Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville believes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has attempted to improve the cohesion in the squad ahead of the clash against Chelsea.
The Red Devils face a stern fight to secure a top-four finish and Champions League football next season, after suffering a sequence of damaging defeats that have raised questions.
United were defeated by arch-rivals Manchester City in midweek at Old Trafford and faced another crucial test on Sunday against fellow top-four chasers Chelsea.
Prior to the match, MEN Sport reported Solskjaer had kept the entire squad together overnight.
United legend Neville admitted that was an unusual practice but believes it’s understandable after the recent run of results.
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“It’s unusual. It was either a farewell bash or some sort spirit building. Probably the latter, keeping everyone together,” he said to Sky Sports.
“When you’re a manager and you’ve been around a club, you try and change something, that alters the rut United are in at the moment.
“They’ve lost 7 out of the last 9 games. The idea of saying ‘We need to be together more than ever this is the most important game of the season’.
“By the way there’s been a lot of criticism flying their way this week. The most important criticism is from their own manager saying they need a reality check, talking about some of them not being with him when he’s going to be successful.
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“Maybe bringing them all together and saying ‘Look, if we can win three matches we’ll be in the Champions League’.
“I have to say irrespective of the seven defeats in nine games if Manchester United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer finish in the Champions League, from where he picked the job up it would be an incredible achievement and I think that’s the reasoning to get everyone together for a final push.”
