Solskjaer: Rashford’s better than I was ... but I can still teach him a few tricks!
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER happily concedes Marcus Rashford is a better player than he was but the original baby-faced assassin feels he can teach his successor a thing or two in front of goal.
There are obvious comparisons between the pair, not least their reputation as Manchester United supersubs with 123 appearances off the bench between them.
But Solskjaer, who started his coaching career as a forwards’ mentor to Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez at Old Trafford, thinks he can help Rashford become the complete striker during his stint as interim manager. Rashford has scored five times for United this season.
‘Marcus has got far more than I had in terms of physical attributes — his pace, his strength and striking the ball from outside the box. But maybe I can give him a little bit of the nous that I had inside the box,’ said Solskjaer.
‘I’m talking about the little moves you make to get free, that little bit of calmness in front of goal. Marcus is 21. He is still learning. The most important thing I can see is to just settle him down in front of goal.
‘I’ve seen him rush a few finishes. He thinks “I’ve got to get a shot off early” when sometimes you just pass it past the keeper. I always say the goal never moves.’
The Norwegian’s attitude towards working with Rashford on his finishing is in stark contrast to Mourinho, who believed goalscorers were born not made and said this month about players taking chances: ‘It’s not about work. It’s about natural qualities.’
Rashford struck the first goal of the Solskjaer era with a free-kick at Cardiff a week ago and United have gone on to score eight in the Norwegian’s two games in charge.
Their attacking potential, never fully exploited by Mourinho, should be further boosted by Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku returning to the bench at Old Trafford this afternoon.
Solskjaer’s smile has lifted the spirits at the club since he agreed to take the job until the end of the season.
But a bonus is the passing on of his own experience as a United striker who scored their Champions League winner against Bayern Munich in 1999.
‘I wasn’t born with it,’ insisted Solskjaer. ‘I studied finishing, I studied goals, I studied movement.
‘I worked on my mentality because that’s key. You will always miss chances but you can’t do anything once they have gone. It’s always about the next chance.
‘You have to be one step ahead as a striker to create that space you need. Apart from the ball, space is your best friend as a striker.’