Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Sport

Manchester United boss Solskjaer says will not tolerate personal agendas

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FA Cup Fifth Round - Derby County v Manchester United - Pride Park, Derby, Britain - March 5, 2020 Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine/File Photo

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he will not tolerate players with personal agendas and would rather leave positions in the squad vacant than have them upset the applecart.

Solskjaer, who was appointed permanent manager in March last year, said there were players who did not put the team first resulting in a loss of form towards the end of the season.

"In March, players were physically tired, mentally tired and we had injuries," Solskjaer told the United We Stand http://www.uwsonline.com fanzine. "There were other things I didn't like last year – some personal agendas which couldn't be sorted out until the summer.

"That's when I saw who I could build a long-term, successful squad around. You need some egos in football, but it has to be team first... If a team is to be successful then players have to be available at different times.

"I'd rather have a hole in the squad... You want players to have a bit of ego and edge but they have to be able to adapt."

Manchester United were fifth in the Premier League with 45 points, three behind fourth-placed Chelsea when the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.