[ad_1]
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists that Paul Pogba still has the desire to play for Manchester United despite his agent claiming the midfielder is “unhappy” at Old Trafford and “needs a change of scenery.”
Mino Raiola’s remarks were published on the eve of United’s crucial Champions League encounter at RB Leipzig, a match they lost to finish third in Group H and fall in Europa League knockouts.
Gary Neville criticized the “terrible timing” of the comments and urged Pogba to release his own statement if he disagreed with Raiola, while his partner Sky sports Expert Jamie Carragher told the club to “get rid” of the 27-year-old.
Speaking after the 3-2 loss in Leipzig, in which Pogba came off the bench to score United’s second, Solskjaer said Raiola should realize that “this is a team sport and we work together.”
Heading into the home derby against Manchester City on Saturday, live Sky sportsSolskjaer emphasized that Pogba has remained professional during training, unlike some players who have already left.
Saturday, December 12 5:00 pm
Start 5:30 pm
“I think I said during the week, of course, that this is a team game. Paul is part of this team, he’s very focused on contributing when he’s here,” Solskjaer said.
“He’s hungry, he wants to play. He wants to play, he wants to train. There have been other players who have refused to train or play, they are no longer here, of course, but Paul has not done it once. He only focuses on acting when has the opportunity.
5:19
Jamie Carragher believes that Paul Pogba will be fully aware of what his agent Mino Raiola is saying and believes that Manchester United should get rid of the midfielder if possible.
“That’s the good thing about Paul. He has the quality, but he also has the desire to do well when he comes in, like he did against Leipzig, it had a positive impact.
“The short answer: tomorrow he will be part of the team.”
Subscribe now at: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Spreaker
‘I can handle setbacks’
Meanwhile, Solskjaer was questioned about his own future following United’s exit from the Champions League earlier this week, which coincided with an impressive four-game winning streak in the Premier League.
Solskjaer feels his team is “getting better and better” as he progresses into two years in charge (his first game was a 5-1 win in Cardiff on December 22, 2018) and the Norwegian said he is still confident in his own ability to handle setbacks.
“There is always pressure on you when you manage Manchester United,” he said. “That’s something I had to think about when I took the position. Do I have what it takes to be in such a situation? Can you handle setbacks? Can you handle success? I think I can, and I think I can in a good moment”. way.
0:38
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says Manchester Utd manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer does not need his support ahead of Saturday’s Manchester derby, live on Sky Sports
“I have a great staff around me, a fantastic staff that I use as sparring partners for discussions. Even the conversation with the club, it goes on all the time, it’s a continuous open dialogue.
“When you come to work the next day and you see the quality of the players you have, you want to work with them.”
De Gea de Ole’s endorsement
Solskjaer also backed David de Gea after his costly mistake against Leipzig, which came before the Spaniard was one of the 10 goalkeepers included in the FIFPro World XI finalist list.
“I think David is a great goalkeeper, of course he is,” Solskjaer said. “Rightly so. He’s on the charts for being the best goalkeeper in Europe. He’s handled criticism before, he’s handled setbacks before, he’s a man we really trust and hopefully won’t be affected by criticism, and not I think I will. ” because every goal a goalkeeper concedes will disappoint you. “
David de Gea was criticized for a mistake in Leipzig
When asked if De Gea is inescapable while Dean Henderson pushes to start, Solskjaer added: “Of course you want all the players to play well and feel like you have competition. I have competition at all positions. David knows Dean is a goalkeeper. fantastic Dean knows David is fantastic. The two are fighting for a spot. Maybe it’s different for outfielders who can play different positions.
“As a coach, you want all the players to feel like ‘I have to give up’ to really move this team and I forward.”
Pitch to Post: Time to leave David de Gea?
There were plenty of mistakes with Manchester United’s 3-2 away loss to RB Leipzig, which ended their Champions League run on Tuesday, from a slow start to wasted opportunities and defensive failures. But could David de Gea’s poor attempt to avoid the third goal cost him his starting job?
The Spanish goalkeeper was not covered in glory with his attempt to block Justin Kluivert’s decisive close-range shot and with Dean Henderson pressing United’s No. 1 long-term, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could be ready to make a big decision before United. . clash with Manchester City on Saturday.
Henderson replaced De Gea against Southampton when he was hit and played all 90 minutes in last weekend’s 3-1 win over West Ham. Sky Sports News James Cooper – appearing at the Pitch to Post Preview Podcast – now he believes there is a real chance that the 23-year-old Henderson will get a first-team place for the derby
Listen to the launch of Sky Sports to publish the podcast on: Spotify | Apple | Castbox
Merson says: Derby is either a hit or a miss for Ole
Sky Sports columnist Paul Merson:
For me, this is a great soccer game. I’d say if he doesn’t get over this, it could be that. I think it’s a hit or miss for Ole. That is, unless Man Utd has a different plan and thinks differently about this club than everyone else.
Does Manchester United want someone else? Are you comfortable with this situation? They run the show, no pressure, do you like that? Do the people who run Man Utd think it is the biggest club in football? Do they think like me, or do they think ‘we’re not that team anymore’?
Would Zinedine Zidane be in the position today if Real Madrid had not reached the knockout stages of the Champions League? Definitely not. They would have abandoned the idea that they are the biggest club in the world and would have made that decision.
I would love to know if the people who run Manchester United are happy where they are. I don’t have that feeling on the board that they think they are the greatest team in the world.
[ad_2]
