SOLSKJAER: I CAN RIDE THIS STORM
MANAGER BELIEVES HE CAN TURN THE TIDE AT UNITED
OLE Gunnar Solskjaer believes he can survive United’s dreadful run of form and confirmed he did speak to Sir Alex Ferguson when he visited the club’s training complex this week.
The Manchester Evening News revealed Ferguson, the former United chairman Martin Edwards and ex-chief executive David Gill all arrived at Carrington on Tuesday, when the United squad returned for their first training session following the 5-0 home humiliation by Liverpool on Sunday.
Despite attempts to downplay Ferguson’s visit and suggestions he did not speak with Solskjaer, the United manager clarified he did have a chat with the Scot.
“Yes, on both accounts, if that’s short and sweet,” Solskjaer replied when asked if he spoke with Ferguson and felt he could survive United’s perilous period.
“Joking apart, we had a commercial day, and Sir Alex came to do some commercial stuff and I met him and spoke to him for a brief moment because he was in there with Cristiano [Ronaldo]. I’ve been through some very bad moments here as a player and when I’ve been a manager I’ve dealt with setbacks.
“There probably have been two or three crises, at least, since I became the manager here and one thing I can say is I’ll always give it a good shot and fight back.”
Solskjaer likened the manner of United’s defeat to a ‘punch-drunk boxer’ against Liverpool and suggested they should mirror Tyson Fury’s strategy whenever he suffers a knockout.
“Of course, you have to hold hands up and that performance is not acceptable,” Solskjaer added. “And we have to look at why it was not acceptable and why it went as I did.
“I use the analogy: it felt like we were a boxer being punch-drunk, got knocked down in the first four minutes or in the first round. We had a chance, we conceded a goal, we wanted to sort it out, and went a bit too open and too frantic against a good team. “You see Tyson Fury when he gets knocked down a couple of times, it’s remarkable how calm and composed he is when he’s on the floor, counts to six, seven, eight, he gets up and gets ready. We got up too early and tried to sort it. “Minds have to be better but we’ve had to look at different things as well, the communication has to be direct.”
footballer. It’s not just frame of mind, it’s the approach, strategy, gameplan, tactics, technically, we’ve had a good week and I feel the boys are ready to give their best, as they always do. Of course, nothing went to plan (against Liverpool) and that was nowhere near our best.
“I think [the criticism] affects everyone around, I spoke about it last week, I think Mikel Arteta said something about what we have to deal with, as managers in high profile situations, and that’s what we’ve got used to.
“I’m as focused as ever. I’ve had players come up to me. As an example, when Paul came up to me, angry, we expect to be criticised, because hands up, the performance wasn’t good enough, you hear about it from right, left and centre. We can’t accept when lies are made up. Paul told me what he put up out on his social media account. We’re better than that, as a group, the culture is better here, the environment is better, when it’s blatant lies they’ve got to stand up and say so. Opinions and reports, fine, but don’t make up lies about me.
“The players come in, proper professionals, come in, good people.”