Published 11:21 IST, January 11th 2020
Manchester United won't make panic buys, vows Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists Manchester United will not look for short-term solutions in the January transfer window just to guarantee his job security
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists Manchester United will t look for short-term solutions in January transfer window just to guarantee his job security. Solskjaer will t countenance bringing in players if y do t fit in with United's long-term plan. His squad has been stretched by injuries and a gruelling schedule and y have t won any of ir three matches so far in 2020.
Those weaknesses were brutally exposed in 3-1 defeat by Manchester City in first leg of League Cup semi-finals on Tuesday to once again put spotlight on Solskjaer. United struggled in absence of injured midfielders Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay. However, Solskjaer refuses to discuss idea of any stop-gap signings.
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"I am t going to protect myself," Solskjaer said ahead of rwich's visit to Old Trafford on Saturday.
"I am here to do what I think is best for club and what I feel is best.
"I would never, ever, ever, put myself before club. This is Manchester United and re is I in Manchester.
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"I could never do that. That is t me. I am working and managing for Man Utd.
"Myself and Ed (Woodward) are having conversations all time about how we are going to look in one month, in five months and in a longer period.
"He kws my feelings and I am very happy working with se players we have."
'Due diligence'
Despite shortcomings United have shown this season, y are still just five points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea, who occupy final Champions League qualification spot. right signing could make all difference in reaching Europe's elite club competition next season. Yet Solskjaer is firm in his belief that any newcomer must adhere to values and qualities that United want.
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"We are building towards something, but I am sure fans are bored listening to me talk about what we do have as a vision and a plan," he said.
"It doesn't change from September 1 to w. That is impossible to change.
"You wouldn't put yourself in a position w that you do something that you regret in 18 months.
"So we have to do due diligence on players' quality and character to make it right fit into this squad."
After defeat by City, United striker Marcus Rashford admitted his team were only playing at 50 per cent of ir current potential. Solskjaer was reluctant to go that far, but he cites Rashford, who has scored 14 goals in his last 19 games for United, as proof of what can be achieved. "We didn't perform really well for long periods in that game, that's for sure," he said. "I don't think it was a half performance but I kw where Marcus is coming from. "We kw potential of how we can perform and sometimes we don't reach that. "But Marcus is an example of how well this team has improved and how much it is improving."
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11:21 IST, January 11th 2020