Dreams are fine but we can’t be caught napping
MANCHESTER UNITED have turned Old Trafford back into the Theatre of Dreams, according to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
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 do not let their fantastic start to the Premier League season turn into a nightmare.
Solskjaer warned that Tuesday night’s shock Champions League defeat at Young Boys was a wakeup 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’s 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 away, new £73million signing Jason Sancho is yet to produce the form that prompted United to track him since his days at Manchester City’s academy.
Learning
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.
“Coming here, you are always going to get a chance, playing with some of the best players in the world, and getting some fantastic coaching with the coaches I’ve got.”
Solskjaer is also encouraged by David de Gea’s start to the season after it appeared the Spanish keeper’s 10-year spell at the club was going to be ended by Dean Henderson’s emergence.
But Henderson has been fighting for fitness after missing the Euros through injury and then contracting Covid-19.
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.
“I am very pleased with David, his attitude and everything. I am very happy with the goalkeeping department and I am not going to say here whether I am going to keep David going or Dean is going to come in.
“David has shown his qualities so it’s a decision to be made further along the line when Dean is 100 percent.”