Ole Gunnar Solskjaer press conference: New Manchester United manager open to permanent role
Solskjaer will take charge of United until the end of the season following Jose Mourinho's dismissal
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Your support makes all the difference.Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was unveiled as Manchester United’s new caretaker manager in front of the national press at the club’s Carrington training ground on Friday morning, following Jose Mourinho’s dismissal earlier this week.
Solskjaer takes temporary charge of United until the end of the season, when he is expected to return to Molde in his native Norway. The 45-year-old’s first game comes away to former club Cardiff City on Saturday. United currently sit sixth in the Premier League table, 11 points adrift of the top four.
The Norwegian, who scored 91 goals in 235 United appearances as a player, began work on Thursday. Solskjaer hopes to get his players enjoying their football again and has promised every member of his squad will be given “a clean slate” over the coming weeks and months. Re-live the live updates from Carrington in the blog below.
Please allow a moment for the live blog to load.
First impressions of the players?
"They’re footballers, they're happy, good mood, every time you meet new people you're excited, it's the first time you see them, I know a few, had them in the reserves and they've been great."
Want to stay permanently?
"When you get a job like this and they ask you to sign for six months you say ‘yeah, I'm happy to help out’ and my job is to do as well as I can and they understand there are so many managers who would love to be manager of Manchester United. I'm one of them but it's not something we've talked about, they'll do a process for the next six months."
Will you have an influence on January transfer plans?
"I will have an input but the job is to get to know the players, to observe them. I've seen more or less every game from Norway but to get to know the players, what do I think I can improve them on. The club have got the resources and scouting, they've got their targets but I've not sat down and talked about that."
On Lukaku potentially missing the next two games on compassionate leave?
"He's had a couple of days off, I've not seen him yet or Alexis, he’s on his way back as well, So I'm looking forward to seeing them."
Can United still finish in the top four?
"I think the first thing is the first game, think about getting my principles into the boys, get the players to understand how I want them to play and let's take the results later on to see how many points we can gather, but this club has made many, many points before but I'm not going to set that target now."
Happy with backroom team?
It's Michael (Carrick) and Kieran (MacKenna) that's been here for the whole season, they've had their say and input but there are so many games over the next 10 or 15 days. It's about picking a team that is going to get results but every player needs to know they're going to get their chance, Kieran and Michael have been great, it's great being back home and seeing the development, Michael, as good a coach and man manager as he is.
Still feel familiar?
"Of course it is, I've been here as a player, 11 years, coached three and a half years, best part 15 years of my life, it's a third of my life. I'm getting old but it's one of them that's life, that was the same when I signed as a player, Nicky Butt the first lad I meet, says hi to me, you're excited but it feels like home."
Is it a tricky job to turn United around?
"My job is to help the players, make them grasp the opposition, they all want to be part of Manchester United, I'm here to help them, help the team, it’s down to man management."
How he plans on doing that?
"I had the best manager as a player and coach to deal with players and it's about communication, I'll sit down and speak to the ones not playing. When you're at Manchester United there are a set of demands and one is to be a team player and I don't think anyone has been on the bench more than me! That's all my comeback to players, you might come on make an impact."
On the influence of Sir Alex Ferguson:
"He's influenced me with everything to be fair, the way he's dealt with people the way he was manager of the club, how he kept 25 international players happy and hungry, wanting to improve but also the staff in and around the place, he's been my mentor but I didn't understand early on he'd be my mentor. Towards the last, maybe the injury in 2003, I was making all the notes what he did in certain situations and I've already been in touch with him, there's no one to get better advice from."
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