Solskjær press conference vs Palace (A)

On whether injuries are related to running statistics
It’s probably linked, yes. Because when do you make that change? Do you wait until pre-season and think you will change results by just not asking them to run? Or do we start now and show them what the demands of intensity are and how we want to play? And, of course, you have seen what I have chosen.

I have chosen we need to play as a Man United team and if you want to be a part of Man United, it’s a survival of the fittest, isn't it?

We've not had time really to work on the fitness, it's been more in the games, we spoke about. We had a week in Dubai, we've not really had many weeks of training, lots of game-time. But Dubai, as you might have noticed, it was more of a tactical one than a physical one.

If you look at it, we've had five or six days between most of the games, so it’s not been the amount of games or the lack of days in between. It's tougher now until the international break (on March 18), and we've got Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday, then midweek again.

Now we will go into tough games and then it's a tougher period physically, maybe it's mentally, the way we prepare before training sessions. The Christmas period... you can see Manchester City have a couple of muscle injuries, it’s not just us. It’s this time of year in England, really.
 
More on fitness
They are getting older aren't they... [jokingly] Juan, Nemanja, Ander, so it’s about the preparation. The standards that you have to live up to on and off the pitch as a Man United player and as a professional player in the Premier League.

It’s not just turning up, playing, training and then going home and doing all these little out of football activities that we have all seen too many footballers doing. I’m pleased with the way my lads have responded in that way, that we don't see too much of them outside football, but that was a big part of my career.

As long as you are a footballer and you play in the Premier League, make the most of it. Because suddenly you get these injuries and you are done. And that wasn't a nice feeling, that is when I decided I wanted to stay in football and start coaching, but I tried to make the most of it by living the life as I should have been
 
Is Lukaku built like an American football player?
Nah, nah, nah. We’ll get him in the box and score us goals, that’ll be his job.

I can understand why when you go to a World Cup and you see the teams you play, it might be that his physicality took over that part of preparation. We ask our forwards, strikers to work at a higher intensity, to run in behind, but that’s what he likes, so I’m sure he’ll be fine. Muscle is not so difficult to get rid of. He’s lean, but he’s muscly.
 
Will there be a mutiny amongst the players if you don't get the job, will they have a say?
The players will have a say on how we play for the rest of the season. We need to keep going, keep progressing, keep getting results, keep getting the crowd behind us, because we need that. We need to fight from now until the end of the season.
 
This club is about winning trophies but in the context is top 4 more important?
We can’t say that we’re happy with just top four, although a top-four finish would be fantastic, but to get to the final in the FA Cup and win a trophy would be brilliant. So, you can’t pick and choose.

We’ve just got to make sure now against Palace that we’re ready. Then it’s Southampton, PSG, Arsenal and Wolves. Every game is going to be important.

As I’ve said many times before, every day here is a chance to improve your standards and we need to get back to the standards that are set for a Man United player.
 
On defensive progress
We have spent a lot of time on the structure, how we defend. The first few games [of my tenure] did not give us too many challenges in that respect, but then we went to Arsenal and you could see how we were pulled all over the play in midfield. Our back four were like battering rams.

The midfield shape has improved a lot - it has helped the back four to play as a back four and not been scattered all over the place.

My principle has never been for 'you to follow him, and you to follow him', in the teams I have played and the teams I have coached it has been a zonal system. I have not been a favourite of man-marking systems.
 


15:45. Why the journos won't turn on him anytime soon.
 
Samid said:
Will there be a mutiny amongst the players if you don't get the job, will they have a say?
The players will have a say on how we play for the rest of the season. We need to keep going, keep progressing, keep getting results, keep getting the crowd behind us, because we need that. We need to fight from now until the end of the season.
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Woah. Great response to a loaded question.
 
BeforeKeanetherewasRobson said:
Yeah, thought maybe the flat diamond... McT at the back, either Pereira or Pogba at the tip. Sanchez and Lukaku split strikers.

Or....... Ole falls asleep watching re-runs of the 1999 season and wakes up and says "feck it, 442".

,.....,.......... De Gea

Dalot - Smalling - Lindelof - Shaw

Young - Fred - McTominay - Pogba

.......... Lukaku - Sanchez
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It's scary that any formation combination, if you take Pogba out, it just look so ordinary.
 
Some good stuff in the additional quotes, I think Ole is spot on regarding the muscle injuries, the change in the style of play is the biggest factor but the sooner we made the change, the better, otherwise we wouldn't have even gotten within touching distance of top 4, it's just unlucky that all the muscle injuries have happened at the same time. As for Fred, I get Veron was also a CM but he's an odd comparison to keep using as he failed at United, Evra and Vidic are surely the standards for the whole taking time to settle in example.
 
Samid said:
Is Lukaku built like an American football player?
Nah, nah, nah. We’ll get him in the box and score us goals, that’ll be his job.

I can understand why when you go to a World Cup and you see the teams you play, it might be that his physicality took over that part of preparation. We ask our forwards, strikers to work at a higher intensity, to run in behind, but that’s what he likes, so I’m sure he’ll be fine. Muscle is not so difficult to get rid of. He’s lean, but he’s muscly.
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I really really like what he's saying here. And what we are hearing from the player too - his wanting to fight to play anywhere because it's an honor to represent United - is telling of great man management.

My take Ole is going to get Lukaku trimmer in due time and I am certain that will see the young man get back on track to fulfilling his potential.
 
