Solskjaer wants United to follow his FA Cup example against Liverpool

By
Tom Kirkwood
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Manchester United's Norwegian manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Southampton and Manchester United at St Mary's Stadium in Southampton, southern England on November 29, 2020. (Photo by Adam Davy / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /
Manchester United’s Norwegian manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Southampton and Manchester United at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton, southern England on November 29, 2020. (Photo by Adam Davy / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will hope his side can emulate his own performance when they face Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

A week on from their goalless draw in the Premier League at Anfield, the arch-rivals face each other in the Cup at Old Trafford on Saturday.

When United completed the treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in 1999, Solskjaer scored the winning goal in a fourth-round Cup tie against Liverpool.

Now reigning Premier League champions Liverpool head in to this tie on the back of a shock 1-0 loss at home to Burnley whereas United are top of the table after a 2-1 midweek win at Fulham.

Former striker Solskjaer, looking for his first trophy as a manager, plans to make full use of his squad this weekend.

“We’ll rotate, that’s for sure,” Solskjaer told a news conference on Friday. “We’ll put a decent team together of course, a team I feel can win the game.

“Of course you want to get your hands on that first trophy, but it’s always the league position that’s the measure of how far you have come.”

The Norwegian added: “Anyone can have an easy Cup run, I’m not one of those. I never get an easy Cup run!

“This time around, we’ve picked one of the favourites and we know this is a big one if you want to go all the way.”

The last year has seen United lose four semi-finals, with Solskjaer now looking for his first win over Klopp in five attempts.

But having enjoyed success as a United player against Liverpool, Solskjaer sees no reason why they cannot do the same 22 years to the day since that 1999 fourth-round tie.

“Of course we can transform a few things from that season,” he said. “We know that there’s tight moments, very fine margins.

“We know in that season we were close to going out against Liverpool. Peter Schmeichel saved a penalty from Dennis Bergkamp in the semi-final in injury time.

“But against Liverpool as well in that fourth round, when you get that boost of turning 1-0 down to a 2-1 win against a big team, it’s massive.

“The FA Cup is a run we’ve got to enjoy as long as it lasts. We got to the semis last year and as I said, we’re going to make a few changes but we’ll put a team out there that I hope can go through.”

jdg/nr

© Agence France-Presse

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