The Sun Newspaper

OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER says he will know if Manchester United are title contenders by New Year’s Day.
The Red Devils start a hectic run of six matches in 15 days when they travel to face bottom club Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said he will know if Man Utd are title contenders by New Year’s DayCredit: Reuters

Five of the games are in the league, with the last one of the sequence a game against Aston Villa at Old Trafford on January 1.
With their game in hand, United are closer to the leaders than many people think and Solskjaer reckons the Christmas fixtures could shape their season.
He wants his squad to show over the next fortnight that they have what it takes to mount a sustained challenge.
The Norwegian said: “This is a big run of games for us. After the Villa game on New Year’s Day, we have a little bit of a break in the league.

“So this period is going to be vital and it’ll be easier for me to answer around that time.
“I’d be disappointed if the players didn’t think we can put a challenge up. At the moment, anything goes in the league.
“There’s different reasons for different results. I feel we’re getting better but we have to improve quite a bit to take that next step as well.”
While Liverpool and Manchester City have run away with recent titles, Ole is convinced this one will be different.

Already the big boys have dropped points when it is least expected and he feels that could continue for the whole campaign. He said: “I think this season is going to be very unpredictable and up and down.
“Whoever finds the consistency and the energy will have a better chance than in the last few seasons, when there’s been a few runaway teams.
“For us, the quicker we can get the game in hand against Burnley played the better, so that the league table looks as it should be.
“Then again, I’m as boring as you alluded to there, you have to take one game at a time.
“Even though we’ve got six games in less than 16 days, we’ve still got to look at one, then one and then one.
“If you take your eye off the ball you’ll quickly lose points in games where you expect to take more.
“With regards to six games in 15 or 16 days, it’s probably difficult to perform at the top level every game.”
Sheffield United, managed by Chris Wilder, have taken ONE point so far with almost a third of the season gone.

But there have been many examples of the big boys dropping unexpected points and United need to be careful they do not become the latest to do so.
Solskjaer added: “It’s a sign of the quality of the Premier League and the so-called lesser teams. There are no easy games but the top teams, in the last few seasons, had the knack of winning them instead of drawing them.
“With the tight schedule and what’s happening in players’ lives, we’ll see this throughout the season.
“Whoever gets a midweek rest will have an advantage as it’s hard to have players 100 per cent sharp.”

Having been in charge of Cardiff when they were relegated, he has some sympathy with his opposite number Wilder. Solskjaer said: “I don’t want to compare my job at Cardiff and Chris at Sheffield United.
“I enjoy being at the top more than being at the bottom, definitely. The players enjoy that more as well. That’s pressure to win.
“The other pressure of relegating, losing wages is a different pressure and you might just suddenly lose that bit of confidence or belief that you normally have.
“Players fighting for the top positions should be flying high in confidence and enjoying it. I enjoy being at the top of the table rather than at the bottom, which goes without saying.”
⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

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MANCHESTER UNITED could allow young full-back Brandon Williams to go out on loan next month.
The defender, 20, has seen his opportunities limited by the arrival of Alex Telles before the deadline in October.

Brandon Williams has impressed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in trainingCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Williams signed a new deal at Old Trafford in the summer but has not been used as much as he hoped by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Southampton are among the clubs who have shown interest but the United boss says he will make a decision in the New Year.
Solskjaer said: “That’s something we’ll look at in January but we highly rate Brandon so whoever’s interested, they’re not wrong.
“Brandon has done really well since he came into the team.

“He had a slow start to the season for different reasons.
“I think he’s now coming back to more like himself.
“I can see more Brandon being Brandon again.
“I’ve enjoyed him more in training, he’s played a couple of 23s games and he has been more involved.”

Solskjaer believes that clubs are right to be interested in talented WilliamsCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Williams enjoyed a breakthrough campaign last time out, appearing 36 times in all competitions for Solskjaer’s men.
Opportunities have become few and far between this season, however.
The full-back started two of the Red Devils’ EFL Cup games earlier in the campaign – but has featured for just six minutes in the Premier League.
⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

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SAM ALLARDYCE will be handed a £1.5million bonus to keep West Brom in the Premier League.
Allardyce moved into The Hawthorns hotseat after Slaven Bilic was sacked on Wednesday morning — 12 hours after claiming a hard-earned point at Manchester City.

Sam Allardyce will be handed a £1.5million bonus if he keeps West Brom in the Premier LeagueCredit: PA:Press Association

Big Sam, 66, returns to the game over 2½ years after leaving his last job at Everton.
He has been handed an 18-month deal — with a break clause should the Baggies go down.
Allardyce will take training ahead of Sunday’s West Midlands derby with Aston Villa.
But some Albion fans phoned talkSPORT to make it clear they are angry Bilic was sacked and do NOT want Allardyce in charge.

