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Man Utd give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer vote of confidence as football director John Murtough reveals ‘long-term’ plans

MANCHESTER UNITED football director John Murtough says the club have full confidence in the direction they are heading under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

And the Norwegian boss, 48, is heavily involved in planning the long-term transfer strategy at Old Trafford.

Man Utd have won two of their last six games under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Solskjaer has yet to win a trophy in almost three years in charge of the Red Devils and his team had a wobble before the international break.

They slipped out of the Carabao Cup to West Ham and failed to beat both Aston Villa and Everton at the Theatre of Dreams.

But speaking to a fans forum, Murtough said they believe their project is on track to bring success to United and they will not be blown off course.

He said: “We have a long-term strategy and confidence in the direction that we’re going.

“We believe that we’ve got the talent and the character within the squad to succeed.

“We need to keep control, not get carried away and don’t deviate from our plan. Ole and the staff are very focused on that.”


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Following the recent disappointing results, a section of fans took to social media to call for the manager to go.

But Murtough said: “We won’t get distracted by what’s said on social media, which can sometimes create fervour and hysteria.

“It’s part of the modern game, but we stay focused. The Premier League is one of most competitive leagues in the world.

“Players from abroad and other leagues tell us how different it is – but we are 100% up for that challenge.”

Solskjaer was again given cash to spend in the summer with Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo all arriving.

Murtough said they are happy with the way the squad has been developed under Solskjaer but they are still making plans to improve.

Fans are desperate to see a centre-forward arrive next and he says the boss is fully involved in all the planning.

Murtough added: “Our aim is consistency and continuity in recruitment. We have a full process in place, making sure that we’re planned in what we do.

“The manager always has a key role in everything that we do on player recruitment.

“We listen to our recruitment department and support them in terms of their thoughts or opinions.

“The squad development is never ending and constantly evolving.

Man Utd chief Murtough has faith in manager Solskjaer

“We’re sitting with Ole and we’re talking about future plans in terms of where the squad will go and how we think it will develop.

“We want to balance squads with the right profile in terms of positions and in terms of age.

“The current squad has good balance – young exciting players coming through, those in the middle in the prime of their careers.

“Then the more experienced group – we can learn a lot from them, and they’re already having an impact on some of those younger players.

“We want a squad that can challenge today but also in the future as well.”

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