MX23RW : Sunday, December 15 20:01:29| >> :60:478:478:
[monks data]
Attendance: 62,955
Manchester United logo
Europa League | Group Stage
Nov 7, 2019 at 8pm UK
 
Partizan

3-0

Greenwood (22'), Martial (33'), Rashford (49')
FT(HT: 2-0)

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tells Man Utd to "fill their boots" against Partizan

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tells Man Utd to
© Reuters
United will qualify for the knockout stages of the Europa League with victory on Thursday.

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants his players to 'fill their boots' in the Europa League against Partizan Belgrade on Thursday.

United are looking to bounce back from another disappointing result in the Premier League with defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday by qualifying for the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Solskjaer's side have taken seven points from their three games so far but have only scored two goals, while they have managed more than one goal in a Premier League game on just two occasions this season.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants his players to get off to a good start against Partizan Belgrade
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants his players to get off to a good start against Partizan Belgrade (Tom Goode/PA)

The Norwegian said: "We'll have to start tomorrow and hope Partizan don't remember this with joy.

"I played in quite a few games at home and if you get a good start you can fill your boots and hopefully we can get off to a good start tomorrow. Front-foot football.

"We've had so many games where we've been 1-0 up and now it's about, come on, let's go for the second and third because maybe we've taken a step back and said we need to get the result for me, and I'd rather these boys just go for and make a mistake or two."

United had appeared to have turned a corner prior to the Bournemouth game with a run of three straight victories but Solskjaer accepts there will be bumps along the road to improvement.

He said: "You're disappointed when you lose a game and of course we were on half a run. But it won't happen in one instance that you turn everything round.

"We've got a great chance now to qualify for the next round, which then means the last two games you can try out a few things.

"There's never a shortcut in football. It's hard work, stick together, team spirit. They want to do well and for one reason or another sometimes we haven't got the results. We know we're on the right track. Now is the chance to get two wins before the (international) break."

United will be without defender Victor Lindelof, who played at Bournemouth having been a doubt for the game but is now sidelined once more.

Nemanja Matic remains absent for Manchester United
Nemanja Matic remains absent for Manchester United (Martin Rickett/PA)

Left-back Luke Shaw, who has been out with a hamstring injury since August, was back on the grass but training away from the squad, while Eric Bailly, Diogo Dalot, Angel Gomes, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba and Axel Tuanzebe all remain absent.

Solskjaer will again use Europe as a chance to give more of his young players an opportunity, and Matej Kovar and Ethan Laird could both be included in the squad.

Captain Ashley Young has no doubt the club is heading in the right direction, saying: "I know what I see day in, day out at training.

"The boys have been working as hard as possible to go out and get results. Obviously things haven't gone as well as we'd have liked. But that's not going to dampen our spirits.

Ashley Young wants Manchester United to go on a winning run
Ashley Young wants Manchester United to go on a winning run (Joe Giddens/PA)

"We've got a good game tomorrow to go and qualify out of the group stages and we've got games coming up that we believe are winnable games so I think from tomorrow's game we go on another run and keep putting points on the board."

Winning the Europa League, as United did two years ago, offers a route into the Champions League, but Solskjaer is not giving up on the top four.

He said: "It's one route. You're not going to talk about the end league table in November. I don't think anyone can predict that already. We haven't got as many points as we'd like but we'll challenge to get to the top four."

The United boss, meanwhile, is not planning a spending spree in January to try to boost results.

He said:
"(With) transfers we always look at the long term. It might be none, might be one, might be two. But it's always the summer window that's the big one. You can't do too many good deals in January."

ID:377652: cacheID:377652:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:10263:
Written by
P A
No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer pictured on November 2, 2019
Read Next:
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looking forward to run of "winnable games"
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
6pm
Chiefs
@
Browns
6pm
Ravens
@
Giants
6pm
Jets
@
Jags
6pm
Cowboys
@
Panthers
6pm
Washington
@
Saints
6pm
Dolphins
@
Texans
6pm
Bengals
@
Titans
9.25pm
Colts
@
Broncos
9.25pm
Patriots
@
Cardinals
9.25pm
Buccaneers
@
Chargers
9.25pm
Steelers
@
Eagles
9.25pm
Bills
@
Lions
Tables header RHS

League Phase

TeamPWDLPTS
1Lazio651016
2Athletic Bilbao651016
3Anderlecht642014
4Lyon641113
5Frankfurt641113
6Galatasaray633012
7Man Utd633012
8Rangers632111
9Spurs632111
10FCSB632111
11Real Sociedad631210
12Ajax631210
13Bodo/Glimt631210
14Roma62319
15Olympiacos62319
16Ferencvaros63039
17Plzen62319
18AZ62228
19Fenerbahce62228
20Porto62228
21Union SG62228
22Braga62137
23Elfsborg62137
24PAOK62137
25Midtjylland62137
26M. Tel Aviv62046
27Hoffenheim61326
28Besiktas62046
29Slavia Prague61144
30FC Twente60424
31Malmo61144
32Ludogorets60333
33Qarabag61053
34RFS60242
35Nice60242
36Dynamo Kiev60060


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!