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Rob DawsonCorrespondent
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sat down for Manchester United’s traditional Christmas lunch at the Carrington Canteen on Tuesday and has every reason to be full of festive cheer this year. His team is third in the Premier League, five points behind leaders Liverpool with one game less, after a six-win streak in their last seven games.
The Norwegian manager has had to deal with the setback of an early Champions League exit, but has the Carabao Cup quarter-finals with Everton, as well as the start of his FA Cup campaign in the new year, to keep your bet on cutlery alive.
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On Boxing Day, Manchester United face a massive Premier League clash with second-placed Leicester City and victory at King Power Stadium, where they secured Champions League football on the final day of the last season, he would solidify his title credentials ahead of a meeting with Liverpool at Anfield in January.
There is a marked improvement over this time last year, when Solskjaer’s team headed to Christmas eighth in the table, 24 points behind Liverpool and struggling to stay in the race for the top four. The 47-year-old celebrated two years in the Old Trafford hot seat on Saturday and ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Goodison Park. watch LIVE on ESPN +, 3 pm ET – Solskjaer sat down with ESPN to reflect on his reign thus far, his goals for the next two years and the vital series of encounters his players face during Christmas and New Years.
Q: Your team is third in the Premier League and has six wins in the last seven Premier League games. Should the atmosphere in the club be good for Christmas this year?
A: Yes I think so. Of course, it is much easier when you get results. Anyway, we have been working on the spirit and personalities of the place, and the culture is really good. Of course, it helps the mood when good results are achieved.
Q: You have the Carabao Cup quarter-finals against Everton on Wednesday. How important is it to get that first trophy for a squad that is still very young?
A: It is always an important step for any team or any player to win a trophy. That is something we aspire to. We have to make changes [for the Everton game] and we have to refresh it, but the team will be new and I think it can give Everton some problems.
Q: You were part of the team that won the League Cup in 2006 and two years later, the same group of players won the Champions League. Is that the kind of springboard this competition can offer?
A: When you reach a final, if you do, you have a chance to savor that winning feeling. But the League Cup is also, and always has been, an opportunity for players who haven’t really played the last few league games to get more playing time. It is important for the team to feel that you are valued if perhaps you are not playing every game in the league.
Q: Marcus Rashford says this team is “very close” to winning trophies. Do you have the same feel for this team?
A: We were certainly one step away from a final last season, and we also finished the season very strong in the league. We were disappointed that we didn’t reach a final or lift a trophy, but that’s the next step for these players now.
I think everyone felt how close we were and the mood, spirit and culture have improved since then. And belief. The belief has definitely grown, because we know we have players – Marcus [Rashford], Anthony [Martial], Builder [Greenwood] – They really haven’t been on fire this season and when we manage to score more goals, I’m sure we will look more threatening.
Q: Where does that belief come from, perhaps a belief that did not exist this time last year?
A: Our shape and what we have done in 2020 does that. They see that we are more consistent, and in 2020 there are not too many teams that have taken more points than us. The performances are the main thing. You have to get performances and results to get that belief.
Q: You just celebrated two years in charge at Old Trafford. What are your priorities for the next two years?
A: Reaching a first final and getting the first trophy is going to be huge and further mark the style of play and the DNA of the players. We have bought some very good players who have been with the club for less than a year and they have made us stronger, but they need to get used to the Man United style of play, also the lifestyle.
When you work for Man United and when you play for Man United, it takes over your life. It is not just one of the clubs in the world; It is the largest in the world. There is more interest, more criticism and more praise, so you have to find a balance on how you can live your life as a Man United player.
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Q: Is that why you have been so careful with the players you have brought to the club?
A: I think so. You can easily get carried away with success or setbacks. You need to be stable. You can’t be too excited at Man United. I was part of an exceptional dressing room. We never, never accept the 99%. Simply, either you go in and give everything you have, or you stay out. I want to get there. It’s not as easy or fast as that, but we are doing it.
Q: You’ve talked a lot about changing the mindset and style of play at Man United, but what challenge have you had over the last two years?
A: A lot comes down to recruitment. You have to be very, very sure that they are the right people, that they are hungry enough to learn, and that they are humble enough to learn. They come from different backgrounds and are used to different styles of play, but we have always had fast and attacking football at the center of our game. You have to be humble enough to know that you have to work hard.
the [6-2 win] against Leeds set new standards for me. The players have shown that they are capable of matching the fittest teams in Europe, and that is a great sign for me.
1:21
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tells ESPN FC’s Rob Dawson that Paul Pogba just “wants to win trophies.”
Q: There has been a lot of speculation about Paul Pogba’s future, but are you still hoping that he can decide that Man United is the best place for him to win trophies?
A: There is always a demand at Manchester United to win trophies, and the more you win, the more players will want to play for us. So there is a higher standard that you must set yourself. It is a demand of the players; It is a challenge for the players that we want them to improve and improve more and more.
Paul has been here for a while and of course wants to win more trophies. He has a very, very good attitude towards training and his football. He loves soccer and is ambitious. He wants to succeed like most of those on the squad. We are not all the same, but I would say that this squad has impressed me with their attitude, their spirit and the way they work. It’s up to us to win trophies, and then let’s see who will be part of the team in the future.
Q: You have put yourself in the race for the title, but how important is the next series of matches, starting with Everton in the Carabao Cup and ending with the trip to Liverpool on January 17?
A: It is a massive race. It is very important that we do everything right: recovery, preparation and choosing the right team, rotating players. You don’t give them rest because I don’t think it’s fair to call it “rest” when you have full internationals and top-level players coming into the team. That’s part of being at Man United. You are a good player, you are international and you are available when asked.
It won’t be like the lockout period after the restart when we had the same team for six, seven, eight games. No possibility. I will make changes.
