What Solskjaer learned about himself this season

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits the thing he has learned most about himself since taking the job is that he does not like losing.

The boss took over the reins in December and there was an immediate upturn in fortunes, only for the Reds to run out of steam and end the campaign in sixth place in the Premier League.

It has provided some valuable lessons for Solskjaer about his squad and he is already preparing for the close season and the opportunity to recharge the club he loves so much.

“I’ve learned that I don’t like losing,“ Ole told MUTV's Helen Evans, in a lengthy interview you can see on our official app.

“I like winning. We started off fantastically. The boys were unbelievable when I came in. We were positive. We won games. The whole group gelled together and I enjoyed winning but I know that football is hard. You can’t just expect everything to go that way and the reality hit us. We are in a league with loads of very good teams and, to be at our top [level], we need to be 100 per cent focused.

"We came into some games really, really focused with the full team and I thought that was fantastic.Then you learn a lot when you go through tough times and think about who can we build this team around, and who we think is going to take the next step because we need to go to the next level.”

The manager also explained why he has such a positive personality, one that he hopes will rub off on his players in 2019/20, as the Reds look to improve on a disappointing season.

“I’ve always been an optimist,” he said. “As a striker, you have to be an optimist. Defenders, like keepers, have to be pessimists. I’ve always lived off defenders making mistakes and being positive in my movement, looking for chances to score a goal. I have to say, throughout my life, I’ve always tried to see possibilities in situations - that's the way I've always been.”