Cardiff City boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer better for 'hard times'

Cardiff City finished

Cardiff City boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he is a better manager for having gone through the trauma of relegation.

The Norwegian, 41, was appointed in January after the sacking of Malky Mackay, but could not prevent Cardiff finishing bottom of the Premier League.

"I'm not one to regret. I'd rather be exhausted by the hard times that can breed success, than resting and achieving nothing," Solskjaer said.

"These six months have been valuable and I'm a more mature manager."

Solskjaer said he had to make the most of the squad he inherited last season, adding: "I didn't have the impact that I'd hoped for and now you get more time away from that pressure of three points to get the philosophy across.

"Now we get more our style, my style, and players that have come in are obviously going to be a big part of that."

Cardiff have started their pre-season tour of Austria brightly, with the squad split in half and winning two games in one day - beating KS Teuta Durres 3-0 and 1860 Munich 3-2.

The south Wales club have been installed as favourites to win the Championship by several bookmakers and Solskjaer says they will not shy away from the expectations being placed on them.

"I expect high standards and I expect to win every game of football I play," he added.

"I've brought in players, quite a few from Man United, and I know they've got the right mentality.

"I think this squad now is more used to the mentality of what we need; last year was the unknown for more or less everyone to be in a relegation fight."

Solskjaer has brought in Spanish striker Javi Guerra, Austrian midfielder Guido Burgstaller, Reading forward Adam Le Fondre, South African midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi and former Manchester United player Federico Macheda.

The Cardiff boss also hopes to bring in defender Michael Keane from Old Trafford on loan.

But Solskjaer is resigned to losing centre-back Steven Caulker - with Queen's Park Rangers poised to sign him

Chile midfielder Gary Medel and striker Fraizer Campbell also seem set to depart.