OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER says his new contract means nothing if he cannot deliver this season. The Manchester United boss was handed a fresh three-year deal last month. But he is still without a trophy and after further backing in the transfer market this summer, he knows he is under pressure. Solskjaer, 48, said: “It doesn’t matter […]
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER says his new contract means nothing if he cannot deliver this season.
The Manchester United boss was handed a fresh three-year deal last month.
But he is still without a trophy and after further backing in the transfer market this summer, he knows he is under pressure.
Solskjaer, 48, said: “It doesn’t matter if you have a ten-year contract or a one-year contract — if you don’t do well, off you go.
“That the board wanted to extend my contract is proof we are going in the right direction, but we have to keep on moving in the right direction.
“There is always pressure here to win the league and to win trophies. For me, it’s the pressure I put on myself and the pressure the team put on themselves to achieve the best.
“At this club, it’s not just clinging on to your job it’s about the responsibility in my hands.
“We have gone from third to second and a lot closer in points, we’ve gone from three semis to a final, so it’s taking the next step now — that’s the challenge.”
Solskjaer believes a blistering start to the season can see the title come back to Old Trafford for the first time since 2013.
The Red Devils dropped 11 points in their first six games in the last campaign, but went on to lose only one game between November and the start of May as they finished runners-up.
The Norwegian manager declared: “You put every season into blocks but the first six or seven games, they’re very important to set the momentum and to give you a chance.
“Pep Guardiola said you can’t win the league in the first eight games but you can lose it — and that’s what happened to us.
Everyone who has been here knows that the demands and expectations are higher.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
“We lost too many points early on. From November 1 until the Leicester game in May, we only lost one league game. That’s the consistency we want again.”
United’s first six games this season see them play Leeds, Southampton, Wolves, Newcastle, West Ham and Aston Villa.
Having seen his side improve from third to second in two years, Solskjaer says they can go one better and take the title.
He explained: “Of course these boys can, with a maximum effort and maximum sacrifice.
“Every day is a chance to get closer to our target — and that’s to give yourself a chance to win every game.
“But every day is also a chance to step backwards, so it’s down to the coaching staff and the players, to keep improving.
“We’ve made them more robust and ready to face the challenges of a Man United player. Everyone who has been here knows that the demands and expectations are higher.
“You have to be mentally strong and robust. You can’t be flaky at this club because then you might as well knock on my door and say, ‘This is not for me’.
“You have to handle the ups and the downs. If you win, it’s not like you’re the best player in the world and if you lose, you’re not the worst player — you have got to trust and believe in yourself without showing off.
“We want to start winning trophies and we’ve laid the foundation on the training ground, in the transfer market and with the work everyone has been doing with the players.”
Last season United broke the Manchester City-Liverpool one-two dominance of the previous two terms.
And Solskjaer predicts a four-horse race this time.
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He added: “This will be one of the strongest Premier League seasons.
“It’s been Liverpool and City fighting it out for a few years. But I feel us and Chelsea have spent well and we should look at ourselves as challengers.”
New signings Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane are set to miss Saturday’s friendly with Everton, with Solskjaer adding: “They still haven’t trained with us. I need to see how they are.”
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