EPL: Man Utd boss Solskjaer holds crisis talks with Ronaldo, others
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer held crisis talks with his senior players on Thursday as he tried to salvage Manchester United’s season — and save his job.
Solskjaer spoke to captain Harry Maguire, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof and Nemanja Matic in a 10am meeting at Carrington.
The 48-year-old wanted to discuss how United can turn the season around, and the tactical plan after switching to a back three in the last three games.
Solskjaer is desperate to get his team back on track at Watford on Saturday after a run of six defeats in 12 games including humiliations at the hands of Liverpool and Manchester City.
The Old Trafford hierarchy have resisted calls to sack Solskjaer, who spent part of the international break at home in Norway. However, he is on thin ice going into a key period that will decide United’s European fate and includes league fixtures against Chelsea and Arsenal.
Another defeat at Vicarage Road on Saturday or in Tuesday’s Champions League group tie at Villarreal would pile more pressure on the under-fire boss.
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Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers has been linked with the United job in recent weeks, but the Northern Irishman says the speculation risks affecting his own players, who are looking to revitalise their season.
Rodgers, whose side host Chelsea this weekend, said: ‘It doesn’t frustrate me personally, because my focus is the next game, which is Chelsea.
‘But it’s frustrating for the fans and, I would say, for my players.
‘If anyone were to read what’s been out there, then that can destabilise. I’m the Leicester City manager, proud to be here, and fully committed. All the other noise around that is something we cannot control.’
Rodgers maintains that he and Leicester’s owner Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha have an ideal working relationship. ‘I have a huge respect for Khun Top and the protection of his father’s legacy. I feel I’m in the right place, with the right people,’ he added.
Meanwhile, Jesse Lingard wants to leave United in January after abandoning contract talks.
Lingard rejected United’s offer in October, which is understood to have been worth less than his current deal at Old Trafford, and the 28-year-old has no plans to re-open negotiations.
Lingard, who has started just one game for the club this season, would prefer to go out on loan again in January — having enjoyed a successful spell at West Ham in the second half of last season — and then end a 22-year association with United when his contract runs out at the end of June.
He will be able to leave as a free agent in the summer and can open talks with foreign clubs from January 1, having attracted strong interest from Barcelona and AC Milan.
A representative from Lingard’s camp is thought to have travelled to Spain for talks with clubs last week.