YOUTH Ole & United are
‘Time for main men to step up to plate’
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has told Manchester United’s big players it is time to “step up” in tonight’s Europa League semi-final against Sevilla.
United will be looking to make it third time lucky and reach the final after suffering semi-final agony this season in n the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
Solskjaer knows his side face a huge task to overcome Sevilla, who are on a 19-game ame unbeaten run, and has called on star men en Bruno Fernandes (below), Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford to prove their worth.
“You know that when you come to a semi-final you’re playing against good teams, big teams with quality,” said Solskjaer. “So it’s time for big players to step up.
“In big games, you need 100 per cent focus because any little moment can win, lose or change the game and we’ve learnt it’s very painful to lose a semi-final.
“Sevilla are a well-organised team, always pressing, with very good individuals, so we’ll have to play our best game.
“We’ll need to keep the ball, play out of their press and be clever, creative and step up in big moments.
“These games will often be decided on a set-piece or a piece of individual brilliance.
“We’ve had a few good days preparing and recovering. It’s not often we have six days between games, so we’re ready.
“We’re happy with going as far as we have, but we want to go one step further.” Playmaker Fernandes, who is the Europa League’s top scorer with seven goals, is full of confidence as he tries to lead United to a first trophy under Solskjaer.
He said: “When a club pays €55million for a player, I think you have the confidence from the club.
“The coach speaks to me all the time and has told me to play my game and do what I already did at Sporting – to have the same confidence, try the same things.”
Fernandes was been compared with United great Eric Cantona at the press conference and he said: “Cantona was an amazing player, I need to do much, much better to be compared with him.
“For me, it’s about winning trophies and I’ll be happy if we win the Europa League.”