OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has told his players to forget about a summer holiday.
The Manchester United boss wants the momentum gained from their 16-match unbeaten run — and the potential glory of winning the FA Cup and Europa League — to carry on into next season.
If they achieve their aims, there will barely be time in any case.
That means the Red Devils will have to forget about their favourite hot spots, pool selfies and Instagram videos as the hard work continues at Old Trafford.
Solskjaer said: “We’re not in a position to give the players the holiday they need and deserve. We’ll probably have to do that during next season.
“We’ve got to find gaps, rotate and give them a week off. It’s going to be more important than ever that we look after the players and rotate.”
It might be that Solskjaer now uses the international breaks to give those players not involved time off.
Plus early FA Cup dates next season, when he plays a weakened team.
What he does not want, is the foot coming off the pedal after getting the team back on the right track.
They were flying pre-lockdown with an impressive 2-0 win over Manchester City in their last Premier League game in front of a crowd.
The question was whether they could pick up where they left off. But they have done just that and are now close to claiming a Champions League spot.
That would be a reward for the way the players kept themselves fit during lockdown — and kept the spirit in the squad going via Zoom chats.
Solskjaer said: “I think we started the season really well after a good break and they worked well in pre-season.
“Then we did well after the mid-season break in February, now we’ve done well after this lockdown.
“We do have a group I feel can trust. They look after themselves, they stay together on Zoom and WhatsApp.
“They demand of each other, because if one or two let themselves down, they let the team down.
“I feel very happy with the culture in the group. They are good lads and they’re not going to come back 15lb overweight — those days are over.”
Source: thesun.co.uk