Solskjaer: 'My Man United future up to the players'

Manchester United's players will ultimately make the difference if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is to become full-time manager, the Norwegian says.

Published : Feb 03, 2019 11:45 IST

Interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has turned the season around for Manchester United.
Interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has turned the season around for Manchester United.
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Interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has turned the season around for Manchester United.

Calls to give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the full-time job at Manchester United are quickly gaining momentum but the Norwegian thinks his chances of landing the job depends entirely on the players.

Solskjaer was announced as the shock interim replacement for Jose Mourinho in December following the Portuguese coach's sacking and he has made a remarkable impact. Not only has United won eight of his nine matches at the helm, the football it has played has been a world away from that produced by Mourinho's team.

Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba – players Mourinho one time or another treated controversially – have excelled, becoming absolutely essential for an attack-minded United.

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Solskjaer insists his players will have as much to do with any situation where he's offered the job on a permanent basis as him, should it come to that.

"This job is like a wheel spinning round," he told reporters ahead of Sunday's trip to Leicester City. "I have to make the players perform better. If I can get the team playing better, get the players to respond to me, see the results get better and show that the playing style is there, then that will be a big plus for me.

"But this has never been all about me. I'm not here to talk about myself and other so-called big-name managers. What is a 'big name'? For me, it's about how you work with the players and work with the club. If I had set myself targets in terms of results, I think that would have been the wrong process.

"When I came in, it was about talking to the players about their performances and what we expect from the playing style. I knew that if we could get the playing style right, we would get enough points to be in with a shout of the top four towards the end of the season."

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Solskjaer's strong start has seen some call for him to be given the job on a permanent basis.
 

Molde backing

Solskjaer joined United from Molde officially under the proviso he would return to the Norwegian club at the end of the season. However, Solskjaer says even Kjell Inge Rokke – Molde's owner – wants him to get the United job full-time.

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"When I rang the Molde owner and told him that United had called, he always knew that this had been my dream," Solskjaer added.

"Do you know what he said to me? He said: 'Go over, enjoy yourself – and please don't come back.'

"In fact, both Molde owners wished me all the best, because they knew this is something I have dreamt about. To get the backing from them was fantastic. Of course, if I go back to Molde I will do my best for them – but it now depends when I go back."

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