The Norwegian said he had been in close contact with the club’s hierarchy over the past two weeks and that his team, sixth in the standings, were determined to get their season back on track starting at Watford tomorrow. — Reuters pic
LONDON, Nov 19 — Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer put on a brave face amid mounting speculation about his role at the club, saying today he felt secure in his position despite his side slipping to nine points off the top of the Premier League.
Poor performances like their 5-0 thrashing by Liverpool and the derby loss to Manchester City before the international break compounded the pressure on Solskjaer, with British media reports this week saying club bosses were identifying a replacement.
However, the Norwegian said he had been in close contact with the club’s hierarchy over the past two weeks and that his team, sixth in the standings, were determined to get their season back on track starting at Watford tomorrow.
Asked if he felt safe in the job, Solskjaer replied: “Yeah, the players, the staff, myself, the club, we’re working to one goal to improve, get better results. The fans are still supporting the team… they’ve been through this period, backed the team through the rebuild.
“When you lose a game you’re always disappointed and under pressure, we’ve been communicating openly and honestly. There’s one game that matters and what goes on after that. This week has been really good for training.”
United’s last visit to Vicarage Road in December 2019 ended in a 2-0 win for Watford. Although the Hornets are struggling in 17th, the pressure is on Solskjaer’s side not to slip up again having taken four points from their last six league games.
The former United striker said the two-week international break had allowed a collective reset in the camp.
“Some players stayed here, some have been allowed to go home to freshen up their minds, everyone has kept in touch with the staff and… my staff have been working really hard to get everyone ready,” Solskjaer said.
“We’ve corrected a few things… I’m sure we’ll see a reaction and a good performance tomorrow.”
United will be without defender Raphael Varane and midfielder Paul Pogba through injury, while there are doubts over full back Luke Shaw and striker Edinson Cavani.
The Uruguayan was not selected for the national squad due to a tendon injury. — Reuters