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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer offers Paul Pogba and rest of Man Utd squad 'clean slate'

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made healing the divisions within the Manchester United squad one of his top priorities by offering every single player a "clean slate" for life after Jose Mourinho.

The former United striker takes over from Jose Mourinho, who spoke only of his pride at managing the club in his first public statement since leaving Old Trafford.

United called time on the Portuguese's two-and-a-half years at the club on Tuesday, with Mourinho having overseen their worst start to a Premier League season.

The 55-year-old lifted the Europa League, EFL Cup and Community Shield in his first year at the club before United finished runners-up in both the league and FA Cup, but things unravelled during the early months of his third campaign at the helm.

Mourinho had made his frustrations about the recruitment of players and the club's decisions clear over recent months, but kept his feelings on such matters to himself in a statement released the day after his sacking.

The coach fell out with the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Paul Pogba as United's big names failed to spark for Mourinho, but Solskjaer insists that every player will have a chance to prove themselves - especially with a busy festive fixture list ahead.

Asked about a run of games during which United face Cardiff City, Huddersfield Town, Bournemouth and Newcastle United in 11 days, Solskiaer told MUTV in his first interview: "Playing games is the best time of your life!

"The more games you get, the better it is. For me as a manager now it's great because you have to rotate, so you'll get to see many players; they'll get that chance and everyone in

"Everybody in the squad knows 'I've got a chance now' because whatever's gone, whatever's happened has happened.

"Now it's just about from here everybody starts with a clean slate and we want players to perform and to give them a chance."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's career in numbers

Asked whether that meant everybody in the squad had a 'blank piece of paper' going forward, Solskjaer said: "Well you've got to start somewhere.

"Of course you look at a couple of performances I've seen the last few games, but you look at the merits, you look at the team, you pick a team now and you move on; they'll all get chances."

Additional reporting by the Press Association.

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