LVG gives Solskjaer tips to keep Manchester United job

Former Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has said that it is important for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

Louis van Gaal has also said that the Norwegian is as defensive as Jose Mourinho who was sacked by United last December.

Solskjaer has won 14 of his 19 matches since he took over from the Portuguese, and has scored more goals while overseeing a number if highly interesting games.

Van Gaal says it is false to claim Solskjaer has brought entertaining football back to the Theatre of Dreams. The former Ajax boss believes that Solskjaer’s style of play is exactly like Mourinho’s – barring the results.

‘People think we have only had fake news since Donald Trump became president. In football we have had it for 50 years,’ Van Gaal told the BBC in an exhaustive interview.

‘The coach after me [Mourinho] changed to park-the-bus tactics and played on the counter. Now there is another coach who parks the bus and plays on the counter.

‘The main difference between Mourinho and Solskjaer is that Solskjaer is winning. ‘I am not there but there does look to be a change and the atmosphere seems to be better.

It is also true that Solskjaer has changed Paul Pogba’s position and put him into an area where he is much more important.

‘But the way Manchester United are playing now is not the way Ferguson played. It is defensive, counter-attacking football. If you like it, you like it. If you think it is more exciting than my boring attacking, OK. But it is not my truth.

‘Solskjaer has just lost twice and he has to manage that. It is very important that Manchester United qualifies for the Champions League, as it was when I was manager.

‘But they can also win the Champions League because they play a defensive system and it is very difficult to beat them, which, whether you like it or not, is the result of Mourinho’s work.’

Meanwhile, Manchester United could be in with a strong chance of re-signing Lyon winger Memphis Depay after only selling him a couple of years ago.

The Netherlands international flopped in his first spell in the Premier League, but it’s common knowledge that the Red Devils have a buy-back clause option with the player.

And now, Arsenal legend Robert Pires has sent something of an intriguing message to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – Depay wants another go at United.

Pires told Bwin: ” I think Depay wants to come back to the Premier League and he feels he has unfinished business in England.

“It didn’t work out for him at Manchester United and Depay is a very proud player. He perhaps feels he wasn’t given a chance to perform and earn the right to stay longer considering he was so young and showed glimpses of undoubted potential.

“Depay might want to return to Manchester United or he might be motivated to prove them wrong by performing for one of their rivals in the Premier League.”