Solskjaer hits back at Carragher
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hit back at former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, suggesting that he had an ulterior motive for his comments on the Norwegian's managerial ability.
Carragher had said on Sky Sports: "What does Solskjaer do? What's his idea? I don't see it in terms of a plan...
"He is not at the level as Juergen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel or Pep Guardiola, who have got years of experience and have won major trophies...
"He knows himself, as does every Manchester United fan, that he isn't at the same level as the other managers at the top of the Premier League."
Solskjaer, whose side have won just two of their last seven games in all competitions, responded ahead of tomorrow morning's Champions League Group F clash against Atalanta.
He said: "Of course, we have got Liverpool on Sunday as well, so Jamie is always looking at these little things.
"I have got my values, I have got my way of managing.
"I believe in myself and as long as the club believes in me, I am pretty sure Jamie Carragher's opinion is not going to change that."
Carragher's fellow Sky Sports pundit and ex-Solskjaer teammate Gary Neville hit out at United's players, claiming they act like "babies" when they concede.
He said: "They don't press very well, they have no intensity, they walk around the pitch - particularly their front players - and they must think they are better than they are because when I watch Liverpool and Manchester City, they sprint...
"This Manchester United team are really poor in reacting to goals. They are a little bit like babies after conceding a goal - if they score, they puff their chests out, the egos come out, and they start to push forward."
Ex-United defender Rio Ferdinand also hit out at his former club's players, slamming their pressing, lack of compactness and disunity.
He said on his YouTube channel: "The manager's got to be demanding of these players.
"You can't tell me (Jadon) Sancho doesn't have the capacity to sprint and run to people for 90 minutes. You can't tell me (Mason) Greenwood hasn't got the capacity to do it.
"Maybe (Cristiano) Ronaldo has to turn it on and off... But you can't tell me (Paul) Pogba can't run and get after people."
Despite Atalanta missing wing-backs Robin Gosens and Hans Hateboer, Italy midfielder Matteo Pessina, centre backs Berat Djimsiti and potentially Rafael Toloi, former La Dea and United goalkeeper Massimo Taibi said they "have a good chance" of getting a result at Old Trafford.
He told BergamoNews: "They must play like Atalanta... They must be aggressive and impose their own game.
"Manchester have quality and will push... you have to be good at restarting and not let yourself get pegged back.
"With classy players like (Josip) Ilicic and (Luis) Muriel, they can put them in difficulty, because United attacks but also leaves you the space to reply."
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