Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said that his team can learn lessons from heavyweight champion Tyson Fury when discussing last weekend's 5-0 defeat at home to Liverpool.
The thrashing at Old Trafford led to suggestions that Solskjaer would be sacked as head coach this week, but the Norwegian will lead the team into Saturday's Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur.
Solskjaer has claimed that his side were like "a boxer being punch drunk" against their rivals, and the 48-year-old referenced Fury's ability to rise back to his feet in difficult situations when discussing the issues that were present against Jurgen Klopp's team.
"Of course, you have to hold hands up and that performance is not acceptable, and we have to look at why it was not acceptable and why it went as it did," Solskjaer told reporters.
"I use the analogy: it felt like we were a boxer being punch drunk, knocked down in the first four minutes or in the first round. We had a chance, we conceded a goal, we wanted to sort it out, and went a bit too open and too frantic against a good team.
"You see Tyson Fury when he gets knocked down a couple of times, it's remarkable how calm and composed he is on the floor, counts to six, seven, eight and he gets up and goes again. We got up too early and tried to sort it. Minds have to be better but we've had to look at different things as well, the communication has to be direct."
Man United have lost three of their last four matches in the Premier League, picking up just a single point in the process, which has seen them drop down into seventh spot in the table.
Matt Law
