Soccer

Solskjær urges United to focus for crucial Leicester clash

Norweigan manager’s side just need to avoid defeat to qualify for Champions League

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is determined to get the job done in style as Manchester United face top-four rivals Leicester in Sunday’s Champions League showdown. Photo: Andy Rain/NMC Pool/PA Wire

Jamie Jackson
Fri Jul 24 2020 - 14:28

Ole Gunnar Solskjær has warned that a “lapse of concentration” could cost Manchester United Champions League qualification at Leicester City on Sunday.

A point would guarantee United a top-four finish, while victory would confirm Solskjær’s side in third. And though they could still claim Champions League football if they lose against Leicester and Chelsea are beaten by Wolves, the manager insists his team will not play for a draw.

Solskjær said: “One lapse of concentration can hurt you. We’ve given ourselves a good chance of the Champions League next year but we can’t go in thinking about the outcome, we’ve just got to perform at a high enough level and get a result. We wanted to get to this position and we want to go and dominate – beat them.”

The Norwegian’s side looked fatigued in the 1-1 draw with West Ham on Wednesday, as they have done in the past fortnight, with a lack of defensive concentration allowing Southampton a 96th-minute equaliser on July 13th.

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But Solskjær is sure his players will be roused on Sunday. “We’re going into it with a strong frame of mind: we have one more game this season,” he said.

“This is a journey, one extra step on the journey for this team. We’ve come a long way mentally, shown more robustness, resilience, lost the first goal in games [and come back]. We’ve also shown the heights when everything’s flowing. I’m delighted with how the development looks.”

Solskjær described the season as “bumpy”, a reference to uneven form and results in mid-winter. Yet, since a 2-0 defeat by Burnley at Old Trafford on January 22nd, United are unbeaten in 13 league games.

“You find one or two bumps along the way, it’s not going to go in one straight linear trajectory,” he said. “And we’ve reacted well to some games – being 1-0 down in the last three at home [for example]and we have come back and got results in all of them, which has been very positive.

“We’ve enjoyed away games, we didn’t enjoy losing against Chelsea [in the FA Cup], but we got a result against West Ham and we are in third, so it’s fantastic to see we’re growing as a team and a squad.”

Solskjær was asked what has caused the turnaround since the Burnley defeat. “Many factors, reasons. Belief, confidence, the change of atmosphere [at the club], Bruno [Fernandes] coming in [January] has made a massive difference. We’ve also got our best players fit and raring to go. [Overall]it’s been down to the work, the players have trusted us, believed in what we have said, and fitness levels and the mental robustness is so much better than last season.”

Solskjær insists confidence and energy levels are high despite the results against Chelsea and West Ham and the signs of tiredness. “I think confidence levels have to be high. Because we’ve given ourselves a great chance going into this last game. And, when the last game of the season is in front of you you’d expect any player to have bruises, aches, tiredness; that’s natural in every player.

“Even though this season has been different [because of lockdown] it’s been a draining one for everyone. But we’ve got enough energy for 90 minutes I’m sure – 90-plus as there’ll be injury time, as well. But having been [three points] behind when lockdown came, we had to go for it, we had to go for goals, we had to go for points and it’s been a great effort by everyone to get into this position with one game to go.”

Solskjær dismissed assessing whether third place is good enough for United because he has a longer-term view of where United have to be. “Let’s get this game out of the way and get the third position and continue the growth and journey that this team is on,” he said, before referring to winning the Europa League which also gains Champions League qualification. “Of course we’ve had some hard times this season, some setbacks, but we’ve shown that this is a team going places and if we can finish the season with a trophy in Europe and third we can discuss that then.

“We’ve not ended up anywhere yet. It’s one more game to show that we’ve become a better team and if we get a result against Leicester everyone would say this journey has been a good one but then again this is not the end of the journey.

“If you get there it’s not like we can breathe and relax. It’s go again, go to the next one, and we know that there are two teams too far ahead of us so we have to step it up even more.” – Guardian