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      Man Utd star Cristiano Ronaldo has most Ballon d’Or points in history despite winning two fewer awards than Lionel Messi

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO still boasts the most points in Ballon d’Or history – despite Lionel Messi winning the coveted award twice more.The Paris Saint-Germain forward scooped a record seventh trophy on Monday night as he narrowly edged out Robert Lewandowski.
      Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or five times, with his last success coming in 2017Credit: AFP or licensors
      Paris Saint-Germain star Lionel Messi won the trophy for a record seventh time on Monday nightCredit: AFP
      Messi, 34, retained the award he won in 2019 after the prestigious individual honour was failed to be given out last year due to Covid restrictions.
      And though many fans and pundits will claim that the Argentina international is football’s GOAT, the voting stats in the Ballon d’Or prove otherwise.
      Five-time winner Ronaldo, who last won the award in 2017, has amassed 3,781 points from nominations of the award.
      That is over 200 points more than rival Messi, who has picked up 3,574 points.
      Despite scoring 36 goals for Juventus last season, while already finding the back of the net ten times for Manchester United this term, Ronaldo finished just sixth in the 30-man shortlist for the 2021 award.
      It is the first time in 11 years that the striker has finished outside of the top three, as he picked up just 178 points, compared to Messi’s 613.

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      Earlier this week, Pascal Ferre, the editor in chief of France Football – organisers of the prestigious award – claimed Ronaldo had revealed to him his only career goal was to win more Ballons d’Or than Messi.
      But Ronaldo hit back with a fiery statement on Instagram, saying Ferre ‘lied’ to ‘promote his publication’.
      He remarked: “Today’s outcome explains why Pascal Ferre’s statements last week, when he said that I confided in him that my only ambition was to finish my career with more Ballons d’Or than Lionel Messi.
      “Pascal Ferre lied, he used my name to promote himself and to promote the publication he works for.
      “It is unacceptable that the person responsible for awarding such a prestigious prize could lie in this way, in absolute disrespect for someone who has always respected France Football and the Ballon d’Or.
      “And he lied again today, justifying my absence from the Gala with an alleged quarantine that has no reason to exist.”
      During Messi’s winner speech, the Blaugrana legend called on the Ballon d’Or to award Lewandowski the award for 2020 following his incredible season for Bayern Munich.
      Messi beat Robert Lewandowski by 33 votes to win his seventh Ballon d’Or award
      He stated: “I would like to mention Robert Lewandowski, it’s been a real honour to compete with you.
      “Everyone knows and we agree that you were the winner last year.
      “I think France Football should award you your 2020 Ballon d’Or – you deserve it and you should have it at home.” More

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      ‘He had the balls to do it’ – Sir Alex Ferguson reveals why Bryan Robson was ‘easily’ best Man Utd captain he ever had

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      MANCHESTER UNITED legend Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed Bryan Robson was his greatest captain – be cause he ‘had the balls’ to stand up to him.Steve Bruce, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Nemanja Vidic all led Fergie’s teams during some real glory years at Old Trafford.
      Sir Alex Ferguson joined a host of club legends to celebrate the release of a film about the legendary Bryan Robson
      Fergie has described Robson as ‘easily the best captain I had’
      But Robson stands out as the most inspired of leaders according to the most decorated manager of all time.
      Speaking at a Q&A session to promote a new film about the classy midfielder, Fergie explained: “He was easily the best captain I had. I think over the period he was at United, he was the best player.
      “The players loved him. They responded to him and he was the longest-serving captain in my time anyway.
      “It’s difficult for a captain because sometimes he has to tell the truth to players, you know?
      “The encouragement he’s got to give them sometimes can be quite volatile and he was like that, but the players did love him.

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      “They appreciated the time he took on them and another thing, he’s the only captain I knew who could make a decision on the pitch. He didn’t need to look over to me.
      “He would do that and that’s unusual. In fact it’s very unusual because he had the balls to do that.”
      A host of United legends turned out in the city on Thursday night for the ‘Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story’ premiere.
      And that led to legendary ex manager Ferguson coming face to face with current interim boss Michael Carrick.
      Ralf Rangnick is set to take charge of the Red Devils until the end of the season following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking.
      CAPTAIN MARVEL
      But Carrick has already led United to a vital victory over Villareal in the Champions League and he was still in a jovial mood at the HOME Cinema in Manchester on Thursday.
      The legion of stars were out to catch their first glimpse of the upcoming documentary about United and England icon Robson.
      Their former captain, now aged 64, spent 13 years at Old Trafford during his epic playing career, winning a host of honours before departing to take charge of Middlesbrough in 1994.
      Now Captain Marvel’s stunning contribution to the success of Fergie will be shown on screen when the documentary hits Netflix, Amazon Prime and Rakuten on November 29.
      Ferguson has actually said that Robson was his greatest ever player
      ⚽ Read our Manchester United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford
      This week’s Maverick Monday is Manchester United hero Bryan Robson More

