Solskjaer tries to continue Manchester United’s growth with third place in sight

(Reuters) – Manchester United endured a tough season in the Premier League, but finishing third with a win over Leicester City on Sunday will be further proof of the team’s potential, said manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Friday.

Solskjaer oversaw Old Trafford’s worst club start in a top-level campaign in 30 years and faced questions about his eligibility for club rebuilding, but a young United changed things in the second half of the season.

After remaining unbeaten in their last 13 league games, United managed to reach the highest milestone since the 2017-18 season when Jose Mourinho led them to second place.

“Let’s move away from this game and get third position and continue the growth and journey that this team is undertaking. We have had difficult moments this season, some setbacks, but we have shown that this team is going in places, “Solskjaer told reporters.

Solskjaer, whose team had their last defeat in the competition against Burnley in January, said the addition of director Bruno Fernandes was one of the factors behind their revival.

“Many factors, many reasons … belief, if you looked at that game against Burnley we would have had to win it, that’s football and the Premier League,” said Solskjaer.

“The belief, the trust, the change of atmosphere, Bruno’s arrival made a huge difference. We have our best fit and rare players to go … the guys have worked hard, the fitness levels, the mental strength is much better than last season.

“… I’m happy with how the development looks.”

Solskjaer stated that their only goal was to collect three points against fifth place Leicester.

“… We have given ourselves a good chance of winning the Champions League next year, but we can’t think about the result, we just have to perform at a fairly high level and get a result,” added Solskjaer.

“We want to dominate the game … A concentration interval can hurt you … this is a journey for this team.”