IT’S Solskjaer excited by stars
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER believes Manchester United have turned Old Trafford back into the Theatre of Dreams.
But the United boss has promised that while the Reds’ fans are right to get excited about a team that includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Jadon Sancho, he will make sure that his players don’t let their fantastic start to the Premier League season turn into a nightmare.
United travel to West Ham with 10 points from their opening four games – and are unbeaten on the road for a record 28 games.
But while the supporters are riding high on a wave of optimism, Solskjaer warned that
Tuesday night’s shock Champions League defeat at Young Boys in Switzerland was a wake-up call his squad must heed.
He said: “I think that’s why we’re here at the biggest club in the world.
“It is called the Theatre of Dreams for a reason, because if you don’t dream high then what are you there to support your team for?
“That’s for the supporters. I’m grounded, the coaches are grounded. We know our expectations. We know we’ve got good players.
“But we also know we’re in a competitive situation where every single game and every single training session counts, and we can’t take our eye off the ball and dream.
“We can’t dream. We’ve got to keep plugging away at what we believe in.
“But I think there must be a buzz and excitement about the place with the players we’ve got.
“It’s up to us now to keep that form going. We know there are going to be ups and downs. All seasons have highs and lows.
“We’ve had a low on Tuesday night and now we must bounce back from that.”
While Ronaldo has hit the ground at full speed following his return to Manchester after 12 years, new £80million signing Sancho is yet to produce the form that prompted United to track him since his days at Manchester City’s academy.
Sancho (left) has been substituted in each of the last three matches after starting the first two games from the bench.
But Solskjaer insists he is delighted with how the England winger has settled – and that he has no doubts that he will come good. Solskjaer said: “He is learning all the time. In training as well, he is learning our training methods.
“He is learning the Premier League. Of
course, he knows the Champions League from his time at Dortmund. He is a young boy, he is only 21, and he will only improve. We signed him because we see a top forward for 10, 12, 15 years and I have not changed my mind on that.
“He is so clean on the ball and he has got the enthusiasm to learn, and that is a big thing when you come to Man United.”
Solskjaer is also encouraged by the start David de Gea (above) has made to the season after it seemed the Spanish keeper’s
10-year spell at the club was going to be ended by the emergence of Dean Henderson (right).
But Henderson has been fighting for fitness after missing the Euros through injury and then contracting
Covid-19 – and De Gea has grabbed the lifeline.
Solskjaer said: “David has started really well. It has been very unfortunate for Dean that he has had Covid and illness, but he’s getting better. “He’s getting some games and will probably play more Under-23 games just to catch up from what he’s lost. “I am very pleased with David, his attitude and everything.
“I am very happy with the goalkeeping department.
“I am not going to say here whether I am going to keep David going or Dean is going to come in.
“I think David has shown his qualities so, of course, it’s a decision to be made further along the line when Dean is 100 per cent again.”