Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said on Tuesday he is grateful to the club’s hierarchy for backing him to get the job done despite a poor run of form, a day after Chelsea sacked Frank Lampard when they went through a slump.
Chelsea dismissed Lampard following 18 months in charge after a disappointing run of results – despite spending over £200 million in the close season – for the club to sit ninth in the standings.
United are top of the league standings but were knocked out of the Champions League in the group stage last month and Solskjaer explained their long-term plan accounted for some poor spells.
“We know we would have some tough periods… We have been through two or three spells of bad form but they stood strong,” Solskjaer told reporters ahead of Wednesday’s home game against Sheffield United.
“We looked at the squad and the situation we were in. We had a longer term plan in place. We knew there were going to be some patchy periods and we had to stay strong mentally.
“The leadership they have shown has been strong and steady, I’m grateful for that.”
Solskjaer said striker Marcus Rashford trained on Tuesday and is available for selection after he tweaked his knee.
