United Boss Solskjaer Eyes Strong Finish As Everton Lie In Wait
20th April 2019
Five defeats have come in their last seven games, a run which has seen them exit the FA Cup and Champions League and left a top-four finish in serious doubt

- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has five games left in the Premier League season to prove conclusively that the club's hierarchy did not act too hastily in making him Jose Mourinho's permanent successor
- After a spectacular start as caretaker manager of the club, in which he won his first eight games and lost just one of his opening 17 matches in charge, United have since suffered a precipitous drop in form
- United's season ends with a visit to already-relegated Huddersfield and a home game against Cardiff - both of whom may have nothing to play for by the time the season reaches May
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has five games left in the Premier League season
to prove conclusively that the club's hierarchy did not act too hastily in
making him Jose Mourinho's permanent successor last month.
After a spectacular
start as caretaker manager of the club, in which he won his first eight games
and lost just one of his opening 17 matches in charge, United have since
suffered a precipitous drop in form.
Five defeats have
come in United's last seven games, a run which has seen them exit the FA Cup
and Champions League and left a top-four finish in serious doubt.
Since former United
striker Solskjaer was appointed to the position on a permanent basis in late
March, the Reds have won two of five games, unconvincing 2-1 home victories
against Watford and West Ham, and now face a potentially pivotal week in the
league campaign.
"When we came
in, on the 19th of December and where we're at now, I think anyone would have
taken that now we've got five games to see if we can finish it off," said
Solskjaer.
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United's season ends
with a visit to already-relegated Huddersfield and a home game against Cardiff
- both of whom may have nothing to play for by the time the season reaches May.
But Sunday sees
United visit Everton, conquerors of Chelsea and Arsenal in their last two home
games, at the start of a week in which they also host title contenders City in
the Manchester derby and then welcome Chelsea to Old Trafford at the weekend.
Those three games
look likely to determine whether United will cement one of the two Champions
League places for which they are competing, along with Chelsea, Arsenal and
Tottenham Hotspur.
All three London
clubs also have one eye on European semi-finals -- with Spurs having reached
the last four of the Champions League in spectacular fashion against City in
midweek and Arsenal and Chelsea both advancing in the Europa League.
United, meanwhile,
were emphatically knocked out of the Champions League quarter-finals at
Barcelona, although Solskjaer does not believe his team have any added
advantage by being able to concentrate solely on the league.
"I think it
will give them (United's rivals) a boost playing those games, that's what you
want as a player," he said. "We'd have loved to have a semi-final to
play in but not the case.
"These three
games are our short-term focus and we shouldn't think about anything other than
having a great week ahead of us."
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While United have
stuttered in recent weeks, the fate of Mauricio Pochettino, the manager who was
widely tipped to be United's number one choice following Mourinho's dismissal
in December, could not have provided a greater contrast.
- 'Margins' -
Although Tottenham's
league form has been inconsistent, Pochettino won wide praise for leading Spurs
into their first ever Champions League semi-final in the away goals triumph at
Manchester City.
That, naturally, led
to debate as to whether United had been too quick in appointing Solskjaer, whose
players certainly appear to have been less focused since his elevation was
confirmed last month.
"I don't think
so, no," said Solskjaer when asked if his permanent appointment had
brought about a negative effect on players' performances.
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"That's
football, margins. We've said we've lost two league games, Wolverhampton and
Arsenal, those games we shouldn't have talked about losing.
"We won games
we maybe didn't deserve, it evens itself out but players know what's going to
happen. We know what I expect, as a club what we want to do. That's
football," he insisted.
Solskjaer has a
clean bill of health ahead of the Everton game, with midfielder Ander Herrera
back in full training, while forward Alexis Sanchez, such a disappointment due
to injury and loss of form, could be in line for his first start since the
opening weekend of March.