Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking for a reaction after Liverpool humiliation

Manchester United are on a sticky patch of late, struggling to get positive results in recent weeks. In the Premier League, the Red Devils are winless in their last four matches. They hit a new low last weekend after suffering a demoralising 5-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Premier League. It led to massive criticism from various sections, as the pressure mounted high on manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Next up, the Reds will make the journey down to Tottenham Hotspur for Saturday’s Premier League meeting. Solskjaer is now targeting a strong response to last weekend’s humiliating loss to Liverpool. 

“It’s been a difficult week, of course. We’ve had to deal with the result and performance against Liverpool, which we know wasn’t good enough and that’s something footballers that have to deal with, that’s why we’re in this game and you have to look forward to the next game. You have to make sure you’re ready for that game, and, when you get to that game, sort it out – what has been challenging and the problems earlier on. We’ve had a good week, a good week on the training field, I have to say that,” Ole told in his pre-match press conference.

“As I said, we need a reaction. It’s my job as well to put the players in the right frame of mind. I’m responsible for the reaction, for the result, for the performance. We’ve worked on the pitch on everything that needs to be sorted for a footballer and that’s not just one thing, that’s not just frame of mind, that’s approach going into the game, strategy going into the game, game-plan, tactics, technically. We’ve had a good week and I feel that the boys are ready to give their best, as they always do. Of course, nothing went to plan [last week] and that was nowhere near our best.”

‘Don’t make up lies about the players or me’

When asked what’s the pressure like and what’s this week has been like for him, Ole replied, “I think it affects everyone around, of course. I spoke about it last week, I think Mikel [Arteta] said something about what we have to deal with, managers in high-profile situations, it’s what we’ve got used to. For me, I’m as focused as ever. I’ve come in and I’ve had players coming up to me.” 

“So for example, I don’t tend to read social media, but Paul [Pogba] came up to me angry. We expect to be criticised, hands up, the performance wasn’t good enough, you expect to hear it from right, left, centre but we can’t accept when lies are being made up. Paul came to me and told me what he’s put on his social media account. We’re better than that as a group. The culture is better here, the environment is better. When it’s blatant lies, they’ve got to stand up and say so. All the opinions and reports, fine, but don’t make up lies about the players or me.”

Providing a squad update, Ole said, “Of course Paul is suspended but apart from that it’s a fully fit squad. Which is a very strange position to be in, to have 25 outfield players and five keepers training. Thirty men training this week, all fit.”