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      Man Utd star Jesse Lingard beams as he meets Kylie Minogue before pop legend dazzles at The Fashion Awards 2021

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      JESSE LINGARD beamed with delight as he posed next to global superstar Kylie Mingoue before she attended The Fashion Awards on Monday night.The Manchester United attacking midfielder, 28, took to his Instagram story to share a snap of the two together.
      Jesse Lingard put this picture of him with Kylie Mingoue on his Instagram storyCredit: Instagram @jesselingard
      Minogue wowed at The Fashion Awards at the Royal Albert Hall on Monday nightCredit: Getty
      In the photo that was uploaded to his nine million followers, the two can be seen with their arm around one another.
      Lingard was pictured in his Red Devils tracksuit, while Minogue, 53, opted for a casual look wearing a black top, jumper and jeans.
      Minogue didn’t put any images of the duo on her social media accounts, as she instead shared a picture of her in a black floral jumpsuit for The Fashion Awards.
      Former West Ham loanee Lingard is facing an uncertain future at Old Trafford with the player in the final year of his contract.
      SunSport have exclusively revealed how United are willing to offload him in January for just £10million to avoid losing him on a free transfer.
      That is just months after pricing the Hammers out of a move after demanding £25m for the England international in the summer.

      And David Moyes’ side are keen on bringing him back to the London Stadium in the New Year.
      Prior to his dismissal at the Theatre of Dreams, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed that Lingard is unhappy with his lack of action.
      He hasn’t started in any of United’s 13 Premier League games having falling down the pecking order.
      Commenting on the player, Solskjaer said: “He’s definitely disappointed he’s not played more, of course.“But with regards to contract situations, I’ve not been in the talks very closely, so for me Jesse’s still a big, important part of this squad.
      “He gives energy and quality to the group every day.”
      Jesse Lingard scores stunning goal in Manchester United training More

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      Man Utd boss Ralf Rangnick had wheel of fortune at Leipzig with forfeits like making stars train in a ballerina’s tutu

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      MAN UTD’S new boss Ralf Rangnick was a disciplinarian at previous club RB Leipzig, where he had a wheel of fortune containing forfeits for disobeying stars.The German manager, 63, was finally confirmed as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s successor this week, and will join the club as interim manager before staying on as a consultant for a further two years.
      Man Utd’s stars could play Ralf Rangnick’s wheel of forfeits if they behave badly
      Ralf Rangnick’s wheel of misfortune with 12 forfeits from his time at RB Leipzig
      And it could mean that Red Devils stars Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo might face punishments like training in a ballerina’s tutu or working in the club shop, if they step out of line.
      Rangnick came up the idea after scrapping fines believing a professional footballer’s time is more valuable than money.
      He said in 2018: “Fines rarely bring anything. It hurts the players more when they have less time.”
      And his assistant Jesse Marsch mentioned the idea of a wheel with he had picked up from America.
      The concept is simple; spin the wheel and await your forfeit. There are 12 outcomes – 11 bad, and one ‘Get out of jail free’ card.
      Here’s the 12 outcomes on Ralf’s dreaded wheel.
      1. Pump up the balls, get them on the pitch, clean them
      For 30 minutes per day for a week, this task will see a player having to make sure balls are pumped up and ready to use.
      Better still, they’ve got to be spotless.
      Footballs will have to be pumped up by misbehaving starsCredit: Getty
      2. Train an academy team
      An essential part of United’s success has been through their kids.
      If a player lands on this, they will have to train one of the academy teams for four hours when they have a free day.
      3. Stadium tour guide
      It would be your lucky day, if you were a supporter and Ronaldo was showing you around Old Trafford.
      But, should a star misbehave they will have to act as a tour guide for the Theatre of Dreams for one hour.
      Players will have to act as tour guide at Old Trafford if they step out of line with RangnickCredit: Getty
      4. Get Lucky
      View it as a get out of jail free card.
      Should a player spin and fall on this, they will face absolutely no punishment and will be counting their lucky stars.
      5. Mow and take care of training pitch
      As you can expect, the pitches at Carrington are perfectly manicured.
      This task would see a player assisting the groundsman in mowing the grass and tending to the training areas for four to six hours within a training week.
      Groundsman at Carrington will be assisted in looking after training pitches by naughty starsCredit: Rex