I really like Ole taking responsibility for his way of playing possibly being the reason for the injuries. I would much rather be this way though even if I feel like these injuries will ultimately prove to be our downfall to get top4
 
Flytan said:
I actually forgot Smalling's first name is Chris, my brain keeps saying Mike..
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Didn't we get Mike Smalling as a swap deal for Chris Smalling in Van Gaal's second summer? Gotta say that was a successful transfer he did as manager. :lol:
 
Samid said:
15:45. Why the journos won't turn on him anytime soon.
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Yes. And you can tell he is not putting anybody on - he is a genuinely warm person who at the same time is very competitive. I really hope it works out for him at United in the long term.
 
Samid said:
Is Lukaku built like an American football player?
Nah, nah, nah. We’ll get him in the box and score us goals, that’ll be his job.

I can understand why when you go to a World Cup and you see the teams you play, it might be that his physicality took over that part of preparation. We ask our forwards, strikers to work at a higher intensity, to run in behind, but that’s what he likes, so I’m sure he’ll be fine. Muscle is not so difficult to get rid of. He’s lean, but he’s muscly.
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Heh, I'll have to disagree with Ole on that. He's built like a linebacker. Too heavy for a receiver, too tall for a running back, too small for a lineman... Actually, he's almost identical in height and weight to the Tampa Bay Bucs' punter, Bryan Anger.

But he's right, that muscle can come right off in an offseason of appropriate training, and with that will come speed.
 
Gator Nate said:
Heh, I'll have to disagree with Ole on that. He's built like a linebacker. Too heavy for a receiver, too tall for a running back, too small for a lineman... Actually, he's almost identical in height and weight to the Tampa Bay Bucs' punter, Bryan Anger.

But he's right, that muscle can come right off in an offseason of appropriate training, and with that will come speed.
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I think what Ole was suggesting is that Lukaku can go back to the kind of frame he had before the World Cup. When multiple teams wanted to sign him from Everton, he was not a burly guy but a pacy forward whose game was actually about playing on the shoulder of the defender (he was never a hold up striker - which is still a glaring weakness for a United striker tbf).

He did work as hard as he could against Liverpool and seems to want to fight for his place. The next few weeks could determine whether he has a future at United.
 
Bobcat said:
Regarding Chong, wikipedia says hes of Chinese decent, which his name would suggest, but are both his parents Chinese?
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Born in Curacao, not sure how reliable that source is about his Chinese ancenstry.
 
His answer to the injuries question and the bit about changing tactics now and not waiting till end of season tells me he’s had encouragement from the board about landing the job. Surely hope so at least.
 
Bobcat said:
Regarding Chong, wikipedia says hes of Chinese decent, which his name would suggest, but are both his parents Chinese?
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Snow said:
Born in Curacao, not sure how reliable that source is about his Chinese ancestry.
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From what I read he was born in Willemstad, Cuaçao to mixed Dutch (father, although could be originally of Chinese descent) and Curaçaoan (mother) parents. At the age of 10 his family moved to Rotterdam. None of the above regarding parental roots is "officially" endorsed anywhere, therefore Wiki doesn't list it yet and it is probably best to take it with a pinch of salt. The father's nationality is the most fuzzy of the two.

Whether any of the above is true or not he seems like a guy who wants to retain some privacy so he's being well advised.
 
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Samid said:
On defensive progress
We have spent a lot of time on the structure, how we defend. The first few games [of my tenure] did not give us too many challenges in that respect, but then we went to Arsenal and you could see how we were pulled all over the play in midfield. Our back four were like battering rams.

The midfield shape has improved a lot - it has helped the back four to play as a back four and not been scattered all over the place.

My principle has never been for 'you to follow him, and you to follow him', in the teams I have played and the teams I have coached it has been a zonal system. I have not been a favourite of man-marking systems.
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For those saying Phelan is the one behind our defensive displays..
 
Samid said:
Is Lukaku built like an American football player?
Nah, nah, nah. We’ll get him in the box and score us goals, that’ll be his job.

I can understand why when you go to a World Cup and you see the teams you play, it might be that his physicality took over that part of preparation. We ask our forwards, strikers to work at a higher intensity, to run in behind, but that’s what he likes, so I’m sure he’ll be fine. Muscle is not so difficult to get rid of. He’s lean, but he’s muscly.
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Is this a real question? :lol: :lol:
 
Once again a good presser from Ole.
Takes responsibility.
The new system has taken it’s toll, but it has been necessary. Otherwise we wouldn’t have caught up and actually be in the top 4 race.
Pretty sure we’ll see a whole lot better fitnesslevel next season!
 
He speaks brilliantly and is clearly a very bright guy but I wish he was less open with the media. There's no need to discuss his plans for certain players and his tactical ideas (even at a very basic level). Sorry if that offends the cult but he seems to be trying to help the media at the moment and they don't deserve it.
 
JohnnyKills said:
He speaks brilliantly and is clearly a very bright guy but I wish he was less open with the media. There's no need to discuss his plans for certain players and his tactical ideas (even at a very basic level). Sorry if that offends the cult but he seems to be trying to help the media at the moment and they don't deserve it.
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I don't know, as you say it's on a very basic level and not really reveling anything that is not obvious from watching us and just taking the sting out of any tricky questions.
 
JohnnyKills said:
He speaks brilliantly and is clearly a very bright guy but I wish he was less open with the media. There's no need to discuss his plans for certain players and his tactical ideas (even at a very basic level). Sorry if that offends the cult but he seems to be trying to help the media at the moment and they don't deserve it.
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Showing admiration for a coach who's doing rather well given the baggage he inherited hardly qualifies as a cult!

As for being open with the media, he's his own man with his idea on how to deflect tricky questions. I'd rather that than the confrontational style of some.
 
He's talking more and more like a man who knows he's got the job.
 
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