SOLSKJAER: OUR A DRIVING FORCE
MANCHESTER UNITED have got players who can walk the walk and have developed an iron will to bring success to the club. That’s the declaration of boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who says the mentality of stars like Bruno Fernandes, Edinson Cavani and Paul Pogba has raised the stakes after admitting he had to reshape his squad and drive a money-grabbing ethos out of Old Trafford.
United face Liverpool in the FA Cup today and Solskjaer insists: “That winning mentality runs through the squad and it’s part of my thinking when you bring players in.
“You don’t just bring big talents in, you research their character as much as you can to have the right types.
“Because there are always players who think, ‘There’s a game next week and I’ll still get my wages.’ That’s the mentality we had to get away from.
“I wanted players to come here to push the boundaries, the levels and drive it on from the inside.
“It can’t come just from the outside.with players like Bruno, Edinson and Paul Pogba I feel I have a dressing room that is driven to success.
“That makes my job easier.when you talk the talk you have to walk the walk.we had players here when I played – Roy Keane, Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs – they drove it on.
“When they spoke you knew you had no leg to stand on to argue, because you knew that they did it every single day.
“And that’s what we need from our players. Many of us in the game have been in dressing rooms where people talk – but you think, ‘What are you talking about?’
“They talk the talk but you don’t really walk the walk. Put your money where your mouth is. But the players we’re talking about – Pogba and Cavani and Bruno – they’ve been there, they know what it takes and they demand it off their teammates.”
Solskjaer (right) admits his masterplan is coming together nicely – with
United making clear strides and turning draws into wins.
He added: “I set out a plan myself at the start and the club believed in it.
‘‘Sometimes you can upset the apple cart if you make too many changes. But slowly, and surely, we’ve added experience and a winning mentality.’’