OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER insists he will deal with the criticism and pressure of being Manchester United boss.
Two straight defeats have left question marks over his future with players under performing.
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists he can cope with the flak you get as Red Devils bossCredit: Reuters
They travel to Everton for Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off with the prospect of dropping to 17th in the Premier League if they lose.
But Solskjaer said: “You have to be mentally strong, there are demands on Manchester United players, coach and manager and also an expectation.
“We are at the best and biggest club in the world and you don’t expect anything but criticism.
“It’s how you deal with that setback and from what I’ve seen from the boys they’ve been very focused.”
We are at the best and biggest club in the world and you don’t expect anything but criticism.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Solskjaer insists he is still the man to make United successful again having lifted them to third place in the league last season and reached three semi-finals.
He said: “Yeah, why shouldn’t I be? If I don’t trust my belief and values and staffs quality and players’ quality, who else should?
“I don’t look at one or two results and fall like a house of cards, it’s a setback, definitely.
“But there’s been too much made of not scoring against Arsenal and Chelsea, there’s been nothing in those games and it’s not long ago we were the best thing since sliced bread against Leipzig and PSG.”
Indeed Solskjaer says he feels he has the backing of the board to continue his work for the long term.
He said: “I’ve always had a very good, open, honest and positive dialogue with the club.
“They’ve shown strong leadership since I’ve come in and with me, today, it’s sunny in Manchester, I don’t expect the wind to turn.
“There is always pressure and expectations on us.
“I became a man at Manchester United and have learnt how to deal with good and bad times.
“You’re a top coach or manager when you win and bad when you lose because that’s the last game you played. Every game of football becomes history quickly and we need to go to Goodison Park in a positive frame of mind.”
EARN THE RIGHT TO WIN
SOLSKJAER has told his underperforming players that they need to earn the right to win.
United’s last two performances have shown a lack on intensity as they went down at home to Arsenal and away in Europe to Istanbul Basaksehir.
Sir Alex Ferguson always used to tell his players that if you can match the opposition for fight and passion then ability would win the game.
It is something Solskjaer will be reminding his side when they face a crunch trip to Goodison on Saturday.
Solskjaer said: “Every time you play for Manchester United, that passion and fight are things you expect to see.
“To earn the right to win a game of football you need that and definitely against Everton, with or without fans at Goodison Park, you still have to have that fight and passion in you, that’s a given.”
Solskjaer simply cannot afford his team to drop below the standards he used to set as a player.
It seems a long time ago now that he was being hailed for his back to back Champions League victories over PSG and RB Leipzig.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been left scratching his head at some of Manchester United’s performancesCredit: PA:Press Association
He said: “Every game lives its own life and there are fine margins, I’ve said that many times
“The performances and the results create the headlines and backdrop.
“Games you win you’re praised and ‘thats a fantastic performance’, sometimes you lose and are criticised.
“We’re definitely searching for the consistency and that’s something we need to improve on. We need a response Saturday.”
Solskjaer is understandably unhappy having to play at lunchtime on Saturday having only returned from Istanbul in the early hours of Thursday morning on the back of that 2-1 defeat.
Solskjaer said: “We had a very long and late flight back home. We were here early Thursday morning, landing in Manchester, the Thursday was a day of tired minds and legs and we couldn’t do a lot.
“We’re all hurt, it’s never easy and never enjoyable when you lose two games on the bounce and you’ve got to react to it.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
