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.
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On his experience managing Cardiff:
"Definitely, it's all I've had, about 300 or 400 games as a first team manager now and that period in Cardiff was a huge step for me and I've evaluated, reflected, made a few mistakes, but if you don't make mistakes you're not going to learn, I made a few of them, but they’re in the Premier League now."
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"It's about getting very player to the best, speaking to them, training ground, philosophy, principles, how we want to play, it’s not a matter of what team you're coaching they all want to have a picture of how you want to play, quality players so it will be easier to get players expressing themselves."
How Ferguson's approach can help with that?
"You play with courage, go out there and express your skills, he said go out and express, take risks. The last game he had as a manager 5-5, that was almost the perfect end to him as a manager and I want the player to be similar, be the kids that love to play football and go out in front of the best fans in the world."
And that's the lot from a very talkative Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his first press conference as Manchester United manager ahead of tomorrow's trip to Cardiff City.
Here's a round-up of what Solskjaer had to say:
- Only signed until end of the season but open to staying permanently
- Has spoken to Sir Alex Ferguson since taking the job
- Never had any doubts once United contacted him
- Will have some say in January but will focus more on the current squad
- Did not confirm if Romelu Lukaku will miss upcoming games
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