      6. Wear a tutu
      Possibly the worst on the list and most embarrassing.
      Play up in front of Rangnick, and you’ll be forced to wear a pink ballerina’s tutu for 90 minutes at training.
      7. Fill water bottles
      Rehydration is crucial to athletes when it comes to training.
      This forfeit would mean the naughty player will have to mix drinks ahead of training and fill water bottles for 20 minutes per day for the whole week.
      Filling water bottles for team mates is one of Rangnick’s forfeits on his wheel of fortuneCredit: Getty
      8. Club shop assistant
      Here’s a punishment you wouldn’t want to face during the festive period.
      This would see a player having to work as an assistant at the Manchester United’s Megastore for three hours.
      9. Serve food in team cafe and clean tables
      For 30 minutes per day, a star would have to serve his team mates their dinner cooked by the chef.
      Worse still, he would be expected to clean up after them when they’ve finished.
      Cristiano Ronaldo might be serving up club team mates their dinner, if he misbehavesCredit: Getty
      10. Work as a kit assistant
      Again, not a glam job for a well-paid United star.
      This task would see someone have to take care of dirty shirts, and make sure boots are clean for 30 minutes per day.
      11. Load the team bus
      Man Utd have an amazing team bus, worth £400,000. So, you can imagine you can get a lot of stuff in it.
      And that would be expected of you, if you mess Ralf about.
      For an hour and a half on an away day, you’d have to load the bus with bags.
      Players may have to load up the team bus if they cross RangnickCredit: Getty
      12. Buy gifts for staff
      With the salaries United players are on, this won’t dent their wages too much.
      But, land on this one and you’ll have to buy small gifts for up to 60 members of staff.
      So, will Rangnick enforce his wheel of forfeits on United’s stars?
      Time will tell if you see Paul Pogba training in a tutu.
      Ralf Rangnick’s Man Utd appointment slammed as Souness says he doesn’t get it ‘on any level’ More

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      How Man Utd manager Ralf Rangnick’s trophy haul compares to Guardiola, Klopp and Tuchel with just ONE cup in 38 years

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      RALF RANGNICK has won just ONE major honour compared to Premier League rivals Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel.Manchester United have appointed the 63-year-old on an interim basis until the end of the season following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
      Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick has one just one major honour during his managerial career
      The ex-RB Leipzig gaffer – tasked with securing a Champions League spot for next season – has been given an £8million-a-year contract at Old Trafford.
      Former Blackburn striker Chris Sutton believes that United will finish in the top four under the tutelage of Rangnick as he backed the club to shoot up the table.
      But fans will have to wait for Rangnick’s first match in charge due to visa issues, leaving Michael Carrick to oversee Thursday’s match against Arsenal.
      And United are scrambling to have things sorted by the time they host Crystal Palace on Sunday.
      With fans excited to see how United will look under Rangnick, supporters may have to settle for a season without trophies judging by his silverware record.
      Here SunSport takes a look at Rangnick’s trophy haul in terms of league titles, national cups and European honours compared to Guardiola, Klopp and Tuchel.

      From his 38 years of management, Rangnick has won just one major honour – the German Cup with Schalke in 2011.
      He did win the now-defunct German League Cup with the Royal Blues in 2005, though this can hardly be considered a major trophy as only six teams competed.
      And he also guided Schalke to Super Cup success in 2011, though the trophy isn’t considered a major honour.
      Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola meanwhile has won a whopping 16 trophies – excluding his four League Cup medals with the Citizens.
      He has won three league titles each at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City, along with two Champions Leagues with the Blaugrana.
      Guardiola also won the Spanish Cup twice, German Cup twice and the FA Cup on one occasion.
      Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has won five major trophies from his time at Borussia Dortmund and now at Anfield.
      He oversaw two Bundesliga championships in Germany along with the DFB-Pokal during BVB’s historic 2011-12 double season.
      Red Devils gaffer Rangnick won the German Cup with Schalke in 2011Credit: Getty
      The German then won the Champions League with the Reds in 2019, before winning the top-flight the following campaign.
      His compatriot Thomas Tuchel has also won five trophies – excluding his French League Cup in 2020 with Paris Saint-Germain.
      His first honour came during his time at Dortmund where he won the German Cup in 2017.
      After linking up with PSG, he won the Ligue 1 title twice, along with the French Cup.
      And after joining Chelsea earlier this year, he guided the club to European Cup glory after they beat City 1-0 in the final.
      Ralf Rangnick’s Man Utd appointment slammed as Souness says he doesn’t get it ‘on any level’ More

