Solskjaer explains why he loves ‘instrumental’ McFred partnership
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer loves the partnership in central midfield between Fred and McTominay because he can “trust them”.
The duo have been dubbed McFred in the middle of the park with their partnership coming in for plenty of stick in the past.
Former Man Utd midfielder Roy Keane claimed in May that the pair would stop the Red Devils winning “big trophies” in the future.
The Red Devils strengthened significantly in the summer with the signings of Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho – but many fans and pundits still feel like they need a new midfielder to compete for the top honours.
On why he likes the McFred combo, Solskjaer told reporters on Tuesday: “First of all the stats for them two together we have had many good results.
“The way we broke-up play against Villa I think they are very instrumental together. The energy and desire. I really like to have the two of them. I can trust them to give us what they’ve got.
“Fans will always have opinions, it is easy to say who should be playing.”
Man Utd have lost three of their last four matches in all competitions but Solskjaer is convinced they will bounce back against Villarreal on Wednesday night.
Solskjaer added: “My focus is always to win the next game, short-term and think long-term about the squad building. My focus now has been on winning this game, getting back on track.
“Then we focus on the league again from Thursday morning. We would have loved to be top of the league, but we are still up there.
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“With the squad and coach I have got we can improve and we will get that consistency.”
When asked if Ronaldo is key to beating Villarreal, Solskjaer continued: “Of course Cristiano… you can almost say when he starts it is one guaranteed goal. He has that record and he will score goals.
“13 goals in 14 or 15 against Villarreal means he enjoys playing against them. He knows Albiol, Torres, top defenders. He is determined to score every time he is on the pitch.”