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OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has made Manchester United fit for purpose.
Under Jose Mourinho the team was accused of playing slow, cagey football, while managers like Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino deploy an aggressive high-press, highintensity front foot football that swamped opponents.
But in less than a month, Old Trafford’s caretaker boss has turned United’s under-performing stars from a team who were out- run under Mourinho to a rejuvenated side no longer at the bottom of the pile when it comes to performance stats.
United have closed the gap on their top-four rivals with four league wins on the bounce since 1999 Treble hero Solskjaer took over after the lame 3-1 defeat at Liverpool last month.
And although they face an acid test of how far they’ve come since against title- chasing Tottenham today, the Norwegian boss heads to Wembley confident that at least his United stars won’t be eclipsed for effort.
Solskjaer has been careful to avoid references to Mourinho during his 25-day reign at the club that has seen United win all five of their Premier League and FA Cup games.
But the Scandinavian coach has seen the stats – and he’s acknowledged that his stars have improved their work-rate on the pitch and are now out- sprinting opponents, unlike under Mourinho.
After stepping off the plane from United’s warm- weather r training camp in Dubai, Solskjaer said: “Looking at the stats from the five games we’ve played, we do out- sprint teams now. In every one of them there’s been a higher intensity than anyone we’ve played, so I can’t complain on the way they’ve performed physically, but there is always room for improvement.”
Asked if that was a coincidence or down to his influence, Solskjaer said: “No, I think it’s both. Obviously we’ve had a focus on going forward quickly, so I don’t know what has been said before in the other games. They’ve definitely had a spring in their step. “Now we have played against teams in the bottom half of the league and if you are Man United and you out-run teams on the lower part of the table, that is a very big compliment for my players.”
Solskjaer took advantage of the five-day tr trip to Dubai to learn more about his players, with oneto-one sessions with stars like Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku – and he hopes to see the benefit in the coming weeks.
“I haven’t managed to go through that with every single player this trip. It’s probably easier for them to speak to me not in front of a big group. That is just the way I have enjoyed being coached as well, I have always loved one-to-one coaching here with chats to the gaffer ( Sir Alex Ferguson), Rene (Meulensteen), Carlos ( Queiroz), Steve Mcclaren, Kiddo (Brian Kidd), all my coaches.
“Every single player needs that eyeto-eye connection, I’m sure. And I’m sure every single one, because they want to know what is expected of them, what demands are on them, and I want to get to know them, what they can give and what they think they can give.
Strengths
“It’s not just me telling them what to do, it’s about strengths: what do you feel, what can you give to the team. It’s not only what I tell them to do.”
While Mourinho had discussed taking United to a warm-weather camp, it was Solskjaer who decided on Dubai.
Insiders say the mood was upbeat and light-hearted with spirit as high as it’s been in recent months.
Solskjaer added: “The break has been good for the players. It was warm and at times it was tough. I gave them Friday off to recharge their batteries and we should be ready for Sunday.”