Yet Albion are convinced that Allardyce will improve the team and give them a chance to stay up.
West Brom’s sporting director Luke Dowling said: “In Sam we have a man who has a proven Premier League pedigree with a track record of improving every club he has managed.
“We believe and, more importantly, Sam believes we have a group of players that have the quality needed to give the club its best chance of Premier League survival.”
Former Croatia star Bilic and his staff were informed Wednesday morning in a face-to-face meeting.

Bilic was sacked because of his poor record since promotionCredit: Mark Robinson
Sources say there was an amicable discussion and a shaking of hands.
But it is understood the club’s record over the past 12 months — and just seven points from 13 games — are the main reasons for the decision.
Bilic was in charge for 18 months and won promotion from the Championship last season.

But the writing had been on the wall for a while during an uneasy relationship with The Hawthorns hierarchy.
And on Monday Bilic, 52, admitted no talks were planned on a new contract with six months to go on his current deal.
Former England boss Allardyce joins the Baggies with long-time assistant Sammy Lee.

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JOSE MOURINHO has been going through his diary to check the amount of time Jurgen Klopp got to deliver the title to Liverpool.
And he also crossed out the  number of “fake days” which have hampered his own work at Tottenham.

Jose Mourinho has lauded Spurs’ progress ahead of their crunch game with LiverpoolCredit: Reuters

Which all adds up to the fact that he wants us to know what a sensational job he has done to get his team challenging Jurgen Klopp at the top of the league so quickly.
Spurs were 14th in the table when Mourinho replaced Mauricio Pochettino in November last year — but tonight they travel to the home of the champions bang in the mix.
And the Portuguese is quick to point out: “Tottenham are a good team that works hard but Liverpool is the result of, if I’m not wrong, 1,894 days of work with Jurgen and we are the work of 390 days.
“But these 390 days are fake because a lot of them were not even days of work while we were at home in quarantine.

“So for us to be able to compete at this level with 390 days against almost 2,000, I can only give credit to my players and be very happy with what they are doing.”
It was in October 2015 when Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool, since when the club has spent around £380million to assemble a squad to win the club’s first Premier League title.
And Mourinho could not resist the temptation to point out that he actually won the title in his first years at Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid.
He said: “In a certain period of my career and the profile of the club I was getting in my hands, I didn’t need much time to reach success.

“We did it without the need of longevity in Porto, Inter, Real and both times at Chelsea.
“It was perfect for my crazy desire to go to different countries because it was about winning and goodbye and let’s try something else.
“The first club where I felt I needed time and was not given, it was at Manchester United, where I left in the middle of the process.
“So I know what it takes for Liverpool to reach this level and their work has had to be perfect to achieve what they have done.
“One of the things they did very well in the 1,894 days was that they had time for Jurgen to establish his principles and profile of play.
“That allowed the club to improve, to stick together, to evolve and then they had huge investment on key targets such as Virgil van Dijk and Alisson.
“Everything they do has been very close to perfection to reach the level of results they are achieving.”

Mourinho admits he’s impressed with the quality of Klopp’s LiverpoolCredit: EPA

The Special One played down talks of an injury crisis for the championsCredit: Reuters
But the Liverpool quality which Mourinho respects above all others is their astonishing consistency which has allowed them to remain unbeaten in 65 home games in the league.
He said: “Some teams are very good in the big matches against the top sides but then don’t have the mentality to be solid for ten months of competition.
“Other teams are afraid of the big matches and hide themselves but perform better in the smaller games when they feel less  pressure.
“But this profile of team can never be champions because, to win the title, you have to be there match after match, point after point.
“It’s about the quality of the team but also the resilience of the group.
“It’s a series of factors that  create the dynamic that made Chelsea the champions and identifies why Liverpool are now so successful.”
Mourinho denies suggestions a win at Anfield would send out a huge message to Tottenham’s closest rivals in the title race.

Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min will be looking to fire Spurs to victory at AnfieldCredit: AP:Associated Press

Mourinho is back the pair to outdo Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba’s goal combos at ChelseaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
He insisted: “It’s an isolated game where we won’t change our philosophy.
“We’ll go there and try to win but we don’t have to make any statement. It’s just a match and if we don’t win it we will still be here on Thursday.”
Mourinho says it is only a matter of time before Harry Kane and Son Heung-min break the Premier League record of Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, who set up 36 goals for each other at Chelsea.
The Spurs duo have already combined 31 times but Mourinho has played down hopes of South Korean star Son, 28, signing a new contract any time soon.
He said: “I don’t press for that because it’s probably not the right moment when there is this instability around football.
“I just trust Sonny and Mr Levy because I know they both want him to stay here until the end of his career if possible.”
 SPURS (likely): Lloris, Aurier, Alderweireld, Dier, Reguilon, Hojbjerg, Sissoko, Lo Celso, Ndombele, Son, Kane.

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