Ole excited at return of big players
OLE: POGBA AND RASHFORD CAN PLAY VITAL ROLE IN SEASON FINALE
OLE Gunnar Solskjaer believes Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford will have a huge opportunity to influence United’s season – when football finally returns.
The global coronavirus pandemic has put the Premier League and other competitions on hold indefinitely, though there has been a commitment from league officials to conclude the season when possible.
And Solskjaer admitted Pogba and Rashford, who have been sidelined with long-term injuries, should have extra motivation to recover and play a part in the season finale.
“Paul and Marcus have been out, now we’ve still got games left, and I think everyone in the league will start more or less on the same level,” said Solskjaer.
“Maybe they’ve got more motivation to keep going [with recovery] now, as they can see when they’re back they’re maybe on the same level or even a better level physically.
“In a way, they have got an opportunity here to play a bigger part in this season than they had hoped – and they are big players for us – some of the most important players.”
United are chasing a top four finish and remain in the FA Cup and Europa League this season.
ERLING Haaland did not make the move to rejoin Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at United in January, but the Borussia Dortmund striker admitted he owes plenty his former boss.
Solskjaer managed Haaland at Norwegian club Molde, before the striker moved to RB Salzburg, where he earned that recent move to the Bundesliga amid United interest.
Haaland remains one of the hottest properties in European football after making a blistering start for Dortmund.
But he revealed where it all started for him in Norway in an interview with Eurosport and the Solskjaer advice that made a huge difference. Haaland pinpointed a miss for Molde against Kristiansund in early 2018 prompted the conversation.
“When I look back, it was really a pretty strange time, the start of 2018. That match somehow became a kind of turning point for my career, if you can say it that way,” Haaland said.
“Now I can tell you what it was like for me. I’ll try to remember, we played away against Kristiansund and lost 1-0. I missed against the keeper before the end.
“Then we had a little holiday week. We were at Marbella training hard together, refining the combinations and relationships and getting sun.
“The game afterwards was Stabaek at home, if I remember correct. I remember I had a chance and hit really well, but shot in the middle of the target. I felt something stuck in me.
“I remember it was frustrating as a young striker, everything goes against you on training. I was alone with the keeper and the bar, got crosses from Ole Gunnar but I missed on every opportunity. I remember Ole then said ‘I think you start this game, so just be ready.’”
And despite the fact Haaland had not trained well and had been missing chances, the work he did with Solskjaer paid off. Then 17, he scored in a 3-2 win over Viking that kickstarted his career.
He added: “I had not had the best training week, but then it was good atmosphere in the room that I shared with Hestad. And I remember from the warm-up that I felt pretty light.”
A Norwegian TV commentator then asked Haaland: ‘have you learned a lot from Ole Gunnar?’ and he responded: “I forgot to tell you this, but before that game, Solskjaer and I did some practice on finishing. Not just crosses. I remember he taught me some easy rules. The first one was on touch.
“That I don’t use too much power and trying to destroy the goal or the goalie with ball. I think I was thinking about doing that and it was something new he told me. I trained a bit on that, but without scoring.
“But at least I had it in my head after that training session.
“That was something he taught me in the days before that game and he has taught me a lot to be calm.
“It is then you have the chance to score.
“He deserves a lot of credit for teaching me that.”
I remember he taught me some easy rules, he deserves a lot of credit Erling Haaland on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer