MANCHESTER UNITED were not fit for purpose under Jose Mourinho.
New boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this week spent five days in Dubai putting the squad he inherited from the sacked Portuguese through “a mini pre-season”.
He had been told by backroom staff that United were being dominated physically by opposition teams.
One of the first messages the Norwegian delivered, after taking over, was that there were no excuses for United players to be outrun and outfought during the most important 90 minutes of the week.
And United’s team – both collectively and individually – has run faster and longer in the five successive games Solskjaer has won since taking charge.
Some staff members at Old Trafford believe the numbers are proof of how much Mourinho ( below) had lost the support of his players.
Others feel that it was a consequence of the negative tactical noose he had thrown on his team. Either way, the stats are a damning indictment of the one-time Special One’s reign.
Other Premier League managers have been trying to rest their players after the gruelling Christmas and New Year schedule. But despite five victories in the space of just 14 days, the United boss decided to take his team into the desert for a gruelling training camp.
Solskjaer said: “The trip to Dubai has been all about high-intensity training.
“It’s been warm and it’s been tough. But the players have had a day off to recharge their batteries and they should be ready for Sunday.
“We always used to do that with the boss (Sir Alex Ferguson). Come January, we used to have a mini pre-season.
“I think it’s important, when you’ve got a full week to prepare, that you do a
the season – and Paris Saint-Germain are in pole position after telling Ajax they will pay £67m.But Madrid have made Eriksen, 26, a top summer target as they look to revamp at the Bernabeu.And Spurs have responded by contacting De Jong’s agent Ali Dursun to give him guarantees that will match the current highest bid for his 21-year-old client.The London club know they will have to spend bigger than ever if Eriksen goes – with a move to their new £1billion stadium looming and boss Mauricio Pochettino wanted by Manchester United.Tottenham would bank £100m-plus from the sale of Eriksen, but the Denmark international has told his Monaco-based Dutch agent Martin Schoots that he will only leave Spurs to join a top club in Spain.He is coveted by Madrid – but Barcelona have also been tracking the playmaker.De Jong looked destined for Manchester City late last year – only for the Premier League champions to request that the deal was put on ice.That enabled PSG to launch a charm offensive – and Dursun met officials of the French champions in Amsterdam in December.De Jong, who currently earns less than £10,000 a week in Holland, was devastated to miss out on the chance with Pep Guardiola at City.But he was impressed when PSG made a contract offer worth £100,000 a week AFTER tax.Spurs are long-term admirers of De Jong (above) and have been tracking his progress for the past 18 months.He looked to be out of their range when City and PSG entered the race for his signature.But Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has developed a strong working relationship with the Ajax Director of Football, Mark Overmars.The belief in Amsterdam is that PSG remain favourites to land De Jong at the end of the season. GUN RULE: Solskjaer lays down the law to his players in Dubai