Solskjaer: My plan for the Premier League restart
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that the squad have been working on new ideas, ahead of the return to Premier League action against Tottenham Hotspur on 19 June.
With Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford set to return to first-team football and link with new signing Bruno Fernandes for the very first time, the news will excite fans hoping that United can continue the excellent 11-game unbeaten run.
The Norwegian was in a typically positive mood as he spoke to us for an exclusive Q&A - which you can read in full on ManUtd.com and the Official App from tomorrow (6 June) – and explained that the main priority was adding an “edge” to the team's preparations.
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“We’ve been looking forward to these games for ages really,” began Solskjaer. “It does make it feel like ‘yes, we’re here soon.’ The first game is two weeks from today so we need to step up the training and get an edge to our game again.
“Everyone knows that we will have to be at our best, have to be focused [against Tottenham]. We know it’s a big game for everyone. We had Chelsea when we started the league this season so I’m confident that our players can go into the Tottenham game with that mentality of going there to play a very good game of football.”
“Everyone knows that we will have to be at our best, have to be focused [against Tottenham]. We know it’s a big game for everyone. We had Chelsea when we started the league this season so I’m confident that our players can go into the Tottenham game with that mentality of going there to play a very good game of football.”
Solskjaer's team have responded well to extended periods of training already this season, winning three of the first four games after the October internationals and then six from eight after the winter break, and like the supporters, the manager is hoping his players can pick up from where they left off before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Training has been about recapping what we did well, tweaking maybe one or two things and looking at some new ideas,” said the boss, “but hopefully we can see a lot of what we saw towards the end before the lockdown.
“We’ve got games coming weekend, midweek, weekend for a spell so you have to focus on ourselves and not just on that one, first game.”
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When asked how the atmosphere was within the first-team squad, Ole seemed proud of the spirit that is growing amongst the players.
“In any interview, I’d say, ‘Yes the mood is great and the spirit’s good’ but it has been really good,” he insisted.
“I think everyone can see over the last few months how the players have behaved and dealt with the situation and how we as a club have dealt with it. The players have kept themselves fit as well, which has been great.
“The weather was fantastic when they got going in small groups and gradually now, as we’ve got into contact training, you can see a little bit more of the edge but also the camaraderie and team bonding.
“The weather was fantastic when they got going in small groups and gradually now, as we’ve got into contact training, you can see a little bit more of the edge but also the camaraderie and team bonding.
“That’s vital for me in a team,” stressed Solskjaer. “That’s one of the main things, that we are a team and the team goes before anything else.”
You can read the full interview with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on ManUtd.com and in our Official App from 10:00 BST tomorrow (Saturday 6 June).