SOLSKJAER: WE CAN BE IN TITLE RACE
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has set his squad a spring- time target of being involved in the title race by the time big crowds are allowed back into Old Trafford.
While Jose Mourinho and Frank Lampard have downplayed their clubs’ chances, Solskjaer is unapologetic that a club of United’s size should embrace the prospect of being champions again, though he stopped short of making any firm predictions.
After a rocky start to the season, United have collected 16 points out of 18 ahead of today’s reunion with Leeds United and goalkeeper David de Gea and Fred have mentioned the prospect of mounting a Premier League bid.
‘For me, the more players want to push themselves with their talents, the better,’ said an unabashed Solskjaer. ‘ I don’t think you can outperform your ego. You have to believe in yourself to get the best out of yourself. If you don’t believe you can win, I don’t think you will win.
‘ Our players go i nto every game believing they can win but we are not going to get too far ahead of ourselves. We have to take one game at a time and let’s see when we get to March. Then we can start discussing where we might end up.
‘ I’m confident myself and my staff have enough experience ( for a title challenge). Mick Phelan had the best seat learning from Sir Alex. Me and Michael ( Carrick) experienced it as players. We won the league quite a few times.
‘Of course it is different on the staff. Our job is to make sure the players focus on the next game and if we get to March and are in that position, we are going to enjoy it.’
Asked if he could imagine fans back inside the Theatre of Dreams to witness their first title charge since 2013, Sol s kj a e r a dded: ‘ That would be fantastic. The last game we played at Old Trafford with fans was Man City. We won 2-0 and scored with the last kick.
‘Our fans can’t wait to get back in and support the team again. Hopefully we can be up there and give them something to believe in.’
Solskjaer has been able to coax Paul Pogba back to form despite his agent Mino Raiola declaring the Frenchman’s time was coming to an end at the club.
Solskjaer, who says he leaves dealings with agents to the club, says Pogba understands the team ethic at the club.
‘Paul was here as a kid in the under-18s. He comes with the Man United DNA and knows what we are about. Man United is about being in a team. I would not stand for anyone thinking he is bigger than Man United because no-one is and Paul knows this. All of them do.
‘Paul has always been an ambitious boy who loves playing football. He trains well, never refuses to train or play, he has a good attitude. Of course he wants to do as well as he can when he is in the team, however many minutes he gets on the pitch.’
United haven’t won at home this season when Pogba and Bruno Fernandes both started together but Solskjaer insists the pair can function well together in certain matches, citing United’s impressive run at the end of last season.
‘ We were about 14 points behind Leicester and I think Paul and Bruno and Nemanja ( Matic) played just about every single game in midfield,’ he said. ‘If you look back to that, the stats this season are a bit skewed. Paul has been injured, he has had Covid.
‘Now he is just about getting back to full fitness. It is not about Bruno or Paul, it is more than that. It is the balance in the team. Some games they will play together, sometimes they won’t.’
United play Leeds in the Premier League today for the first time since 2004 when Solskjaer was a second-half substitute in a 1-1 draw.
It’s a big day for Marcus Rashford who will later receive a special award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year for his work in helping to feed children in poverty.