Ben Guest
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists that Manchester United will not go ‘crazy’ if they qualify for next season’s Champions League, nor will they ‘panic’ if they don’t.
United have enjoyed an impressive run of form since Bruno Fernandes’ January arrival, closing the gap to the top four down to just one point ahead of the final four Premier League games.
The Red Devils have been linked with an extravagant summer spend, with Jadon Sancho rumoured to be the clubs top transfer target for what would likely be a British transfer record.
However, a lack of Champions League football next season could potentially lessen the club’s attractiveness to top players, while their spending power would also take a hit, with a clause in their contract with Adidas seeing them take a 20 per cent cut should they fail to qualify for Europe’s elite tournament for two successive seasons.
Ahead of the final four Premier League fixtures though, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer doesn’t think that the club’s success or failure to qualify for the Champions League will have too much of an impact on the club’s decision making this summer.
4 – Manchester United are the first side in @premierleague history to win four consecutive games by a margin of 3+ goals, with the last team to do so in the English top-flight being Liverpool in October 1987. Powerhouse. pic.twitter.com/5B2wmxEngS
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 9, 2020
“I don’t think it’s dramatic decisions,” Solskjaer said at his press conference on Saturday morning. “The word you said there, I don’t think the club would either panic or suddenly go crazy with plans that we’ve already talked about for the years to come.
“You do have to have a long term plan, but of course in the short term maybe some decisions will be easier to make if or if not we get to the Champions League.”
United have received plenty of plaudits for their improvement in terms of both results, and style of play, though the Norwegian urged his players not to believe the current ‘hype’, and to focus on continuing to deliver.
“Well, we’ve had an up-and-down season. We started fantastically well against Chelsea with a great win. We played some very good football. Then we got a setback and of course, I think the players have stuck to the task in hard times, difficult times, believed in the coaches, believed in what we are trying to do. They trusted us when the results haven’t gone great, that we just want to keep on working. And now the results are coming and the excitement is coming.
“Now it’s time to keep your feet on the ground: keep working, keep doing the right things, don’t believe the hype or the all the praise. That’s not their job, their job is to perform when they play – but then don’t believe in all the criticism when you don’t play well. Trust your team-mates and trust yourself.
“Now we can see the end is not too far away. It’s a strange one because we’ve been out for so long, but now there’s only four games left of the season, so the goal is getting close.”
Premier League managers line up to question VAR after a night of incorrect penalty decisions
See also – Ranking every member of the Champions League ‘100’ club