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      Man Utd boss Ralf Rangnick dealt early blow as trusty No2 Lars Kornetka REJECTS chance to join him at Old Trafford

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      RALF RANGNICK has been dealt an early blow as Manchester United boss as his trusty No2 rejected the chance to join him.The former RB Leipzig boss was confirmed as the Red Devils’ interim gaffer until the end of the season.
      Lars Kornetka has decided against joining Ralf Rangnick at Manchester UnitedCredit: PA
      But his hopes of bolstering his staff with Lars Kornetka were dashed.
      Rangnick and Kornetka have worked together since 2007 with the new United boss describing his assistant as ‘the best video analyst we have in Germany’.
      It was even reported by the New York Times that the pair had set up a consultancy firm together.
      Lokomotiv Moscow confirmed on Monday night Kornetka is staying with the Russian club – and stepping up to become head of sports and development, the role vacated by Rangnick.
      A statement said: “The well-known German specialist Lars Kornetka will take over the position of the Head of Sports and Development of FC Lokomotiv.
      “Ralf Rangnick, who held this position earlier, has joined Manchester United as head coach.

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      “Lars Kornetka is long-term partner, follower of ideas and adherent of Ralph Rangnick’s football philosophy.
      “Since 2007, the specialist has actively collaborated with him at Hoffenheim, Schalke 04 and RB Leipzig.
      “Lars specialises in statistical football analysis, assessment of players’ skills, including advanced video analytics, as well as scouting, focused primarily on finding promising young football players, and an objective assessment of their future capabilities.”
      Rangnick has forged a sterling reputation as the pioneer of gegenpressing and has influenced the likes of Thomas Tuchel, Jurgen Klopp and Julian Nagelsmann with his methods.
      However, it looks set to be Michael Carrick in charge for one final game on Thursday night when Arsenal head to the Theatre of Dreams for a crunch clash in the top-four race.
      That is because Rangnick’s visa issues are still unresolved.
      Sky Sports state the new manager is already in England having arrived before new Covid travel rules came into place.
      But Rangnick will have to face an FA-appointed independent panel to get a work permit for his new job.
      Because he has not had enough managerial jobs over the last five years, instead taking on director roles like the one at Lokomotiv, he does not meet the criteria from the Home Office by default.
      ⚽ Read our Manchester United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford
      A United source told the Mail last night: “We are working calmly and carefully to secure a visa for Ralf in line with all relevant regulations and protocols.
      “These are processes which have to be followed and we are doing so as swiftly as possible.”
      Carrick, as well as Kieran McKenna and Mike Phelan, WILL remain on United’s staff even after Rangnick takes over.
      Ralf Rangnick’s Man Utd appointment slammed as Souness says he doesn’t get it ‘on any level’ More

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      Man Utd boss Ralf Rangnick blocked from gaining automatic visa as recent manager work falls below required level

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      NEW Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick will have to face an FA-appointed independent panel to get a work permit for his new job.Because he has not had enough managerial jobs over the last five years, he does not meet the criteria from the Home Office by default.
      Ralf Rangnick will not be in the dugout for the game against ArsenalCredit: Getty
      So, according to The Telegraph, the 63-year-old’s case will be heard by a panel who will have to fast-track the application.
      Rangnick has held various director-type roles in the past five years, his latest with Russian side Locomotiv Moscow.
      He was announced as the man to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was sacked after the dismal 4-1 defeat at Watford.
      The German, hailed for his tactical nous, has agreed a six month ‘interim’ role, with him taking a two-year consultancy position after this.
      But Michael Carrick is continuing to lead training and matches until Rangnick can officially start his new job.
      And Carrick will be in the dugout for United’s mouthwatering clash against Arsenal on Thursday.

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      However, fans were convinced that Rangnick was in contact with Darren Fletcher over the phone during Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
      But United claimed the Scot was merely talking to video analysts.
      Rangnick’s work permit delay has been worsened by stricter Covid regulations introduced yesterday.
      A club source told the Mail last night: “We are working calmly and carefully to secure a visa for Ralf in line with all relevant regulations and protocols.
      “These are processes which have to be followed and we are doing so as swiftly as possible.”
      NO RANGNICK COMPENSATION
      Carrick, as well as Kieran McKenna and Mike Phelan, WILL remain on United’s staff.
      Rangnick will be able to add a few staff members of his own – although video analyst Lars Kornetka will remain at Lokomotiv Moscow.

