OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER believes his team ran out of gas at the end of last season and is determined not to let it happen again.
While finishing second, Manchester United took only seven points from their last 15 available in the league.
They were also disappointing in the season ending Europa League final which they lost on penalties to Villarreal.
Now Solskjaer has come under fire for resting Cristiano Ronaldo in the last match before the international break – a disappointing 1-1 draw with Everton.
But the Red Devils boss says he has to manage all his players better than last season to ensure they have a strong finish this time.
Solskjaer said: “If you can go and play six games in six days and play the same XI every time, it’s great.
“But it is about rotation. We need to get to April and May with everyone firing. We got to May in the final stretch of last season and we were too tired. I manage the players for the club.”
On Ronaldo specifically, he said: “It’s nice to have him on the pitch, he’ll always come up with the goods. The more we have him on the pitch, the better.
“He’s an exceptional player, exceptional finisher, goalscorer, exceptional pro, it’s hard to leave him out.”
Right now it is difficult to fit everyone into his attacking department on the pitch with Jesse Lingard’s form now demanding a starting place and Marcus Rashford back fit after a shoulder operation.
Lingard’s current contract is up at the end of this season and he is refusing to sign a new one.
He wants more assurances over how much game time he will get but Solskjaer insists he has a future at Old Trafford following his impressive loan spell at West Ham in the second half of last season.
Lingard came on to score in the 4-1 win over Newcastle and grabbed the winner away to West Ham as well as scoring two against Andorra at Wembley in September having forced his way back into Gareth Southgate’s England team.
Solskjaer said: “Jesse’s had a good start to the season, of course, he’s come on and scored a few goals for us and that’s been very important for us.
“We want to prolong his contract, we see him as an important player for us.
“It’s up to him and maybe up to me to give him more playing time because he deserves to. Hopefully, we can get a deal sorted for Jesse because we really rate him.”
Rashford made a scoring return in a behind closed doors friendly against Blackburn last week and has impressed everyone in training.
The 23-year-old will be in the squad for the game away to Leicester.
Solskjaer said: “He’s worked really hard throughout the lay-off. Been really bright this week and had a 60-min involvement behind closed doors last week, so he’s raring to go.”
United will however be without four players with Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane injured and Edinson Cavani and Fred unavailable having played in a World Cup qualifier against each other in the early hours of Friday morning.
Brazil beat Uruguay 4-1, with Liverpool also hit ahead of their Saturday lunch-time kick-off against Watford, with Alisson and Fabinho flying straight to Spain for the Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid.
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