ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR OLE
United boss Solskjaer loving tactical freedom
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER claims Manchester United have a squad to execute any tactical plan.
The Old Trafford boss reckons he has now got more options across the pitch than at any time since taking charge from Jose Mourinho in December 2018.
United face Arsenal today looking to continue their unbeaten fourgame form streak after crushing Bundesl iga leaders RB Leipzig 5-0 in the Champions League.
That followed hot on the heels of a win in
France against Paris
Saint- Germain with h
United’s tactics spot-on again. gain
And Solskjaer admits he’s revelling in the luxury of having a team for all seasons after trialling a new system with Donny van der Beek at the head of a diamond, cutting Leipzig to pieces.
“Last season we put a lot of work into our principles and the way we want to play, and we had a foundation to play it from with two central midfielders. This season we’ve added quality in the squad with Edinson Cavani, Donny and Alex Telles,” says Solskjaer.
“Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford are now back fit so we have more options, and we have more options tactically.
“If we want to play a 4-3-3, a diamond, a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2, I think we have more options than ever before.”
Critics have suggested Pogba and Bruno Fernandes can’t operate effectively in the same team but Solskjaer ( left) insists it is no problem. “Good players can always play together if there is balance in the team,” he said.
“You can’t play the 10 best forwards in the team together. Of course you need balance and that is what we are working to find.”
United were hammered for failing to land number one target Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund in the last transfer window.
But Solskjaer is happy with his new signings who have given the squad a competitive boost.
“I think we’ve signed well, I’m very happy with the ones we’ve made, I think all of them have made an impact,” adds the United boss.
“They are players we’ve targeted for a little while and I’m happy with them.
“You want competition for places and you want players to know that there’s someone who can take my place.
“And you want players who can cope with that pressure, which you have to do if you are pa r t of Man United. Alex Telles played really well in Paris and I think Luke Shaw has also played really well the last few games – that’s the competition you want.”
Solskjaer will celebrate two years in charge next month and his greying hair means the baby-faced assassin tag he once had as a player is long gone. And as he grapples with restoring United to former glory, the Norwegian revealed he switches off by watching American comedy sit-com Seinfeld.
“I’m getting older but, no, I enjoy it. I have to say I told myself when I got the job ‘ You’ve got to enjoy every single minute, the highs and the lows’.
“It is a challenge of course but if I didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t be here. You try to switch off, you watch some TV series once in a while but it’s almost 24/7, definitely.
“At the moment I’m going through some old Seinfeld. I’ve got the new series as well but I’m very old school and I’m through season five at the moment and have gone through them in the last few months.”