Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists he has backing of Man Utd fans ahead of Spurs clash - 7M sport

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists he has backing of Man Utd fans ahead of Spurs clash



Posted Wednesday, December 04, 2019 by Dailystar.co.uk

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has had a tough time as manager and reports that Mauricio Pochettino is eyeing his job have not gone down well with the Norweigan

Defiant Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists he still has the backing of Manchester United fans as he prepares for the return of Jose Mourinho to Old Trafford.

Mourinho goes back to United for the first time tonight since being sacked 12 months ago, looking to see his Tottenham side pile more pain on his old club.

The Portuguese won't see much of a difference now to the team he left behind last December, with United languishing in ninth place in the table following just four wins from 14 league games this season.

The pressure is mounting on Solskjaer again, with United winless in their last three games heading into this crunch showdown before the Manchester derby on Saturday.

Mourinho is expected to get a warm reception to make it an even more uncomfortable night for Solskjaer, but the Norwegian is convinced United supporters remain right behind him.

Solskjaer, who has ruled out a comeback for Paul Pogba, said: "For me, I can just go on the evidence of the game days and supporters I've met.

"There's not many I've met that say 'you've got to do something different'. They can see what we're trying to do. They know there's a lot of work being done behind the scenes.

"We are putting a culture in the team, that's what we're trying to do here, with what's happening here at Carrington.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists he has backing of Man Utd fans ahead of Spurs clash
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will face Tottenham on Wednesday night (Image: GETTY)

"I know our supporters, the ones I've seen, the ones I've met, the matchday supporters, they've been very positive and that's all I can go on."

The sacking season is now in full swing following the axings of Mauricio Pochettino, Unai Emery and Qique Sanchez Flores in the last fortnight.

But Solskjaer doesn't fear the chop - and has threatened to wield the axe himself if some of his stars continue to under-achieve.

He admits no-one is safe and he said: "Players are never undroppable. I said here earlier on, players are also playing for their place (at United) in the long term.

"We have a situation at the moment where we've had injuries, so other players have played. I'm not talking about one particular player, but I've been part of a squad where you're never guaranteed a place in the team - and that's where we are going to get to with this one as well."

Solskjaer believes some clubs are too quick to sack managers and remains convinced his Old Trafford bosses will show the patience he wants so he can lead United back to the top.

He added: "I'm not going to tell anyone how to run their football clubs, but I think everyone knows continuity is one of the keys of success.

"Some clubs have more patience than others, while some clubs don't have that time and continuity. For me, with Manchester United, we have a plan in place and hopefully we can get the results to speed it up.

"Sometimes it doesn't go at the speed you want to, but it's still going in the right direction. There's different aspects to this. It's on the pitch, it's behind the scenes, it's what's happening in the club. The mood behind the scenes is positive."



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