Ole: Players are easy targets over virus battle
Solskjaer slams criticism of footballers and claims players are ‘easy targets’ amid virus lockdown/ UTD
UNITED boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has slammed the criticism aimed at footballers for not contributing to the fight against the coronavirus as ‘unfair’.
Solskjaer defended the impact footballers have had, not just on the battle against COVID19, but in their communities generally, and said the game remained an ‘easy target’ for criticism.
“Football’s an easy target sometimes, for me it’s unfair to call on any individuals or footballers as a group. Players do a great amount of work in the community, loads of players are doing a lot to help this situation,” Solskjaer said.
“Discussions are taking place between players and clubs, what contributions are they going to make. It’s not easy for anyone – to be called out is not fair.
“Now it’s about making better decisions, good decisions. We all want to help the NHS, the communities, I think it’s important that every single club do what they think is right – you can’t say you should do this or should do that.
“We’re all good people, I’m sure we all want this to be over with as soon as possible. For me it’s about following the guidelines from the government as well.”
RYAN Giggs has revealed leaving his close friends out of the team was the most difficult part of his spell as United manager.
The Welshman initially joined the United backroom staff in a player/coach role at the request of David Moyes who was later sacked by the club following a disastrous 10 months at the helm.
Giggs was handed the reins on a temporary basis and believes it was an easy decision to accept the role.
However, he revealed not picking some of his closest friends in his team selection was extremely difficult.
“It was pretty easy – I don’t think there was an alternative for a start!” he told The Coaches Voice.
“It was easy because it was only four games and I had good people around me joining the coaching staff.
“The difficult part was I was still a player and I wasn’t picking some of my mates – some of my teammates who I’ve shared the dressing room with for a long time, so that was the difficult part.
“Also, I knew it was going to be my last year so I wanted to enjoy it as a player as well and I probably never got that chance in the end.”
Giggs presided over four games as interim boss, winning two, drawing one and losing against Sunderland.
The now Wales manager believes the defeat to the Black Cats proved he had what it takes to step into a managerial position.
He added: “I got the chance to manage Manchester United and I talk about the badges, the qualifications, you need them and it’s great but nothing prepares you for the actual experience of being in that hot seat, being in the office, picking the team, players knocking on the door and everything on the pitch.
“It was brilliant, an unbelievable experience. An experience I’d never change.
“After we got beat by Sunderland, I knew I had the mentality to become a manager.
“After that defeat, I had no problem with not picking [my mates] because they didn’t perform.
“I knew I had it in me to make the tough decisions.”
LIVERPOOL manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted he is to blame for Trent AlexanderArnold’s struggles against Marcus
Rashford during United’s 2-1 win at Old Trafford in March 2018. The defender was run ragged by the forward who netted both goals for Jose Mourinho’s side. Unsurprisingly, AlexanderArnold was criticised for his performance and later admitted facing Rashford was ‘one of his most difficult days’ believing he ‘underestimated’ his future international teammate. Nevertheless, Klopp has taken the blame for his poor display, claiming he failed to remind Alexander-Arnold to close the inside when facing Rashford.
“I know after the United game a lot of people said immediately, that’s how it always is in football, ‘they need a new right-back’ or whatever,” he told Guillem Balague on the Pure Football Podcast.
“If he makes mistakes like he made in that game that’s really my fault. Especially these mistakes were my fault. He doesn’t know to close the inside in these situations. It is of course my mistake. You can say he knows it, but he has to use it as well. Especially against Rashford.”
I knew I had it in me to make tough decisions after the Sunderland defeat Ryan Giggs