With Manchester United prepared to take on Young Boys in their Champions League opener, Solskjaer spoke about why they reached earlier to Bern, Switzerland, among other things.
Follow Us
Manchester United have started the new Premier League season on a positive note, winning three of their four matches to sit on top of the table. Over the weekend, the Red Devils trounced Newcastle United 4-1 as the team is flying high with the latest addition of Cristiano Ronaldo. Buoyed by the momentum, United take on Young Boys in their Champions League opener in Group F. It is not just Ronaldo, but another new signing Raphael Varane also has experience of winning this tournament on multiple occasions with Real Madrid. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer explains how having them in the squad can help the team in this competition.
When asked about some of the players who were missing at the weekend, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told club media, “No, we’re more or less the same squad and no reaction from the game. Of course, it’s still the second day only but they should be ready.” Speaking about the pitch in which they are going to play, the manager said, “At least Astroturf is green! Being from Norway, I’m used to Astroturf pitches. There’s absolutely no complaints. You can’t have any reason to misplace a pass, to be honest. And it seems a good one. I’ve not tested it yet but it should be good.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer spoke about why they reached earlier to Bern, Switzerland, saying “Yes, we just wanted to prepare and feel the surface, so we travelled early, and then recover.” Last season, United started their Champions League group on a positive note, but faded away and were knocked out of the group stage eventually.
When asked if that is still in their minds, Ole replied, “Of course, you’re at the start of a new competition and we want to win every game and go all the way. But we know that we have to take one game at a time. We started brilliantly last time and then it changed against Basaksehir, that was the game that we shouldn’t have lost. We just have to focus on [Young Boys] now.”
Besides the league, now United will also play European and Carabao Cup matches. Asked whether if this is the time when the strength of the squad comes into play over the next few weeks, he replied, “Yes, of course. Between these two international breaks, we have seven games. We started brilliantly against Newcastle of course with the result but we just have to go game by game by game, see who’s fit, see who’s ready and just keep the focus. Make sure we do our jobs.”
With Ronaldo and Varane joining United this summer, the club now has multiple Champions League winners in their ranks. “It can only be a good thing, of course. With Cristiano and Raphael coming in, they won it four times with Real Madrid and Cristiano won it here with us as well. I think it’s great for everyone in the team and in the squad to see those players up close. They’ve come in, gelled really well with the group and they’re here to help the team,” Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stated.
Speaking about their opening match in the Champions League, Ole said, “Yes, the atmosphere’s going to be brilliant. They had a big game at the weekend against Zurich, they were top of the league, and they played really well. It’s a team of athletes, with loads of athleticism and high energy, and with the crowd, I’m sure they’re going to give it a good go.”
