Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said Manchester United’s 6-2 win over Leeds was one to go down in history after they punished their rivals.
It was the first meeting between the two rivals in the Premier League since 2004, and Solskjaer’s side asserted their dominance right from the beginning.
Scott McTominay scored two goals inside three minutes to set Man Utd on their way to victory. They eventually went on to record their highest-scoring win since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson.
After some weeks of inconsistency, the result has raised fresh optimism that the Red Devils could challenge near the top this season.
Solskjaer was enthusiastic about the performance and result, explaining how they nullified their opponents and earned the right to play.
“That was fantastic from the first minute,” he told Sky Sports. “We had a plan to get after them, go forwards when we had the ball and Scott McTominay got two goals in the first three minutes!
“We found a way of getting them going. Just imagine if there were 75,000 people in, it would have gone down in history as one of the great performances against Leeds.
“We had to earn the right by running as much as them, that’s a challenge. It could have been 12-4! It’s that kind of game.
“I enjoyed it, it was frantic, hectic. No matter what the score is they have a certain attitude or style, if they are 5-0 up or down.”
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Despite the claims about United‘s title contentions, Solskjaer urged focus on shorter-term targets.
“We are not even at the halfway point, the league position is not something we look at. We look at the improvement of the team.
“Now we are getting fitter and stronger. Our fans needed that one.”
Solskjaer praises ‘physical monster’ McTominay
One of the key players on the night was McTominay, who scored his first two goals of the season in a lightning start.
Explaining how the midfielder influenced the play, Solskjaer claimed he sometimes has to stop him making the kind of runs that led to his brace.
Solskjaer told BBC Radio 5 Live: “Scott used to be a striker as a kid.
“He is a physical monster – he can win in the air, he wins tackle, but he’s so strong and he’s quick as well.
“He just ran into the space that we hoped he would get and it was good work by the other players to create the space and good finishes.
“I have to stop Scott from doing that sometimes – he is an attacking midfielder by nature. But when he sees space in front of him, why stop him? But he’s great at shielding his back four.”
Another name on the scoresheet was Daniel James, who was a surprise starter against a club he nearly joined in the past.
Solskjaer praised the winger for his patience and taking his chance when it came.
“The goal will give Dan James a lot of confidence too,” he added. “He’s been biding his time, been patient, been working hard and he’s still as fit as a fiddle and I was very, very pleased for him.”
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The post Solskjaer explains how he masterminded ‘frantic’ Man Utd win over Leeds; makes surprising McTominay claim appeared first on teamtalk.com.
Samuel Bannister
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