We need to start turning over the underachievers HARRY MAGUIRE
Solskjaer cleared out Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez last summer in a bid to change a selfish culture at Old Trafford into a collective spirit, and a better work ethic is paying dividends.
And although speculation about Pogba’s future refuses to go away, Solskjaer insists a bond they have shared since the Frenchman was a teenage newcomer at Old Trafford makes him trust the World Cup winner.
Says Solskjaer: “I have a good relationship with Paul. I had him here when he first came and I was coaching the reserves.
“It’s an open and honest relationship. And I think when you can see what he can do on the pitch you want to make sure you build on that.”
Solskjaer stuck his neck on the line telling the United board last summer he didn’t want to sell Pogba and he has no interest in offloading him in January.
And he insists he knows the real Pogba – and the French star is hurting at not being able to play.
“He has not been training a lot with the team. The worst thing for a player is when he is injured and is not playing,” Solskjaer said.
“And there is nothing more disheartening.
“Sometimes you feel like you don’t contribute to your team if you are not able to play. So I am sure you will see him smile again when he’s back on the pitch.”
HARRY MAGUIRE has warned Manchester United they can forget about a top-four finish unless they start beating teams below them.
The £80million defender knows United have no trouble beating the best.
But it’s their struggles against the rest that have prevented them from capitalising on eye-catching victories over Manchester City and Tottenham in recent weeks.
United and England star Maguire has called on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s stars to sharpen up their act against teams below them – starting at Vicarage Road against Watford today – after admitting it’s a mystery why they don’t kill off sides in the lower reaches.
Momentum
“We can’t put our finger on it. We know there have been some games where we know we have not been good enough against teams from the bottom half of the table.
“But there have been others where we should have scored earlier and killed the game off. It’s been a mixed bag.
“In games against the top half we have been brilliant but against the bottom half we really need to improve and it’s something we are working on.
“We need to win these games to move into the top four. I have always said that to do well and be successful you have to, first and foremost, beat the teams you are expected to beat.
“But they have been tricky games. The pressure is on us to force the game and to be a success you have to rack up the points.
“Then, beating the top six, like we have done, can become a bit of a bonus.”
United have only suffered two defeats seems that when we concede it is from need to turn draws into wins to move in 15 games but have won only four of 30 yards or set-pieces, which is a part of up the table.” their last nine league games. Four draws our play we need to work on. And Maguire is under no illusions have hampered their attempts to put “Trying to win ugly is definitely the that Watford could be a banana skin if pressure on the top four. case. I don’t think we have grinded out a United don’t perform.
Three of those came against Sheffield result all season. Look at the Sheffield “It’s a game where we will have to be United, Aston Villa and Everton – and United game, for instance. very careful,” he said. “They probably Maguire believes United need to start deserve more points than they’ve got. winning ugly against lesser sides. “We watched Watford at Liverpool last
“We definitely have some momentum. week and they caused them all sorts of We are moving forward and two defeats problems. They created numerous in 15 is good but there have been too chances and didn’t deserve to lose the many draws in there. game.
“To be fair, in a lot of those draws we “It’s going to be tough but we have probably deserved a win but we just to look after ourselves and make sure haven’t been clinical enough, while it we perform to our ability.”
Scrappy
“We didn’t perform well, then suddenly we go 3-2 up and then concede a scrappy goal in the last minute. It’s really important to grind out results in this league to climb the table.
“That said, we are not conceding many chances, which is pleasing, but we