Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Leaves Cardiff: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has stepped down as manager of Cardiff City having taken up the job in January 2014 after the dismissal of Malky Mackay.

The news was announced by Cardiff's official Twitter on Thursday:

Owner Vincent Tan commented on the decision to part company with his manager via a statement on the club's official website:

"

Ole was hired by Cardiff City on our understanding and belief that he would help us fight relegation from the Barclays Premier League. Unfortunately that did not happen. After the Club was relegated many people advised me to let him go, but I decided to keep Ole on for the Championship season. Regrettably our recent results do not justify Ole’s continued role as manager at Cardiff. Ole has therefore decided to step down and I have accepted this. 

"

Solskjaer hinted at behind-the-scenes disagreements as a reason for his departure, revealing he and Tan were pulling in opposite directions.

The former Manchester United striker said:

"

I want to thank Vincent for giving me the opportunity to manage Cardiff City FC. He has my full respect and I really wish him all the best in his pursuit of making this football club successful. However, our difference in philosophy on how to manage the club made me decide to step aside and allow the Club to move forward in the direction Vincent wants.

"

The Norwegian was unable to keep Cardiff in the Premier League last term and has overseen a poor start to the new Championship season in which the Welsh outfit have won just twice in their opening seven games and currently sit 17th.

Stu Forster/Getty Images

Recent home losses to Middlesbrough and Norwich City and a draw with bottom club Fulham have done little to suggest Cardiff can compete for promotion this season.

Considering their top-flight status last season, owner Tan was no doubt expecting a higher-flying Bluebirds in the English second tier in 2014-15.

As reported by BBC Sport, Solskjaer accepted responsibility for Cardiff's recent poor results and has paid the price: "I'm responsible and I should get better results than what we've had in the first seven games."

Solskjaer was brought in following Mackay's acrimonious departure after a terrific spell in charge of Molde, which had seen him claim two Norwegian top-flight league titles.

Possible replacements for the 41-year old at Cardiff were initially thought to include Dundee's 37-year-old boss Paul Hartley, per John Cross of the Daily Mirror, but BBC Wales Sport reports he turned down the opportunity:

"

More on Dundee boss Paul Hartley rejecting chance to manage @CardiffCityFC http://t.co/6VPULzLLpU pic.twitter.com/qRQKYqEPel

— BBC Wales Sport (@BBCWalesSport) September 18, 2014"

Another option could be recently departed Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis, a potentially astute appointment, per former Stoke defender Danny Higginbotham and football journalist Patrick Barclay:

Indeed, Pulis' pragmatic, organised style could work well for a Cardiff side whose weaknesses at the back have caused them particular problems.

Pulis successfully kept Stoke City comfortably in the Premier League for a number of years and pulled Palace from relegation-certainties to midtable wonders in the English top-flight last season.

The 56-year-old could bring some much-needed solidity to an often shambolic-looking club after the failed Solskjaer experiment.