Fergie welcomed back into the fold
OLE Gunnar Solskjaer insists he will keep Sir Alex Ferguson ‘informed’ during his tenure as United caretaker coach.
Ferguson was invited to United’s Carrington training complex to observe their session on Saturday and spent time with Solskjaer and his coaching staff ahead of the win over Bournemouth.
Although Ferguson has been an occasional visitor at Carrington in retirement, he has inherited a de facto consultancy role under Solskjaer, who spent 14-and-a-half years with the Scot as a player and coach.
Ferguson is likely to approve of Solskjaer’s coaching appointments, with his last assistant Mick Phelan and former United development coach Mark Dempsey back at United, while Solskjaer has retained former club captain Michael Carrick and boyhood United fan Kieran McKenna as part of the set-up.
David Moyes’ decision to release Phelan and first-team coach Rene Meulensteen in 2013 has been repeatedly criticised, despite the pair’s checkered coaching records since they left United.
Solskjaer has opted to surround himself with figures familiar with United’s ethos and they received encouragement from Ferguson at the weekend.
“I’ve had him for 15 years,” Solskjaer said of Ferguson.
“Obviously he’s influenced me more in those 15 years than he’s done last week, but I keep him informed.
“He paid us a visit yesterday. He enjoyed his time at the training ground, we had a nice few chats with us and the staff and he encouraged us.
“He knows the staff I’ve got are Man United through and through and he knows we’re going to do whatever we can, up to the last second we’re here, for Man United to do as best as we can.
“I’m at home at this club. That’s the thing.
“I’ve spent 15 years here and that’s just me. I’m seeing all these people when I walk through the corridors here. It’s me. I’m comfortable in the environment.
“It’s up to you to rate me if I’m up to the level but I’m definitely enjoying my time back home.”
United are still sixth in the Premier League but have moved to within three points of Arsenal in fifth and have plundered more goals than fourthplaced Chelsea.
United had a tendency to perform better in the second half of seasons during Solskjaer’s playing career but the Norwegian was reluctant to dwell on whether United’s opponents are fretful of them creeping up behind them.
“I don’t know what they’re thinking,” Solskjaer added. “Our thinking is the next game and the next game, on to the next one. Let’s see where it brings us.
“One thing is results but you don’t always get results and points you deserve. It’s about playing the right way.
“As long as we play the right way and dominate games, more often than not, we’ll get enough points in the end. We cannot control if it goes post in or post out.
“Players just want to play football and win games. They’ll enjoy themselves if we keep on winning. But then again, I’d rather have the points on the board than not.”