OLE: FORGET CITY... LET’S GO FOUR IT

“Fred has really taken on the challenge this season,” said Solskjaer.

OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER wants Champions League football on merit – not thanks to any sort of Manchester City ‘handout’.

A fifth-place Premier League finish could guarantee a spot in the Champions League IF City’s two-year UEFA ban from competing in Europe’s elite competition, due to breaching Financial Fair Play rules, is upheld.

But Old Trafford boss Solskjaer wants his stars to earn that

“But one of our coaches,

Martyn Pert, has come in from Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS and he is fluent in Portuguese, so it’s easier for Fred to communicate with us all now.

“His English is better, he has got used to football here where you don’t have three or four touches, and you don’t get your studs on the ball – all those little habits Brazilian players have from a slower type of game.

“He’s shown he’s a tough lad, he’s mentally very strong and a top human

Odion Ighalo to score first qualification under their own steam by finishing in the top four – and not by default.

Solskjaer (right) said:

“The top four has been the aim this season, and whatever happens with the others we cannot concern ourselves about.

“We HAVE to improve.

We know we have to improve and that has to be our focus,

Solskjaer’s insistence on a more together squad has also helped Fred blossom.

The Norwegian boss said: “Before, he had two or three players that he was close to, but now we are more of a close unit. The groups are closer to each other and his English has improved.”

Fred played 25 games last season but so far this campaign he’s already played 35 after finding his feet.

But Solskjaer believes there’s still because in the end we want to challenge for the top.”

The race for European places is tight, with Chelsea and Tottenham the main threat to United’s hopes of finishing high enough to secure Champions League football.

But Solskjaer believes United’s recent improvement is a good indicator that they can

Solskjaer has also been encouraged by the form of defender Luke Shaw, who is aiming to win back his England place ahead of Euro 2020.

“Luke is very focused, concentrated and works well in training. He is consistently fit now, he’s become a dad and he’s matured a lot.

“And it’s great to see because Luke has had his difficulties, and the injury in 2015 was a bad one.

“Mentally that has been difficult for him, but he’s another one that you want to do well because he is such a positive boy.” finish the season strongly. He added: “We feel we’re in good form and Everton is going to be a massive game for us.

“They want to be in Europe as well so it’s a big question of ‘how far have we come?’.

“Bruges are the only team in the last seven games who have scored against us, so hopefully we can keep the clean sheets going and score a goal.”