#PremierLeagueStories @ManUtd – #OleGunnarSolkjaer reveals #ManchesterDerby tactics + New Data Analytics Department + Insight of how #BrunoFernandes got scouted ( and other Manchester United stories )
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Bruno Fernandes
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Manchester United’s players need to learn from our experiences in previous derby games this season, ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Manchester City.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said “When you’re at home, you have to open up against a team like Man City and they will exploit that if you’re not 100 per cent, Sometimes, being at home with your fans, you want to show them what you can do and you want to beat your opponent. Sometimes you open up too many spaces. Four times in a few months, so there’s not going to be any video [briefing] tomorrow [Friday] or Saturday because we’ve played them so many times, They’ll feel confident, they’ve hit form, they’re playing well, They’ve just been at the Bernabeu, winning there [against Real Madrid] as well, and they won the Carabao Cup final [against Aston Villa].”
Manchester United have won twice against Manchester City this season, both of them being at Etihad. In the only match played at Old Trafford this season, City ran out 3-1 winners in the first leg of the Carabao Cup.
Manchester United are set to open a new department of data specialists to help the club in terms of player recruitment, injuries, academy and training. So far the club was only using data analysis at the club but they will be hiring up to eight specialists to set up a data analytics department that shall oversee every small detail when it comes to footballing side of the operations.
Making more use of data is a long overdue step from the club and a positive move in the right direction, but they’re still trailing the rest of Europe’s top clubs in terms of structure. Liverpool and Manchester City already use deep analytics in England and United would be the third club to adapt the system in the country.
Since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, the club has not been very successful when it comes to recruiting correct players at the club but under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer their signings have been more hit than miss and the club is planning to continue along with this new vision and cultural reboot.
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed how a scouting trip to Portugal to scout Bruno Fernandes ultimately convinced him to bring him to Old Trafford.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said “When you go and see them live you just get that feeling of the player, What impressed me most that day was his personality. We knew about his skills and qualities. If you follow him and watch him all the time [you notice] that he cares so much and wants to win, he had that fire in him. I thought, yep, that’s the character we need. He won’t let anyone down. Letting the team down is the same as letting himself down. He wants to win and he knows we [win] together, everyone plays an important part. He’s been a positive boost. Bruno coming in has boosted the players but for the supporters as well, they can see that we are putting pieces in place”
Bruno Fernandes has been an instant hit at United and has scored three goals for the club already and has provided two assists. He has also been nominated as one of the candidates to receive the player of the month award for February 2020 in the premier league.
Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo has declared he doesn’t care what anyone says, willing he has the belief of his team-mates, manager and fans after scoring a brace in Manchester United’s 3-0 win over Derby County in the FA Cup fifth round.
Odion Ighalo said “I am happy. I want to congratulate the team on a hard-fought game. As long as my team-mates believe in me, the boss believes in me and the fans believe in me, I just have to keep going. I don’t care what anyone says, I am happy to be around this game team, great lads and great manager, I am happy and we are working hard, We know we need to win the game to go through to do important things this season and end the season well. The start was not the best we can do but after 20-25 minutes we got into the game. I used my strength and I am happy the ball went in. For the second, they blocked it then there is nothing I can do apart from shoot.”
Ighalo has now scored three goals for United and manager Solkjaer has publicly said that he would not hesitate to give the Nigerian a permanent deal if his form continued like this.
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