MANCHESTER (AFP) - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted on Tuesday (April 23) that Manchester United will not be capable of competing for the English Premier League title next season in a stark assessment of the current gulf between his side and Wednesday's opponents Manchester City.
United take on City at Old Trafford 22 points behind the reigning champions and 24 adrift of leaders Liverpool, despite coach Solskjaer initially going a dozen league games unbeaten after succeeding the sacked Jose Mourinho.
Last weekend's 4-0 hammering at Everton was the third defeat in their five matches since and the 46-year-old called for patience when asked if he thought his squad was capable of competing for the title next season.
"I don't think we've got the consistency to do that," said the former United striker.
"Over the last 18 games, we're not far away from them but it's doing it over the course of a season.
"We've done it for half a season now. Let's see. You can never say never."
'Realistic'
United were last crowned champions in 2013, and Solskjaer added: "You cannot expect things to happen overnight and we know that. It will happen gradually and we have to be realistic enough as a club that we have to take it step by step.
"That's not changing 10 players now and bringing 10 players in. It's slowly, slowly but surely.
"It has to be the right quality, right personality, the right standards to get us back to where we want to be."
Solskjaer has often spoken at length of the need for his players to take personal pride in playing for one of the world's biggest clubs, and following their recent rotten run of six defeats in eight matches in all competitions, he also said that the pain of falling behind United's two major local rivals was acute.
"For me, the motivation is towards something, to win something yourself," he said.
"We have to want to overtake them, not because it's City and Liverpool. But of course because it's City and Liverpool, for a supporter as I am, and as a manager now as well, because they're so close in the vicinity as well, we want to be the best.
"We have been the best, and it's not nice seeing those two at the top," he admitted.
Solskjaer's emotional post-match response at Goodison Park saw him warn some of his under-performing stars that they will not be at the club long-term.
"I think now is not the time to make drastic changes, but of course we do plan ahead... we know who we want to bring with us," he said.
"There are many of these players who will stay at the club for so many years and be successful, and I'm going to do everything I can to be successful and hopefully these players can come out with a response the next four games.
"But we're still planning long term, and that's just natural. That's the cycle of a team, that it changes."
BERLIN: Germany coach Joachim Loew's decision to end Thomas Mueller's international career has left the Bayern Munich midfielder "angry" and struggling to come to terms with the manner in
Thomas Muller angered by Germany exclusion and vows to win
Messi claims record fifth Golden Shoe award - The Kashmir Monitor
Support your favourite team and join us for the Champions League Final live screening! Join us for the Champions League Final live screening and support your favourite team! Catch the match live on screen while enjoying free Prata and Teh Tarik!*
Where to watch the Champions League final - best bars and
Football news - Son set for Spurs as Hatem wonder strike
Football: Bayern have not yet tabled bid for Man City's Leroy Sane, says CEO Rummenigge Bayern have repeatedly said that they would like to draw Manchester City winger Leroy Sane to Munich. PHOTO
Football: Bayern have not yet tabled bid for Man City's Leroy
sportstons.com/soccer/football-bayern-have-not-yet-tabled-bid-for-man-citys-leroy-sane-says-ceo-rummenigge/
Football: Bayern have not yet tabled bid for Man City's Leroy Sane, says CEO Rummenigge BERLIN (REUTERS) - German football champions Bayern Munich have not yet made an offer for Manchester City winger Leroy Sane despite their longstanding desire to sign him, club CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said on Wednesday (June 5).
Bayern have not yet tabled bid for Man City's Sane
'How could he do that?': Maurizio Sarri's outburst revealed as Chelsea chiefs bid to avoid a crisis over Kepa. Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri was furious near the end of the Carabao Cup final
Maurizio Sarri says Kepa was RIGHT to refuse to come off in
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has again cast doubt on the Premier League champions' readiness to win the Champions League Man City still teenagers in adult world of Champions League
Man City still teenagers in adult world of Champions League
Martial and Lingard both limped off during the 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday and are set to miss the FA Cup fifth round tie with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Monday and the Premier League clash with Liverpool at Old Trafford six days later. Editor's Picks. Summer of Soccer: Your guide on what to watch
Manchester United's Martial Lingard to miss Chelsea Liverpool
SINGAPORE — Top German football club FC Bayern Munich has inked a three-year partnership with Sport Singapore (SportSG) that will see the record champions working with the national sports body
SportSG announce a three-year partnership with Bayern Munich
UK rescuers end search for missing plane carrying soccer
S$278,200 missing from Hougang United Football Club; employee charged with CBT A female administrative staff member, Tean Tai Tee, allegedly misappropriated the sales revenue from the
tiagong, this female employee hoot Hong Gan United Football
Manchester United caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said the owners of Norwegian club Molde sent him to Old Trafford with their blessing and asked him to try to turn his temporary stint at
Molde owners will support me if I stay at Manchester United
Football: England thrash Montenegro after early scare
Barcelona can end Real's title hopes MADRID • After eliminating Real Madrid from the King's Cup in midweek, Barcelona now have the opportunity to send their arch-rivals packing in the title race, too.
Barcelona can end the hopes of title of real madrid in el
0 comments:
Post a Comment