SOLSKJAER RISKS FANS’ FURY WITH PROGRESS CLAIM
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has always been a pint half-full sort of man.
But after one of the most sobering weeks of his time at Manchester United, he opened himself up to ridicule yesterday when claiming the club were “on the right track”.
A 2-0 defeat at Anfield against Liverpool on Sunday that demonstrated just how far United have fallen was not the worst of it.
That would be the back injury suffered by Marcus Rashford, which the club knew about before playing him against Wolves last week and which now looks set to sideline him for up to three months.
There has also been criticism from Solskjaer’s former teammate, Gary Neville, who called for United executive vicechairman Ed Woodward to be sacked for “mismanagement”.
While many cannot see through the deepening gloom, Solskjaer has risked mockery from rival fans when insisting there are definite shoots of recovery. “For me, we’ve lost to Liverpool, a team you all say are fantastic, and we’ve been in the game until the last kick of the ball,” he said.
“We’re disappointed losing the game. We don’t want to be behind them in the league. But there were signs there we are on the right track.You can look back at history and, of course, we know we’re not where we want to be and should be and historically have been, but it’s just down to us now to work better.
“I’ve been here 13 months, my experience with the players we’ve brought in has been good so no complaints whatsoever.”
Solskjaer has suffered badly with injuries with
Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay and now Rashford on the longterm list.
Yet recruitment fresh legs proving difficult and the last time of is
Woodward ventured into the January market United ended up with Alexis Sanchez. Solskjaer talked up Mason Greenwood yesterday and suggested he would be heavily involved in Rashford’s absence. United are believed to have edged closer to securing Bruno Fernandes, having upped their offer to the region of £55million for the Sporting Lisbon midfielder, with a deal possible towards the end of the week. But Solskjaer made it clear a striker is still needed, making the failure to secure the signature of Erling Haaland looking more of an error. Solskjaer defended the club’s position on that again yesterday. “You can’t give agents the control by giving buy-out clauses and stuff,” he said. “We have to be in control.”
MAN UNITED (probable):
De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Jones, Maguire, Shaw; Matic, Fred; Lingard, Pereira, Mata; Martial.
BURNLEY (probable):
Pope; Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Hendrick, Cork, Westwood, McNeil; Rodriguez, Wood.