IS POCH A SECRET FAN OF UNITED?
‘NO CHANGE’ FOR OLE AS UNITED PREPARE FOR SPURS TRIP
OLE Gunnar Solskjaer has praised Mauricio Pochettino’s man-management as the contenders for the permanent United manager’s role prepare to face each other.
Caretaker coach Solskjaer takes the Reds to Tottenham tomorrow having presided over five wins from five since he replaced Jose Mourinho on December 19.
Although Solskjaer was appointed on an interim basis until the end of the season, the Reds’ drastic upturn in form has enhanced his chances of being made manager on a full-time basis.
Despite Solskjaer’s impressive start, Pochettino’s Spurs are just six points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool and are competing on all four fronts.
They beat Chelsea 1-0 in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final and could take on City in the Wembley final next month.
Pochettino was Sir Alex Ferguson’s choice to replace Louis van Gaal as United manager in 2016 and offered the Argentinian advice during a luncheon in London two weeks before Mourinho was installed.
Solskjaer invited Ferguson to United’s training ground at Carrington last month and has openly said he will lean on the Scot between now and May.
Solskjaer said last week he would speak with executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward about United’s plans for the remainder of the season but clarified his own situation has not been touched upon.
“No, we’ve not had that conversation,” Solskjaer said. “You don’t plan five or six months ahead and then suddenly after two weeks change that. No, nothing’s changed.
“We just keep working every single day on improving the team here. I work with a fantastic coaching staff, I have to say. We’ll put a plan together on how we want to look the next few months.”
When asked what qualities had enabled Pochettino to excel at Spurs, Solskjaer added: “I can’t really comment because I’ve been sat on the outside too much. I’ve only met him once myself [when Cardiff played at Southampton in 2014]. He was a very nice man to speak to and we had a nice chat.
“He’s probably a very good man-manager, but you’ve got to ask someone else. From the outside, he looks like that anyway.
“He’s got good players, it’s the same with me.
“It’s easier to play an attacking way and your way when you’ve got good players, and he’s got lots of good players.”