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MANCHESTER, England — Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has suggested he would like to be considered as Manchester United’s next permanent manager but says that possibility has not yet formed part of his talks with the club.
United, who sacked Jose Mourinho on Tuesday, have been heavily linked with a move for Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino in the summer once Solskjaer’s interim spell ends at the end of the season.
But the Norwegian, who will take charge of his first game at former club Cardiff City on Saturday, says his ambitions at Old Trafford extend beyond the next six months.
“When you get a job like this and they ask you to sign for six months you say ‘yes,’” he told a news conference on Friday, while confirming Romelu Lukaku had been given “a couple of days” off.
“I’m happy to help out and my job is to do as well as I can and they understand there are so many managers who would love to be manager of Manchester United, I’m one of them but it’s not something we’ve talked about, they’ll do a process for the next six months.”
After announcing Solskjaer’s appointment in a caretaker role on Wednesday, executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward said he hopes the 45-year-old could “unite” the players.
It was a telling phrase given that sources have told ESPN FC that “90 percent” of the dressing room had lost faith in Mourinho before his dismissal.
Mourinho’s most high-profile bust-up was with Paul Pogba, who was left on the bench for Mourinho’s last three league games, but Solskjaer knows the France international well after a spell in charge of United’s reserves between 2008 and 2010.
“It’s about getting every player to their best,” Solskjaer said. “They are quality players so it will be easier to get players expressing themselves.
“You play with courage, go out there and express your skills. Sir Alex Ferguson said go out and express and take risks.
“The last game he had as a manager [ended] 5-5, that was almost the perfect end for him as a manager and I want the players to be similar. To be the kids that love to play football and go out in front of the best fans in the world.”
Solskjaer’s spell as United boss will start with a trip to Cardiff, where he was sacked after just nine months in 2014.
He oversaw Cardiff’s relegation from the top flight during that time but he said he is now better prepared to be a Premier League manager.
“I’ve had about 300 or 400 games as a first team manager now and that period in Cardiff was a huge step for me,” he said.
“I’ve evaluated, reflected, made a few mistakes but if you don’t make mistakes you’re not going to learn. I made a few of them but they’re back in the Premier League now so maybe they’re not that unhappy.”
While Solskjaer wants the job on a permanent basis, former United midfielder Paul Scholes told BBC Radio 5 Live that Pochettino would be his preferred option to become the club’s next permanent boss.
Sources have told ESPN FC that Pochettino remains United’s top target, even though the Argentine is under contract at Spurs until 2023.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s will take charge of his first match as Manchester United caretaker manager on Saturday vs. Cardiff.
“If he wants the job I think it’s his,” Scholes said of Pochettino. “He carries himself brilliantly with the media, he promotes young players but most importantly he wins a lot of games of football. If he wants the job, then he’s definitely the man.
“But let’s not look too far ahead, if Ole does well in the role I’m sure he’ll have a chance of the job as well.”
Scholes was also critical of United’s players and said he believed they had let Mourinho down with their performances this season.
The former England international said some of the players were a “disgrace” after media reports surfaced claiming there were members of the United squad, including Pogba, who celebrated when they heard the news of Mourinho’s sacking on Tuesday morning.
“The players haven’t been good enough,” Scholes said. “To celebrate a manger getting sacked, I think that’s a disgrace. As much as you don’t like your manager you’ve still got your own personal pride and you’re playing for the football club.
“It will be interesting to see what Ole gets out of the players. They’ve got nowhere to hide now, especially Paul Pogba. If he comes out and starts performing, then it will look like a good move.”
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