      United are thankful towards the Russian club, after they didn’t receive a penny in compensation for Rangnick.
      That doesn’t mean that the Red Devils haven’t forked out at all on the appointment, however, with Rangnick’s £8m-a-year more than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was earning.
      ⚽ Read our Manchester United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford
      Man Utd CONFIRM Ralf Rangnick appointment as interim manager on six-month contract until end of the season More

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      Harry Redknapp: Carrick should be Man Utd’s boss, it’s ridiculous they’ve brought in an interim to replace the interim

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      MICHAEL CARRICK is one of the most intelligent footballers I know, so really didn’t need telling he wasn’t going to be Manchester United’s next manager.But the fact United have brought in Ralf Rangnick as an interim to replace the interim, before they get the man they really want, is ridiculous.
      Former Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick is in temporary charge of the Red DevilsCredit: SPLASH
      Carrick has replaced the recently-sacked Ole Gunnar SolskjaerCredit: REUTERS
      But German Ralf Rangnick is set to replace Carrick as interim United bossCredit: REX
      I’ve never heard anything so stupid in my life, whichever way you look at it.
      And then we hear that if Rangnick wins the Champions League, he could end up staying as manager after all, rather than a couple of years as a consultant, director or whatever.
      So the interim manager could become the full-time manager, which means the manager they want full-time now might not be the one they want full-time in six months.
      If you’re not confused by all that, I certainly am! And we’re talking one of the biggest clubs in the world here. It’s crazy.
      If they wanted Mauricio Pochettino, as we were led to believe, then there were ways and means to make it happen now.
      And if they had to wait for him, they shouldn’t have pushed Michael aside and put someone above him for a few months. What does that say? We’ve got no faith in you?

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      I know Carrick very well. I took him to West Ham when he was 12 and was about an hour away from signing him for Portsmouth, too, but I’ll come back to that.
      The thing is, he knows United inside out. He’s got a great footballing brain — you don’t play the game how he did unless you understand it.
      If they needed to bring in anyone before a manager was appointed, then get a coach alongside him, because they were a man down after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left.
      They should have just gone for someone experienced, but let Michael run the show until then.
      He wouldn’t be the first to get a chance and then, who knows, possibly go on to be a great manager himself.
      People would have looked back on that and given him a call, had he done a decent job. No chance of that now.
      I actually think United missed a trick in not going for Antonio Conte when he was free, because the writing was on the wall for a long time with Ole.
      I’m not having this stuff about Conte only ever staying at clubs for a couple of years either.
      If you’re Manchester United manager, there aren’t many places you go upwards after that.
      Former Prem boss Harry Redknapp reckons Carrick should be given the chance to lead United on a more permanent basisCredit: ACTION
      Redknapp managed Carrick during his time in charge of West HamCredit: NEWS GROUP NEWSPAPERS LTD
      Daniel Levy will have seen the danger, that’s why he got him in so quickly at Spurs. He’ll have known that when he got rid of Nuno Espirito Santo.
      It will be interesting to see the reaction if Michael gets a result at Chelsea today. That’d be a tough act for Rangnick to follow.
      I’ve always had a lot of time for Carrick and when I was at Portsmouth, I had a deal in place to sign him from West Ham for about £2.4million.
      It was all agreed and he was actually halfway down the motorway for a medical when I got a phone call from his agent saying Spurs wanted him.
      Jacques Santini was manager at the time but didn’t have a clue about it. Levy was the one who did the deal.
      Daniel told me when he saw I wanted Michael, having worked with him at West Ham, there must be something about him and at the price, it was worth taking a chance.
      So Michael and his agent turned around at the next exit, went to Spurs and from there he ended up going to United.
      What a player he was too, he controlled the game from the middle, saw everything, could hit a pass and dictated the pace.
      So don’t tell me he doesn’t have the nous to be a boss, because he does.
      But whether it’s him or Rangnick, a club like United shouldn’t have been talking interims in the first place.
      I never got a call from them when I was a manager, but if I had it’s a very difficult one to turn down.
      If they made an offer, 99 per cent in the world would jump on a plane, get in the car, whatever it took — but you’d be there the next day.
      It’s not an easy one at the minute, but what a club, what a job, what an incredible opportunity.
      I’m just so disappointed they didn’t stick with Michael until then.
      Carrick guided United to victory in their Champions League clash with Villarreal on TuesdayCredit: REX
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      Carrick says next manager will inherit perfect foundations to bring back glory days at Man Utd thanks to Solskjaer More