tan, whose unpopularity has grown following the changing of the club's colour and the treatment of Mackay prior to his sacking in December, but Neville doesn't expect Solskjaer to tolerate a similar approach.

"What I know about Ole Gunnar Solskjӕr is that he's studious, he's intelligent and he's clever," said Neville.

"Knowing him as an individual, he'll have everything squared off at his end to make sure that he's able to manage the club in absolutely the way that he wants to, and I'm sure that he won't accept any interference."

The 40 year old won consecutive Norwegian league titles with Molde but delayed his return to the Premier League after being heavily linked with Blackburn Rovers and turning down an approach from Aston Villa.

Tan's reputation in south Wales is such that Solskjaer's decision to make Cardiff his first Premier League job came was accompanied with disbelief in some parts, but former United man Neville believes it is a progressive move.

"For me it's a positive step, Ole loves English football and he loves the Premier League," Neville added. "I think he's turned down one or two jobs, maybe more, in the top flight of English football in the last couple of years that haven't been right for him because of timing.

"A lot of people would have suggested that it wasn't the right move for him, but he believes in himself. Managers have to make big decisions, and to be clinical in decision making, and I think that's something he's proven with his success in Norway. He's driven to the point where he won't let someone stand in the way of something he wants to achieve.

After 11 years at United Solskjaer was able to learn from among the finest managers in British football history in Ferguson, who retired from management at the end of last season.

Neville says Solskjaer meticulously studied Ferguson's methods ahead of a career in management.

"He was the kind of player that would write down all the training sessions when he was coming towards the end of his career," the ex United defender explained. "Even after he had retired and moved up to coaching, I used to see him around the club all the time."

Gary Neville was speaking in his fortnightly column for EA SPORTS FIFA 14 Ultimate Team. Read the full column at (https://www.ea.com/en-gb/games/fifa/fifa-22/news)