Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Why Solskjaer won't lose sleep over West Ham

Friday 20 September 2019 10:00

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will sleep easy in London on Saturday night, ahead of the match at West Ham United, despite Manchester United not winning any of the club's last eight away matches.

The last time the Reds won beyond the boundaries of Old Trafford was that spectacular, memorable night in France, when Paris St Germain were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League.

That was on 6 March; in the Premier League, the last away win was on 27 February, 3-1 against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

This term, the Reds have drawn both games outside Manchester, at Southampton and Wolves, but the boss says he won’t be kept awake before Sunday's trip to the Olympic Stadium to face the Hammers.

“Why should we as coaches be concerned? We are looking forward to things. We are looking for solutions,” said Solskjaer, buoyed by back-to-back 1-0 home wins over Leicester City and, last night in the Europa League, FC Astana.

Solskjaer and his assistant Mike Phelan are looking for solutions.

“No, I am never concerned about anything really. I don’t walk around and worry about things, not at all,” added Ole.

“I am looking at what we can do to improve. I have never been a worrier.

“I think we should have won at Southampton, we should have won at Wolverhampton. Both of them should have been wins.

“[Wherever you play], it is still the same size green pitch with white lines. Sometimes you have to block out the mental part and play the game as you would do in the park.”

Manuel Pellegrini’s West Ham are currently in eighth position in the Premier League but are level on eight points with the Reds who are in the top four. Solskjaer believes the Hammers can challenge at the top in the long term.

"Given the way they played against us last season and from what I have seen this year, why not?" he said, referencing his team's narrow 2-1 triumph at Old Trafford in April.

“Last time we were lucky to beat them and it will be a good test. But we have had two clean sheets in a row now and that will give the defenders confidence.

"If we can keep a clean sheet it will be easier for our strikers, who will know we don’t have to score twos, threes and fours all the time.”

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