Ole expecting to keep job, but admits defeat is ‘big step back’
OLE Gunnar Solskjaer expects to manage United against Watford in two weeks’ time.
The Reds have lost four of their last six Premier League games and trail leaders Chelsea by nine points in a season they were expected to challenge for the title.
City’s comfortable 2-0 win at Old Trafford yesterday means Solskjaer is now responsible for 21 per cent of United’s home defeats in the Premier League era and they have already been beaten three times on their own patch already this term.
The Reds travel to Watford in the first of three successive away games after the November internationals, with trips to Villarreal and Chelsea scheduled after the Vicarage Road fixture.
Solskjaer has suggested United will abandon the back-three formation that led to mixed results against Tottenham, Atalanta and City, and switch to a more adventurous system against Watford on November 20.
“Players are human beings and when you lose a game of football there’s no better remedy than winning a game, getting your confidence back,” Solskjaer said.
“Hopefully, the ones who go away do well.
“For us, it’s all about Watford. We have to come out against Watford like a proper hurt animal and get back to what we know we can be. That’s the only way to approach this and attack the situation.
“The short answer is yes, it’s come at a good time for us now. As a group, we’ve had a difficult spell, we’ve come through it but this was a big step backward.”
Solskjaer also insisted he is still confident of turning the season.
Some Reds supporters booed Solskjaer specifically as he approached the tunnel at full-time against City while the majority sardonically cheered the removal of the ever-present Fred for the underused Donny van de Beek. When asked if he still felt he could salvage United’s season, Solskjaer replied: “Definitely. And you’re right, back to where we should be, for me it’s about back to what we started to look like, we started to look a proper team, we started to look like a team I like to see. We’ve had three or four weeks now of a disappointing spell.
“The result and performance against Tottenham was good but it’s not what we want to look like, to put it that way. We want to be on the front foot and more aggressive. But unfortunately, we’ve had to try and get a few good results. We got a couple against Atalanta and Tottenham but today was a big step back.” Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Solskjaer reiterated his commitment to his role, adding: “I have good communication with the club all the time which is up front and honest. I work for Man United, I want
For us, it’s all about Watford. We have to come out like a proper hurt animal
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
the best for Man United. As long as I am here I want to improve this.”
United went 1-0 down in the seventh minute to City and only managed one attempt on target.
“When you concede the first goal as early as you do, it makes the game a lot more difficult, and we needed to be more on the front foot, aggressive, up there,” Solskjaer added.
“But we played against a very good team that made it hard for us to do that.
“Then when we had the ball they pressed us really well, we couldn’t get the angles that we knew we had to get and the quality we knew we had to get. So we never got to the level we need to be at to win against good teams.”